Hello People Lets talk about these interesting cats :Cheetahs are predators that sneak up on their prey and sprint a short distance to chase and attack. While a cheetah’s top speed ranges from 65 to 75 mph (104 to 120 km/h), its average speed is only 40 mph (64 km/hr), punctuated by short bursts at its top speed. In addition to speed, a cheetah attains high acceleration. Their tawny coat with black spots provides excellent camouflage, and they have distinctive black tear marks running from the eyes to the mouth, which are believed to help with sun glare. Cheetahs are diurnal hunters, meaning they hunt primarily during the day, often in the early morning or late afternoon. Cheetahs reach sexual maturity around two years old, and breeding can occur year-round. Females are polyestrous, meaning they have multiple estrous cycles, typically lasting about 12 days with 1-3 days of being receptive to mating. Gestation lasts around 90-95 days, and litters typically contain 3-5 cubs, though they can range from 1 to 8. Infant mortality is high, with up to 90% of cubs dying, often due to predation by lions and other large predators.
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Male cheetahs often form coalitions (groups of males) that cooperate in hunting and defending territory. Female cheetahs typically live solitary lives, except when raising cubs.
Reproductive success can be affected by factors like genetic diversity, habitat fragmentation, and human-wildlife conflict. Assisted reproductive technologies are being developed to help with conservation effort.
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Newborn cubs are small, weighing less than half a pound, and are about a foot long. They have a distinctive mantle of hair that provides camouflage. Mothers move their cubs frequently to avoid predators. Eyes typically open within 4-11 days.
:Male cheetahs do not provide parental care and leave the female to raise the cubs on her own. Cubs are weaned at 3-6 months but usually stay with their mother for 1-1.5 years, learning hunting and survival skills.
Cubs are born with a thick grayish mane that appears to provide additional camouflage from predators. This newborn hair is lost about 3 months later. Cubs begin to follow their mother after 6 weeks. At that time the mother will seek a new area to rest and hide almost daily. The mother teaches her young to hunt until they separate from each other, which usually is after a period of 13 to 20 months.
Diet
Gazelles (especially Gazella thompsonii), impalas (Aepyceros melampus), other small- to medium-sized ungulates, plus calves of larger ungulate species are the primary diet of cheetahs. In addition, hares (Lepus spp.), small mammals, and birds may also be taken.
Hunting
“Fast twitch” muscle fibers provide power over endurance, and cheetahs have up to a 20% higher concentration of these specialized fibers compared to other fast moving animals like greyhounds and horses. “Fast twitch” muscle fibers are efficient for only a few minutes during times when the supply of oxygen is reduced through anaerobic respiration.
To capture prey, cheetahs are capable of accelerating from 0 to 80 km/h (50 mph) in just three strides, with a maximum speed of 110 km/h (68.35 mph) in a few seconds. However, cheetahs have little endurance so the pursuit of prey must be well timed out.
nlike most other cats, cheetahs do not ambush their prey or attack within springing distance. Prey may be spotted within seconds or stalked for hours. When the cheetah is within 70 to 100 m (230 to 330 ft.), the chase begins. A chase lasts perhaps 20 seconds, with few pursuits exceeding one minute. The distance covered averages 170 m (550 ft.), but some may continue pursuit for about 500 m (1,640 ft.). Rarely will a cheetah attempt an attack if more than 200 m (650 ft.) away from prey.
During a fast sprint all four paws of a cheetah do not touch the ground when the legs are fully contracted under the body and as the legs become fully extended. A single stride may cover 7 m (23 ft.) — the same distance as a much larger race horse in full stride. At near maximum acceleration, a cheetah runs about one stride per 0.28 seconds or 3.5 strides per second.
Cheetahs have a curved dewclaw on their forelegs. While in pursuit, as a cheetah nears its target it will swat at and trip the prey animal with its dewclaw.
ost pursuits end in failure. However, if the cheetah makes contact it knocks down its prey and drives its small upper canine teeth into the throat to strangle/suffocate the animal to death.
Compared to other large carnivores in their area, cheetahs tend to rest through the heat of the day, concentrating their hunts later in the morning and early afternoon. This strategy may limit competition and confrontations between cheetahs and other large predators like lions and hyenas.
A cheetah may attempt to first drag a kill to a hiding spot before eating. Cheetahs rarely scavenge remains they did not kill themselves, unlike other African predators. Lions, hyenas, and even vultures will drive a cheetah away from its kill, so a cheetah must often eat quickly or flee to avoid confrontations.
Lone adults may hunt every two to five days, compared to a female with cubs that may make a kill daily. An adult cheetah eats about 6.2 lb. (2.8 kg) of meat per day. Cheetahs rarely drink — seldom do they drink more than once every four days and sometimes only once every 10 days.
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