The characteristics of Cheetahs as the fastest land animal

The characteristics of Cheetahs as the fastest land animal

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), one of the members of the cat family, and equally one of the fastest land animals in the world. A cheetah can accelerate to a running speed of more than 97 km/h (60 mph) in just two to three seconds, sustaining that speed for up to 300 m (1,000 ft.). Until about 100 years ago cheetahs were found in open habitats throughout Africa, the Middle East, and southwest Asia as far as central India. Excessive hunting and habitat destruction have reduced the cheetah’s range to isolated parts of Africa south of the Sahara, where around 10,000 cheetahs now live. Fewer than 100 cheetahs remain in remote areas of Iran.

A cheetah’s body is built for speed. During a high-speed chase, the cheetah’s spine arches in a way that helps the animal take long strides. Its tail helps it stay balanced while running.

Scientists classify the cheetah in its own genus because of its physical distinctiveness from other cats, although genetic studies suggest that the cheetah may share a common ancestor with the North American puma. Fossil evidence shows that cheetahs may have originated in North America as early as 3 million years ago and then spread into Eurasia and Africa. Scientists theorize that around 12,000 years ago a significant climate change caused a rapid decline in the cheetah population, with only a small group of cheetahs surviving in Eurasia. Inbreeding (mating between close relatives) likely occurred as this tiny population slowly grew over generations. As a result of this inbreeding, today’s cheetahs lack genetic variation, which may make them less able to adapt to changes in the environment, such as infectious disease or a climate change. Overhunting and habitat destruction place cheetahs at high risk for extinction. Farmers often kill cheetahs to prevent them from threatening their livestock. Scientists have developed breeding programs intended to provide insurance against their extinction in the wild, and they are working with local communities in Africa to reduce conflicts between people and cheetahs.

The cheetah once ranged over savannas and semideserts throughout Africa and western and central Asia. It is now nearly extinct in Asia and its numbers are dwindling in much of Africa. Some scientists attribute its decline to inbreeding that may have occurred thousands of years ago when the cheetah population was almost wiped out. Other factors may include ranchers and farmers who persecute cheetahs as vermin and encroach on the big cat's remaining habitat.

Scientific classification: The cheetah is a member of the cat family Felidae, in the order Carnivora, class Mammalia. Its scientific name is Acinonyx jubatus.

Reproduction characteristics of Cheetahs.

Male and female cheetahs come together for brief mating periods that last one to three days. Copulation is infrequent and typically occurs at night. Following a 90- to 95-day gestation (the period from conception to birth), about four or five cubs, and sometimes as many as eight cubs, are born in a litter.

Cubs are blind and helpless at birth, weighing around 250 to 300 g (9 to 10 oz). Long gray hairs, which may act as camouflage, appear on the neck, shoulders, and back soon after birth and disappear at about three months. The cubs stay hidden in a den for about eight weeks, and the mother is extremely careful to avoid attracting predators to the den. Still, she must be away for up to 48 hours while hunting, and predators often prey on her cubs while she is absent. At about eight weeks, cubs begin to accompany their mother as she hunts, and they partake in eating the meat of her kills. Nursing ends when cubs are about 4 months of age. Very young cubs begin to practice hunting through play behaviour. The cubs stalk, chase, and wrestle with one another and they will even chase prey that they know they cannot catch. Cubs do not become truly proficient hunters until they are about 24 months old. Young leave their mother at 13 to 20 months of age.

Female cheetahs reach sexual maturity when they are about 24 months or two years old, while males do not become sexually mature until they are around 30 to 36 months old. Once they reach adulthood, cheetahs may live up to 12 years in the wild and up to 16 years in zoos. Most wild cheetahs do not live as long as 12 years, however, because they are frequently preyed upon by lions, hyenas, wild dogs, and leopards. Cubs are especially vulnerable. In Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, about 90 percent of all cubs die before they are three months old, and half of these deaths are due to predation. The period between leaving the mother and reaching adulthood is also dangerous, especially for males. Half of them die during this time, largely as a result of wounds received from combat with other males over possession of land territories.

Quick facts about Cheetahs

FACTS ABOUT	CHEETAHS
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Felidae
Genus	Acinonyx
Species	jubatus
Names	young: cub
	group of males: coalition
	group of mother and young: family
Conservation Concerns	Endangered due to hunting and habitat destruction.
Range	Africa south of the Sahara Desert and Iran.
Habitat	Open plains and grasslands in semi-desert regions.
Size	Length: 173 to 218 cm (68 to 86 in), including the tail
	Weight: 39 to 65 kg (86 to 143 lb).
Feeding Habits	Cheetahs are carnivores; their diet includes antelope, wildebeest, hares, and zebra. They hunt during the day, relying on acute eyesight and bursts of speed to catch prey.
Offspring	After a gestation period of about 90 to 95 days, the female gives birth to four to five cubs, and sometimes as many as eight. The young leave the mother when they are 14 to 18 months old.
Life Span	Up to 12 years in the wild.
Did You Know	The cheetah's long skull, large nasal passages, and large lungs help it breathe when running.
	A cheetah's footpads have grooves for better traction at high speeds.
	The cheetah is one of the fastest land animals. It can reach a top speed of more than 97 km/h (60 mph) in 2 to 3 seconds, and maintain it for 300 m (1,000 ft).
	The cheetah's long tail acts as a balance and aids in high-speed turns.
	Cheetahs always kill their prey with a bite to the neck.

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