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: the 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 paws, its head relative to the body is small, the trunk is muscular and slightly elongated. The ears are small in round shape. The height of the cat, as measured by the withers, reaches a meter, and its weight ranges from 40 to 65 kg. All these indicators make an excellent runner out of an animal. In addition, a long elastic tail is an excellent “wheel” at high speed. The difference between these cats is that the claws on the 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 Asian cheetah has a sandy yellow color, on which small black spots are scattered. Black stripes descend from the eyes along the muzzle, which emphasize their beauty. The fur of the animal is short.
On the hunt ...
Cheetah refers to weak predators that suffer from "high school students."
For example, lions, leopards, and even hyenas can take legally caught prey from an animal and drive the runner away. He cannot stand up for himself for the reason that he is very exhausted during the pursuit of game and does not have time to gain strength in order to defend his lunch. Therefore, the Asian cheetah goes hunting in the afternoon, while strong predators rest 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, the cheetah’s speed will reach 75 km / h, and in maximum pursuit it will develop approximately 110 km / h. The beast is able to abruptly change direction, landing clearly at the point that it needs. At this point, his breathing is enhanced 150 times. With a sharp claw on the wrist of the forepaw, he knocks down the victim, and then strangles it. But such a race can last only 20 seconds, for which he will run about 400 meters. If during this period the Asian cheetah does not have time to catch the target, it stops the chase, because it lacks oxygen. 50% of such hunts for this predator fail. It is also noteworthy that the beast eats only those victims that he caught and killed himself.
Diet
These cats prefer to hunt small ungulates.
So, gazelles, wildebeest babies, impals can enter their diet. In difficult times, when the beast cannot find its usual prey, it catches hares, birds, and even rodents. Cheetahs often hunt in pairs or threesomes, such a company they are able to defeat a large-sized victim or catch an ostrich. Thomson's gazelles remain the main food for these swift legs. They make up the cat's diet by almost 90%. Cheetahs are looking for their prey, using mainly sight, not smell. This species belongs to territorial predators. It is interesting that only within the boundaries of their possessions can a cheetah hunt. The animal sometimes teams up with siblings to protect its territory from other spotty runners. In addition, the females that live within the conquered borders belong to the victorious males.
Kittens
Offspring have been hatched for about three months. 2-5 kittens are usually born. Since the mother has to go hunting from time to time, the kids remain defenseless.
That is why, until three months of age, the crumbs have an unusual appearance. There is a gray fluffy “mane” at the withers, and a brush on the tail, which is why predators confuse kittens with a ferocious honey badger and do not fit them. But the mother on these grounds easily finds her offspring in the bushes. Before you go hunting, a caring cat hides its young. Since the animal does not arrange housing for itself, the family constantly “moves” to different places. Despite such protection, the survival rate of young animals has always been very small. It is very difficult to take care of the crumbs, 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. An Asian cheetah lives near its mother for about a year and a half, after which it leaves. During this time, he needs to independently learn how to get food. In total, the animal survives to 20 years. Although in zoos this number is higher. Living in captivity, even in excellent conditions, this beast practically does not produce offspring.
Man and cheetah
It has long been noticed that this animal easily gets used to humans. In ancient centuries, it was the Asian 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 brought in a cart to the place where the herds grazed. After that, the animal opened its eyes and gave him the opportunity to attack the victim.
Soon, almost every noble person had his own cheetah, and not even one. Although ideal conditions were created for many animals, they still did not breed, and if they brought offspring, it was very, very rare. To preserve the number of these "pets", the rich constantly caught young animals in the wild. This circumstance was partially reflected in the fact that the population of these cats was reduced, and in Asia and India, the Asian cheetah completely disappeared. The photo above just shows a tamed predator.
On the brink of extinction
But the sharp reduction in the species was also due to the fact that people began to develop the territory of the wild, where these spotted animals lived. In addition, cheetahs were for some time the object of human hunting, they were killed for the sake of beautiful fur. Today, this species has been preserved in some zoos, there are 23 individuals, there are only a dozen of them left, this is indicated by the Russian Red Book. The Asiatic cheetah continues to die out, as the number of prey that is serving the predator as the main source of nutrition is reduced. The African animal species is still found on the continent, but its population is also rapidly declining.