Where does the cheetah live and what does it eat? Speed indicators of a cheetah, where it lives. What are the subspecies of modern predators?
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The cheetah is a mammal that belongs to the cat family, the genus cheetah. Today this species is the only one that has managed to survive in the wild. This is the fastest running animal on the planet. When an animal hunts its prey, it can reach speeds of 112 kilometers per hour.
General description of the appearance and characteristics of the animal The body of the individual has an elongated structure , very graceful and slender, and although the cheetah seems fragile in appearance, it has well-built muscles. The predator's legs are muscular, long and very strong. The claws on the paws of a mammal do not retract completely when running or walking, which is unusual for cat family
. The shape of the cat's head is not large; it has small ears that have rounded outlines. The length of the animal’s body can vary from 1.23 to 1.5 meters, the length of the tail can reach 63–75 centimeters, and the height at the withers is 60–100 centimeters. Predator body weight
can vary from 40 to 65–70 kilograms.
The animal's fur is relatively short and not very thick; its color is sandy-yellow. Also, over the entire surface of the fur, excluding the belly area, small spots of a dark shade are evenly located, which have different shapes and sizes. It happens that an unusual mane appears in the area of the animal’s withers, which is formed from small and coarse hair. There are black stripes on the animal's face, from the inner corners of the eye and straight to the mouth. These are unique marks thanks to which the predator can easily and quickly focus its gaze during the hunting process, and they also protect the cat’s eyes from the possibility of being blinded by the sun.
What is the lifespan of an adult?
In nature, a cheetah can live from 20 to 25 years, while cats rarely live up to 25 years. If the predator is kept in captivity, but all the rules and maintenance of the cat are followed, then the lifespan can increase significantly.
Where is this predator used to living? Cheetah is a cat , who is used to living in such climatic zones , like deserts or savannas, which have a flat topography and. Most of all, the predator prefers to settle in open space. Representatives of cheetahs live mainly in Africa, in countries such as Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Benin, Zambia, Kenya, Democratic Republic Congo, Mozambique, Somalia, Niger, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Sudan.
More countries Where you can easily meet the animal are: Tanzania, Chad, Ethiopia, Togo, Uganda, Central African Republic and South Africa. Carnivore rearing can also be seen in Swaziland. In the Asian region, the cheetah practically does not exist; it can be found in very small groups in Iran.
The main distinguishing features of a cheetah and a leopard
Leopard and cheetah are animals that are usually classified as mammals, carnivores, and felines. . At the same time, the leopard is classified as a panther., and the cheetah to the genus of cheetahs. These two types of cats have a large number differences:
What subspecies of modern predator are there?
Nowadays we are accustomed to distinguishing only 5 subspecies modern cheetahs. So, 4 of them live in Africa, and the fifth can very rarely be found in Asia. According to the results of a study conducted in 2007, about 4,500 individuals live in African countries. So, this animal was included in the IUCN Red List.
- Asian subspecies.
Asiatic cheetah used to living on the territory of Iran in the provinces of Markazi, Fars and Khorasan, but the number of individuals of this subspecies has remained very small. There is also a possibility that some individuals live in the region of Pakistan or Afghanistan. In total, no more than 60 individuals have survived in nature. On the territory of the zoos there is about 23 asian predator. At the same time, this animal has some differences from the African subspecies: the predator’s legs are shorter, the neck is more powerful, and the skin is several times denser and thicker.
- Royal subspecies of cheetahs.
Among the simple color of a predator, there are exceptions that occur due to rare mutations in genetic level. For example, the royal cheetah has such features. Black stripes run along the territory of its back, and on its sides there are large dark spots, which in some cases can merge together. First time given An unusual breed of predator was found in 1926, then for a long time experts did not understand what type of cat it should be classified as. At first, scientists thought that this individual was the result of a cross between a cheetah and a serval, and even considered classifying the king cheetah as a new and separate species.
But the time has come when geneticists put an end to their debate. This happened in 1981, when the De Wildt Cheetah Center, which was located in South Africa, two mammals gave birth to offspring, and one of the cubs had an unusual color of its fur. King cheetahs are capable freely interbreed with their brothers who have the usual skin color. At the same time, the individuals give birth to completely healthy and beautiful babies.
There is also a large number of species of predators that did not withstand time and became extinct long ago.
Other predator colors
There are other colors of the animal’s coat, which arose due to various mutations. IN natural environment habitat, experts noticed individuals with different colors and colors of fur. Eg:
There are individuals that have very pale and dull fur color, this is especially evident among residents of desert areas. There is an explanation for this, because such a feature can act as a camouflage device that can protect the animal from the excessively scorching rays of the sun.
The cheetah belongs to the cat family. Its habitat is Africa and the Middle East. The genus Cheetah consists of only one species of cheetah.
Description of the appearance of a cheetah
This cat has no equal in running; it can move at a speed of 100-120 km/h. The cheetah's physique allows it to develop the speed of hurricane winds; it seems to be created for rapid speed. The cheetah's body is quite slender and muscular, with virtually no fat deposits, reaching a length of 125-150 cm without a tail. Weight compared to others big cats Africa, quite small - 36-60 kg. The head is small with small rounded ears. The legs are long and thin. The height at the withers is approximately 70 to 95 cm. A long tail 65-80 cm, which when running helps to balance and repeat all the zigzags after the victim. Cheetahs have a large rib cage and large lungs that allow 150 breaths per minute. The cheetah's eyes are located on the front of the skull, like most felines. The animal has binocular and spatial vision to accurately calculate the distance to the prey, and its field of vision covers 200 degrees. The cheetah's color is dark yellow with small black spots all over its body. The claws do not protrude like those of most cats, but are located outside and constantly become dull when walking or running. 
The king cheetah is also found in the wild, but this is not separate species, but a rare mutation. It differs only in color with larger black spots and two stripes stretching from the neck to the tail.
Cheetah lifestyle and reproduction
The life of a cheetah is a little different from the life of other cats. Cheetahs predominantly lead a diurnal and solitary lifestyle. Male cheetahs sometimes form coalitions. They usually consist of brothers from the same brood. Females never create unions with individuals of the same sex or the opposite. They lead a nomadic lifestyle, never staying in one territory for long. Often females do not travel alone, but with their cubs. When the cubs have just appeared and are very small, the female first lives sedentary. For her residence at this time, she chooses bushes, lonely trees in thickets of thick grass, termite mounds, and sometimes settles in rocks. After the kids grow up, he goes on the road with them.
Males, unlike females, are always looking for a territory to live in and always mark it, leaving excrement and urine on trees or scratching them. Although, just like females, they can live in an occupied territory for a short time - from 1 to 3 years.
Mating season for cheetahs
Females and males of cheetahs are found only during the mating period and stay in place for several days. Afterwards, the female bears offspring for 90-95 days. After this time, the female brings from 1 to 5 babies, in rare cases 6. The cubs are born blind, helpless, covered with short hair yellow color with an abundance of small dark spots, which at first are noticeable only on the sides and paws. On top, along the entire length of the kittens, lies a “birth cape” - a kind of long, soft gray wool. After two months, it completely changes, and the babies acquire a characteristic color. The coat becomes short and harsh. 
The babies spend the first nine weeks in the den, but then the mother takes them away, constantly moving from one place to another. Since babies begin to eat meat from the age of three months, the mother needs to hunt almost all the time to feed the family. After each successful hunt, if there is no danger nearby, the female leads or calls the babies to the prey. Mostly small ungulates. The mother takes care of her offspring for one and a half or two years, until they learn all the necessary hunting skills, then leaves them.
Cheetahs live up to 12 years in the wild, and up to 15 years in captivity.
Cheetah in the Red Book
Cheetahs are listed in the Red Book. Today there are only a few thousand of them. The reason for the disappearance of cheetahs was their mass extermination man and a meager gene pool. As scientists have established, the second reason could become more significant than the first. Since cheetahs have lost their genetic diversity and genetically almost identical, as a result of this their immunity was greatly damaged and became very weak. Most babies born in the wild die in the first year of life. Breeding these animals in artificial conditions virtually impossible, since they do not reproduce well in an unnatural environment. To save the species, zoologists believe that the Asian subspecies should be crossed with the African one and thus restore gene diversity.
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) - carnivorous mammal cat family. Full classification: subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammals, or Beasts (Mammalia), subclass Real Beasts (Theria), order Carnivora, family Felidae, the only representative of the genus.
The body length from the head to the back of the thighs is 110 - 150 cm, the tail is 65 - 90 cm, the height at the withers is 79-100 cm, the average weight of the animal is 43 kg (male) and 38 kg (female). This animal is so unique that it stands out as a separate subfamily. By appearance and the body structure of the cheetah is more reminiscent of a long-legged dog than a cat. Literally translated, the word “cheetah” means “dog-cat,” which accurately conveys the state of affairs. The cheetah's body structure is similar to a wolf, only its skin is spotted and its muzzle is like a cat's. He doesn't even roar like a tiger, but only yelps like a dog. His body is somewhat shortened and more elevated above the ground compared to the body of cats.
The cheetah is the fastest-footed animal on Earth. When catching up with prey, it can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h over short distances (up to 500 m). The cheetah is well adapted to this method of hunting: it has a dry, lean body with a small head and long, slender, thin, but at the same time strong legs, the claws of which do not retract, like other cats, and a long, strong tail acts as a balancer when running. This beast is capable of jumping up to eight meters.
The African cheetah is born with a mane on its head, but it disappears over time. Black tear streaks stretch from his eyes to his upper jaw, and this gives rise to the apparent sadness of his muzzle. The cheetah's fur is short and sparse. A small mane is developed. The general color tone is yellowish, sandy. Small dark solid spots are densely scattered throughout the skin, except for the belly.
The cheetah goes out hunting mainly during the day or at dusk, less often at night, having previously rested in a den, under a bush or in the grass. They live alone or in pairs, except when raising young animals. The cheetah has keen eyesight, and at a distance of up to 1500 m he can see a herd of ungulates that he hunts: gazelles, goitered gazelles and other small antelopes, sometimes argali, and also feeds on hares, small animals and birds. The cheetah never eats carrion. Having eaten his fill of the prey he has just killed, he leaves the carcass for the birds and jackals.
A cheetah's pregnancy lasts 84-95 days. There are 2-4 cubs in a litter. They are born blind and uniformly colored. The spotted pattern appears later. The timing of breeding is unknown, but in May and September in Turkmenistan, females with cubs (the size of a domestic cat or slightly larger) are found. In zoos, young cheetahs reach sexual maturity at three years of age.
Until recently, cheetahs were very widespread - almost throughout Africa, Western and Central Asia, in Southern Kazakhstan and Transcaucasia. Currently, cheetahs have survived mainly in Africa, only occasionally they are found in Iran and Afghanistan, and from the territory of Central Asia, apparently, they have completely disappeared. Cheetahs inhabit savannas, grassy plains, clayey and sandy deserts.
As a rare animal, the cheetah has no commercial significance and needs full protection throughout its range. The number of cheetahs in Africa reached 8-25 thousand individuals by 1971, according to various studies. In the Asian part of its range, the cheetah disappeared completely or, perhaps, survived as a single species in Iran (in 1974 there were about 250 individuals) and, possibly, in Northern Afghanistan. The cheetah is listed on the IUCN Red List. A subspecies of cheetah - the Asiatic cheetah (jubatus venaticus) was included in the Red Book of the USSR, perhaps now does not exist at all.
There are five subspecies of cheetahs in Africa:
Acinonyx jubatus jubatus - in South Africa, 500 individuals;
Acinonyx jubatus raineyi - in Kenya, less than 3000 individuals;
Acinonyx jubatus ngorongorensis - in Tanzania and Zaire;
Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii - from Nigeria to Somalia;
Acinonyx jubatus hecki - in Algeria.
And two subspecies of cheetah in Asia:
Acinonyx jubatus raddei - on Caspian lowland, extremely rare, perhaps already extinct;
Acinonyx jubatus venaticus - from India and the Middle East, less than 200.
The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) disappeared a long time ago in India, then in Afghanistan and Pakistan, ceased to be found in the Central Asian republics, and from time to time there were rumors of its isolated sightings in Iran. Dr. Mahmoud Karami presented fresh evidence of the existence of this species in Iran. He and his staff encountered cheetahs and their tracks in the provinces of Markazi, Fars and Khorasan. Irrefutable proof modern existence The Asiatic cheetah may be a male cub that was sold at the bazaar and ended up in the Mashad Zoo. If there are only a few individuals of the Asiatic cheetah left in Iran, then, according to M. Karami, their future is bleak.
In ancient times, cheetahs were domesticated, trained and used for hunting in Iran and the Mongol Empire. Hunting cheetahs were also known in Kievan Rus. Russian princes were very fond of hunting with cheetahs. The ancient rulers of India and Assyria organized cheetah competitions. This was considered real royal fun.
There are still no known cases of cheetah attacks on humans. But man was always cruel to them. Excessive hunting of the leopard has brought it to the brink of complete extinction.
King cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
In 1981, a new cheetah mutation called royal was noted at the DeWildt Cheetah Center (South Africa). Cheetahs with this coloration are extremely rare in nature. That year, a king cheetah was born in captivity for the first time. In terms of body structure, it is no different from an ordinary cheetah, but its coloring contains particularly large markings, and all the spots are connected in a pattern. The first king cheetah was discovered in 1926 in Zimbabwe and was initially mistaken for a new species of cheetah. Only 50 years later, in 1974, the first photograph was taken ( National Park Kruger). At first it was believed that it was a hybrid of a cheetah and a leopard, but genetic tests disproved this theory.
Royal cheetahs can interbreed with ordinary cheetahs, resulting in full-fledged offspring. A royal-colored cub can be born from normal-colored parents. The diet of cheetahs is dominated by small prey - Grant's and Thompson's gazelles, impala antelopes, hares and birds. They eat only that part of the prey that they can eat at one time and do not return to the remains of the carcass because they are not able to defend it. Cheetahs are fast, but not strong. Unlike many cats, the cheetah does not eat carrion; it feeds only on fresh prey.
The cheetah is one of the most beautiful and graceful predators in the cat family. It attracts with its color, elegance and is considered the fastest of all terrestrial living creatures. Today, these predators are divided into two main species: African and Asian cheetahs. The animal from the last group is on the verge of extinction.
External characteristics
The cheetah is different from other feline predators. The animal has very long legs, its head is small relative to its body, and its body is muscular and slightly elongated. The ears are small, round in shape. The cat's height, measured at the withers, reaches a meter, and its weight ranges from 40 to 65 kg. All these indicators make an animal an excellent runner. In addition, the long elastic tail is an excellent “rudder” at high speed. The difference between these cats is that the claws on their paws do not retract, but always remain “ready”. This feature is necessary for the cheetah so that when running the pads do not “slip” from the surface of the earth. The Asiatic cheetah has a sandy-yellow coloration with small black spots scattered throughout. Black stripes descend from the eyes along the muzzle, which emphasize their beauty. The animal's fur is short.
On the hunt...
The cheetah is one of the weak predators that suffer from “high school students”.
For example, lions, leopards and even hyenas can take legally caught prey from an animal and chase away the runner. He cannot stand up for himself for the reason that he is very exhausted while chasing game and does not have time to gain strength to defend his dinner. Therefore, the Asiatic cheetah goes hunting during the day, while strong predators taking a break from the heat.
Having found a suitable target, the predator approaches it almost openly. From a distance of 10 meters a short sprint begins. In just two seconds it will reach 75 km/h, and in pursuit it will reach a maximum speed of approximately 110 km/h. The beast is capable of abruptly changing direction, clearly landing at the point it needs. At this moment, his breathing intensifies 150 times. With a sharp claw on the wrist of the front paw, he knocks down the victim, after which he strangles him. But such a race can last only 20 seconds, during which he will run about 400 meters. If during this period the Asiatic cheetah does not have time to catch the target, it stops the chase because it does not have enough oxygen. 50% of such hunts for this predator end unsuccessfully. It is also noteworthy that the beast feeds only on those victims that it has caught and killed itself.
Diet
These cats prefer to hunt small ungulates.
So, their diet may include gazelles, baby wildebeests, and impalas. In difficult times, when the animal cannot find its usual prey, it catches hares, birds and even rodents. Cheetahs often hunt in pairs or threes; in such a group they are able to defeat large prey or catch an ostrich. The main food of these fleet-footed animals remains Thomson's gazelles. They make up almost 90% of the cat's diet. Cheetahs search for their prey using mainly their vision rather than their sense of smell. This species is a territorial predator. It is interesting that a cheetah can hunt only within its territory. The animal sometimes teams up with siblings to defend its territory from other spotted runners. In addition, females that reside within the conquered boundaries belong to the victorious males.
Kittens
The offspring are gestated for about three months. Usually 2-5 kittens are born. Since the mother has to go hunting from time to time, the babies remain defenseless.
That is why, until the age of three months, babies have an unusual appearance. There is a gray fluffy “mane” on the withers, and a tassel on the tail, which is why predators confuse the kittens with a ferocious honey badger and do not approach them. But the mother can easily find her offspring in the bushes using these signs. Before going hunting, a caring cat hides her young. Since the animal does not arrange a home for itself, the family constantly “moves” to different places. Despite such protection, the survival rate of young animals has always been very low. It is very difficult to take care of the little ones, because they are too frisky and, having played too much, may not notice the danger. For eight months, the female feeds her cubs with milk. The Asiatic cheetah lives near its mother for about a year and a half, after which it leaves. During this time, he needs to learn to get food on his own. In total, the animal lives up to 20 years. Although in zoos this number is higher. Living in captivity, even in excellent conditions, this animal practically does not produce offspring.
Man and cheetah
It has long been noticed that this animal easily gets used to humans. In ancient times, it was the Asiatic cheetah that was caught for hunting. The description of the hunting process shows that only a wealthy person could afford this predator. Caps were put on the cheetah's eyes and he was brought in a cart to the place where the herds grazed. After this, the animal’s eyes were opened and it was given the opportunity to attack the victim.
Soon, almost every noble person had his own cheetah, and even more than one. Although ideal conditions were created for many animals, they still did not reproduce, and even if they produced offspring, it was very, very rare. To maintain the number of these “pets,” the rich constantly caught young animals in the wild. This circumstance was partly reflected in the fact that the number of cats has decreased, and in Asia and India the Asiatic cheetah has completely disappeared. The photo above just shows a tamed predator.
On the verge of extinction
But the sharp decline in the species was also due to the fact that humans began to develop the territory wildlife where these spotted animals lived. In addition, cheetahs were hunted by humans for some time, they were killed for their beautiful fur. Today this type preserved in some zoos, there are 23 individuals there, only a dozen of them remain in the wild, the Russian Red Book speaks about this. The Asiatic cheetah continues to die out as the number of prey in the wild, which serves as the predator's main source of food, is declining. The African species is still found on the continent, but its population is also rapidly declining.
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The cheetah is the fastest-footed animal...
The cheetah lives on the plains of Africa, India, Western and Central Asia. On the territory of Kazakhstan in late XVIII - early XIX V. on east coast Caspian Sea and in the deserts adjacent to Aral Sea, the cheetah was seen regularly. In the middle of the 19th century. on the Mangyshlak Peninsula and the Ustyurt Plateau, this predator has become very rare. Over the past 25-30 years, there is no reliable information about sightings of this predator in Kazakhstan.
Cheetahs are so different from other cats that they are classified as a special subfamily. By appearance cheetah - resembles a hound dog with long legs, a small cat-like face and a long thin tail, which cheetahs use as a balance when running. Their slender, lean body with an arched back even seems fragile, but in fact they have developed muscles and practically no fat deposits. Cheetahs have fur similar to that of smooth-haired dogs. And the vague spots on the skin already resemble cat fur. The fangs are quite small, there are no powerful jaws. Cheetahs are the only felines that cannot retract their claws and they cannot climb trees. The feet are wide in relation to the size of the body. There are pads made of rough leather on the foot to soften the step. Their long, sharp claws help the cheetah stay steady while running. All these characteristics allow the cheetah to be the fastest alive 
dark on earth.
The color is yellowish-golden, the belly is white, there are black spots all over the body, and on the muzzle there are so-called black “tear stripes” running from the tips of the eyes to the mouth. This protective coloring makes the cheetah invisible against the background of vegetation.
In 1981, a new cheetah mutation called royal was noted at the DeWildt Cheetah Center (South Africa). Cheetahs with this coloration are extremely rare in nature. In terms of body structure, it is no different from an ordinary cheetah, but its coloring contains particularly large markings, and all the spots are connected in a pattern. The first king cheetah was discovered in 1926 in Zimbabwe and was initially mistaken for a new species of cheetah. Royal cheetahs can interbreed with ordinary cheetahs, resulting in full-fledged offspring. A royal-colored cub can be born from normal-colored parents.
Body length varies from 115 to 140 cm (average 130 cm), tail 65 - 90 cm (average 75 cm), height at the withers 79 cm.
Weight: The weight of an adult cheetah is 40-65 kg: the average weight of a male is 43 kg and 38 kg of a female.
Lifespan: Cheetahs live up to 17-20 years in captivity, and up to 8-10 in the wild.
Voice: The sound language of a predator is quite varied. In his voice you can hear almost all the sounds made domestic cat. The sounds made by a cheetah are similar to the abrupt chirping of a bird. They can be heard at a distance of two kilometers and allow the cheetah to communicate with its cubs and relatives. When a cheetah is happy, it begins to purr like a huge one. domestic cat. Pleasure is manifested by the sounds “wa-wa” and “nyam-nyam.” “Prr-pr” is a calm call, a very low “i-hi, i-hi” is an alarming one. When defending prey or when irritated, adult animals growl, purr, snort and click their teeth. His growl is more like a bark. Kids fighting for the best pieces meat brought by their parents, they emit long screams and sniffle terribly, pressing their ears. When they are scared, they whistle shrilly and sharply. In response to the mother's call, they chirp quietly.
Habitat: Due to their hunting method, they prefer open spaces: savannas, semi-deserts, etc.
Enemies: The main reasons for the catastrophic decline in the number of cheetahs in all areas of its range are the development of desert areas and plowing of lands, and in this connection the disappearance of ungulates, as well as direct persecution of the cheetah by poachers.
In Africa, the cheetah is the weakest large predators 
. Hyenas, leopards and lions can take prey from cheetahs and kill their cubs.
he hunts small ungulates - antelopes. Most of all he likes to hunt Thompson's gazelle, impala, and wildebeest calves. Its diet also includes hares and birds. There are known cases when in arid areas a cheetah ate juicy wild melons. In zoos, he eats 2.8-3.3 kg of meat per day. Here they are fed horse meat, sometimes beef, rabbits, and chicks.
Cheetahs are diurnal predators. It goes hunting during the day or at dusk, often lying in wait for prey at a watering hole. He the best way adapted to life on the plain. Keen vision allows him to see his prey. Unlike other cats, cheetahs hunt by stalking rather than by ambush. As a rule, the cheetah hunts alone. Seeing the herd, he goes around it on the leeward side and begins to crawl, pressing tightly to the ground and not taking his eyes off the antelopes. As soon as they start to worry, the cheetah freezes. It approaches its prey at a distance of up to 30 meters and makes a rapid dash.
Cheetahs push off when running at a gallop with their front and hind legs; this type of running allows them to reach speeds of up to 110 km/h and quickly change the direction of running. Incredibly, this beast can reach a speed of 65 km/h in just 2 seconds from a standstill! Usually the chase does not last long: the predator catches up with its prey before they run half a kilometer. On the most high speed a cheetah can race in 6-meter leaps. This is a sprinter: they can only withstand such speed for a short distance, after which their body overheats, and their muscles stretch from overexertion and lose elasticity. To ensure influx fresh air The powerful lungs are served by a wide and short nasal cavity. Cheetahs also have enlarged hearts, lungs, bronchi and tonsils to ensure maximum oxygen flow to the blood and muscles.
The prey is usually knocked down with a blow from the paw, and then strangled by clinging to its throat with a death grip. If in a short time the cheetah fails to overtake its prey, it refuses to continue the hunt, because due to the enormous energy consumption it is incapable of a long chase. To avoid mistakes, the predator chooses the weaker animal in the herd, and does it without fail. A race rarely lasts more than a minute. Approximately half of hunting attempts are successful, and the success rate for gazelle hunting was 70%.
When gnawing or tearing off pieces of meat, unlike, for example, lions and leopards, the cheetah never helps itself with its front paws. On the contrary, he pulls them under himself. A cheetah is not born a hunter, but becomes one, and only if its mother gives it an “intensive training course.” Cheetahs born in captivity do not know how to sneak up on prey and chase prey. The mother and cubs eat together very peacefully, without quarrels or fights.
Although cheetahs live on the same open plains as lions, where hyenas and wild dogs live, there is no rivalry between them, because. The cheetah hunts very fast animals, and therefore inaccessible to other predators. However, its prey cannot always be hidden, and scavengers are never against feasting on it.
Cheetahs are well adapted to living in arid areas. They do not need daily watering places. On average, they travel up to 82 km between watering holes. They have been observed to satisfy their hydration needs by drinking the blood or urine of their prey or by eating juicy melons.
In the mountains of Algeria, cheetahs constantly move from one valley to another, but at the same time they exhibit territorial behavior, marking trees (mostly tamarix) with their secretions and scratching them (mostly acacias). They rest under these trees or lie down on the lower horizontal branches. Here they hunt mainly at night.
Social structure: Cheetahs live in pairs or alone. After young cheetahs leave their mother, they stay together as a kin group for an average of about 6 months. Females separate from their siblings at around 2 years of age (usually 23 - 27 months of age). Males (siblings) usually remain together for a considerable time in a small group, up to 4 individuals. Such a group occupies an area of up to 100-150 km2.
On average, the cheetah population consists of 21% males, 47% females, and 32% juveniles: of these, 44% of juveniles are 12 to 16 months old. It has been established that only 11% of puppies survive to 4 months; 4 - 5.6% of puppies up to 14 months. Mortality from birth to maturity ranges between 90 and 98%.
Reproduction: Cheetahs form pairs during the breeding season. Males do not take part in feeding the cubs, so soon after mating the mating pair breaks up.
Typically, a female cheetah gives birth to no more than six (average 3.3) tiny cubs. Cheetahs do not make a den, and the children's room is placed right in the middle of some dense bush or thicket of tall grass, or less often in an abandoned den of other animals. Around the 10th day, cheetah cubs' eyes open. At five or six weeks of age, puppies follow their mothers. The female fearlessly protects her children and hides them very well from enemies, constantly moving children from place to place during the first months of their life. This ensures that safety and sanitation regulations are followed. However, despite all the efforts of females to protect their babies from harm, only a third of the cubs survive to adulthood. If a mother loses her pups, she can enter estrus in an average of 3 weeks and bear new offspring. It is therefore estimated that a female cheetah could give birth up to a maximum of three times a year, producing a maximum of 18 pups.
Cheetah pups are weaned at around three months of age. They stay with their mother for 13 to 20 months. At the age of one and a half years, they mark adulthood and leave their parents.
Breeding season/period: The rut is extended, but most often occurs in December-January. Peak births of kittens occur during the rainy season.
Puberty: Cheetahs reach sexual maturity on average at the age of 2-3 years (females - 24-36 months; males - 30 - 36 months).
Pregnancy: Pregnancy lasts 84-95 days.
Offspring: Cubs - 2-5 are born blind, uniformly colored. The spotted pattern appears later. Newborn cubs have darker fur, and a thick and lush ashy “mantle” stretches along the back from neck to tail. After two months, it gradually turns into a mane, revealing the spotted back, and before that, like a camouflage robe, it reliably covers each baby from enemy eyes. Cheetah babies can retract their claws, like kittens, only up to 10 - 15 weeks, later the claws become almost motionless, and according to this, the metacarpus more closely resembles a dog's. Permanent teeth replace baby teeth by about nine months.
The cheetah does not attack people. As a rare animal, the cheetah has no commercial significance and needs full protection throughout its range. The cheetah has a gentle and peaceful disposition. The cheetah gets used to humans very quickly and can be tamed. In India and Iran, cheetahs were domesticated, trained and used to hunt antelope. Hunting cheetahs were also known in Kievan Rus. In many parts of the Middle East, cheetahs were every rich man's favorite game animal. It is known that the Mongol emperor Akbar had a “stable” of 1000 cheetahs for hunting
A very rare, endangered animal. The entire wild population of cheetahs is estimated at approximately 8-10 thousand individuals. The most largest population There are now cheetahs in East Africa: in Kenya and Tanzania and in southern Africa: in Namibia and Botswana.
The species is listed in the IUCN Red List. The cheetah is subject to universal and complete protection. Listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Species wild fauna and endangered flora.
Cheetahs apparently nearly went extinct during the last ice age. Living cheetahs are closely related, so they show signs of genetic degeneration caused by inbreeding. For example, cheetahs have a very high infant mortality rate.
The only kind monotypic genus. Given the vastness of the cheetah's range, it naturally exhibits pronounced geographic variability. There is no consensus yet on the number of cheetah subspecies. Most zoologists agree on seven subspecies of cheetah: five in Africa and two in Asia, some of these seven recognize only two - Asian venaticus and African jubatus, which are translated from Latin as “hunting” and “having a mane.” In fact, this is not a mane, but a short mane, like a comb of slightly elongated hair.
Five African subspecies:
Acinonyx jubatus jubatus - in South Africa, 500 individuals;
Acinonyx jubatus raineyi - in Kenya, less than 3000 individuals;
Acinonyx jubatus ngorongorensis - in Tanzania and Zaire;
Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii - from Nigeria to Somalia;
Acinonyx jubatus hecki – in Algeria
Two Asian subspecies;
Acinonyx jubatus raddei - in the Caspian lowland, extremely rare, possibly already extinct;
Acinonyx jubatus venaticus - from India and the Middle East, less than 200.
It is still almost impossible to get offspring from cheetahs in zoos. There were such examples, but they can be called a happy accident. In general, zoo workers unanimously come to the conclusion that keeping these animals in captivity is extremely labor-intensive.