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| Cheetah | |
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| Scientific name | Acinonyx jubatus |
| Classification | Family of the Felidae |
| Habitat | Africa |
| Size | 1.10 to 1.50 m |
| Weight | 35 to 60 kg |
| Lifespan | 13 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity |
| Reproduction | generally 3 to 5 cubs, but there can be up to 8 |
| Edit | see template • edit |
The cheetah (or targui in Arabic) is a wild feline mammal found in Africa, in the savanna. Thanks to its long, slender legs and light weight, it is the fastest land predator of all time. It can run up to 130 km/h over short distances, but it is outpaced by some animals (such as the American pronghorn) over long distances because it cannot maintain its speed for long.
As species have evolved, cheetahs have physically adapted for ultra-fast sprints rather than for combat like lions. They are physically weaker than leopards, hyenas, and lions.
It feeds on mammals, such as impalas. The cheetah is an endangered species, classified as vulnerable: its population in the year 2000 was in decline, estimated at only 12,000 individuals in Africa, whereas there were still 100,000 individuals in 1900.
Characteristics[change | change source]
- Shoulder height of males: 80 to 94 cm (87 cm on average)
- Shoulder height of females: 67 to 80 cm (74 cm on average)
- Body length of males: 130 to 150 cm (140 cm on average)
- Body length of females: 110 to 130 cm (120 cm on average)
- Tail length: 60 to 80 cm (70 cm on average)
- Weight of males: 35 to 70 kilograms (50 kg on average)
- Weight of females: 20 to 40 kilograms (30 kg on average)
- Coat: yellowish with small round black spots.
The cheetah lives throughout Africa (except in the tropical forests of Central Africa), as well as in Saudi Arabia and parts of South Asia (the Indian cheetah); it inhabits large, open, arid areas, such as savannas and semi- deserts.
The royal cheetah has larger spots than other species.
There are 6 subspecies of cheetahs.
According to fossils, the earliest ancestor of the cheetah lived 30 million years ago; the modern cheetah has ceased to evolve for the past 20,000 years, meaning it has not changed since then. Its ancestors were larger and, above all, heavier than it is; they were not at all built for the ultimate sprint, as the cheetah is perfectly adapted for. The cheetah is unable to roar because its hyoid bone is completely ossified.
Diet[change | change source]
The cheetah is a carnivore, meaning it eats meat. It feeds on hares, gazelles, and young zebras, but it may also eat other animals. Very fast but relatively weak physically, the cheetah is generally not a dominant predator: lions, hyenas, and leopards have no trouble taking its food, and may even kill it. When its territory overlaps with that of predators more powerful than itself, it manages to avoid them by being active during the day, as these other predators are primarily nocturnal. This vertebrate eats nearly three kilograms of fresh meat per day. This mammal can go ten days without drinking if a water source is not nearby.
Hunting technique[change | change source]
The cheetah spots its prey from a vantage point (a slope, a termite mound) and then approaches it very stealthily by camouflaging itself in tall grass.
Once it breaks into a sprint, it accelerates very quickly and attempts to bring its prey to the ground with a swipe of its paw, then finishes it off by suffocating it.
Physical performance[change | change source]
Females can run at an average speed of 75 km/h over approximately 300 meters, reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h over very short distances (75 meters), while males average 80 to 110 km/h over 500 meters, reaching speeds of 110 to 120 km/h over 100 meters.
Cheetahs can also run at a steady pace of about 40 km/h, but over a longer distance, up to 1,500 meters (1.5 km).
It is the fastest and most enduring of the felines, but it has less endurance than antelopes. In reality, it is not so much its speed as its “great acceleration” that gives it an advantage over its prey: for example, it can reach 75 km/h in just 2 seconds.
Reproduction[change | change source]
Cheetahs do not breed at any specific time of year.
The female usually gives birth to 3 to 5 cubs at a time; some litters can have up to 8 cubs. The gestation period—the time a female cheetah carries her cubs in her womb—is 3 months. At birth, the cubs weigh 300 grams and measure about 30 cm. They cannot walk and are blind.
The cubs generally stay with their mother, who will teach them to hunt, for over a year. The mother moves her cubs almost every day. Many cheetahs die as cubs due to the numerous predators living in the savanna. This is why the mother moves her cubs regularly.
Lifestyle[change | change source]
Cheetahs are solitary animals, with females being even more so than males. Males live in groups of two or three for long periods, especially in territories rich in food. Together, it is easier for them to defend a territory and attract females.
Predators[change | change source]
The cheetah has predators; it can be attacked by lions, hyenas, wild dogs, panthers, and sometimes leopards.
 Did you know?
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| Clever Camouflage | ||
 The baby cheetah has a large white mane down the middle of its back. This feature not only serves as camouflage but also makes it resemble the honey badger, a small, fierce animal of similar size. Thus, predators, mistaking it for a honey badger, hesitate to attack it. | ||
Trained cheetahs[change | change source]
In the 16th century, young cheetahs were often captured to be trained as hunting aids. Men would set their cheetahs on the trail of a gazelle or an antelope. Once the cheetahs had knocked out their prey, they would wait for their masters to finish it off.
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