The cheetah is the swiftest land mammal on the planet. A cheetah can reach 60 miles per hour from zero in just three seconds, with acceleration that would blow most cars away. Although they can only maintain that speed for about 30 seconds, wild cheetahs are thought to be able to reach speeds of almost 70 mph. These cats can turn abruptly and quickly while traveling at high speeds in search of prey. Cheetahs are the most vulnerable of all the big cats in the world, even though their speed makes them fearsome hunters. Currently, the cheetah falls under the category of being at risk of going extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Physical characteristics of cheetahs

Male cheetahs are usually larger than females. Cheetah body lengths range from 112 to 150 cm (3.93-4.92 ft), tail lengths range from 60 to 80 cm (2-2.62 ft), and shoulder height ranges from 67 to 94 cm (2.2-3.1 ft.). Their weights range from 21 to 72 kg (46-158 lb), with males being heavier than females. Cheetahs have a tawny, pale buff, or grayish-white upper coat of fur, with paler and whiter underparts. The black spots on the pelage are close together, with a series of black rings around the last one-third of the tail. Black tear markings under the eyes protect against glare from the sun and aid in focusing attention on prey. 

Running machines of the nature

Cheetahs have small heads, small ears, and wide-set eyes. Rapid acceleration necessitates cheetah adaptations such as enlarged nostrils and extensive, air-filled sinuses. A cheetah’s specially adapted repertory system allows it to go from a normal rate of 60 to 150 breaths per minute while running. Less developed whiskers around the face indicate that cheetahs are not as active at night as other felids.

Cheetahs have a small, thin-boned skull, a relatively flat face, and a smaller muzzle size, which positions their large eyes for maximum binocular vision. Cheetahs can detect prey in open habitats that move against the horizon because there is a high concentration of nerve cells leading to the optic nerve. During fast sprints, a nictitating membrane shields and protects the eyes even more. A cheetah’s tail can be 66 to 84 cm long, accounting for roughly two-thirds of its body length. A cheetah’s paws make little contact with the ground during fast sprints. A cheetah’s tail stretches out and acts as a counterbalance during such turns. The tail’s flattened tip also functions as a rudder to guide the direction.

Physique of cheetahs
Figure 01: Physique of a cheetah

They have narrower paws than other large felids, resembling dog paws rather than cat paws. Cheetah claws are blunt, slightly curved, and only partially retractable. Cheetah claws function similarly to running spikes, increasing traction while pursuing prey. Ridges running along the footpads act as car tire treads, providing extra traction. Having weak jaws and smaller canine teeth compared to other large cats is a tradeoff for having various adaptations essential for rapid acceleration to pursue prey, such as a reduced muzzle and smaller skull size. Therefore these cats are vulnerable when it comes to defending captured prey from larger predators.

Distribution and Habitat

Cheetahs are primarily found in savannas like the Kalahari and Serengeti in eastern and southern Africa.

Cheetahs live in arid mountain ranges and valleys in central, northern, and western Africa. In the harsh climate of the Sahara, cheetahs prefer high mountains because they receive more precipitation than the nearby desert. Antelopes can survive in these mountains thanks to the vegetation and water resources. Iranian cheetahs can be found in hilly desert terrain at elevations of up to 2,000–3,000 m, where the annual precipitation is typically less than 100 mm. The predominant vegetation in these regions is made up of sparsely spaced shrubs that are less than 1 m tall.

Distribution of cheetahs across the world
Figure 02: Distribution of cheetahs across the world

Amazing facts about cheetahs

Like football players

Cheetahs have “tear marks” under their eyes to help them see better during the day. The marks also work like the sights on a rifle, to help the cheetah “aim” and stay focused on its prey. They are like the marks football players put on their eyes during games.

Tail like a rudder

The cheetah has a flat-shaped, long, muscular tail. The tail functions almost like a rudder on a boat, as they use it to help control their steering and keep their balance when running at high speeds.

Spotted skin

The cheetah’s fur and skin are both covered in solid black spots! The black fur grows from the black spots on their skin.

Not just a funny haircut

Cheetah cubs have long, tall hair that runs from their neck to the base of their tail, known as the mantle. The mantle disguises a cheetah cub as a honey badger and allows them to blend into the tall grass, keeping them safe from predators such as lions and hyenas.

Almost like flying

Cheetahs have a stride length of 6-7 meters when running at full speed (21 feet). During each stride, their feet only contact the ground twice.

A Cheetahs favorite food

Cheetahs are carnivores that primarily feed on smaller antelope such as springbok, steenbok, Thomson’s gazelle, and duiker. They usually pursue their prey before biting its throat and killing it by cutting off its air supply.

A lot of kids

A mother cheetah typically cares for 2 to 8 cubs per litter, but cubs are frequently preyed upon by other predators and many do not survive the first year.

A cheetah cub running across a Savanna habitat
Figure 03: A cheetah cub running across a Savanna habitat

Threats to cheetahs

Cheetahs have faced extinction at least twice in the past due to population reductions that resulted in inbreeding. Cheetahs are facing extinction once more, owing in part to their survival of previous extinction threats. Cheetahs are under threat of extinction due to climate change, human hunting, habitat destruction, and fragmentation, prey loss, conflicts with livestock farmers, accidental snaring, illegal trade, conflict with game farmers, poorly managed tourism, and road accidents which are reducing the size of their populations. Cheetahs’ genes also pose a threat to their survival. Cheetahs have a low rate of reproductive success, which means that they are not always able to reproduce as a species. With fewer offspring, the population cannot grow or adapt to environmental changes.

International Cheetah Day
Figure 04: International Cheetah Day

International Cheetah Day

Why the 4th of December? Khayam, a cheetah Dr. Laurie Marker, raised from a cub at Wildlife Safari in Oregon, celebrates his birthday this day. Khayam was trained for the first rewilding research project, which inspired her first trip to Namibia in 1977. Dr. Marker traveled to Africa with Khayam to see if she could be taught to hunt in the wild. Dr. Marker was eventually successful in bringing Khayam back to the United States through trial and error. Dr. Marker learned during this time that cheetahs were being exterminated by Namibian farmers who saw them as vermin, and she vowed to do something about it. Because of Khayam, Dr. Marker chose this animal’s birthday as a day to promote cheetah conservation in her honor.

Written By:

Sanduni Gunaratne,
2nd Year Undergraduate,
Biological Science Stream,
Faculty of Science,
University of Colombo.

References:
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