But... What If... by TheBootesArtVoid on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Species Name: Cheetah

Species Latin Name: Acinonyx jubatus

Native To: Africa and central Iran

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Photo Taken At: N/A

Size (length): 112-150cm (44.1 – 59.1 inches)

Size (Height): 70-90cm (27.6 – 35.4 inches)

Weight: 21-72 kg (46.3 – 158.7 pounds)

Top Speed: 112kmh (69.6mph)

Lifespan: 10-20 years

Population Size: 6674

Population Trend: Decreasing

Diet: Carnivore

Lifestyle: Terrestrial, Cursorial, Altricial, Territorial, Viviparous

Female Name: Female

Male Name: Male

Baby Name: Cub

Group Name: Coalition

Mating Behaviour: Polygyny

Reproduction Season: Year Round

Pregnancy Duration: 3 months

Birth Amount Per Brood: 2-5 cubs

Independent Age: 1.5-2 years

Sub Species:

Southest African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus Jubatus); Located in Angolia, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, south Africa, and Zambia.

Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus Venaticus); Located in Asia and a very small population in Iran.

Northeast African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus Soemmeringii); Located in the northern Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

Northwest African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus Hecki); Located in Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

Description:

The cheetah is a large cat that can be identified by their tawny to creamy or pale buff coat that is evenly coated with solid black spots. These large cats can also be distinguished by the black lines running down their face from their eyes which are often referred to as their tear marks due to their appearance. Their bodies and long and slender, they have very powerful hind legs which are built for speed. They have rather long tails that have black ringed markings along it, they have small heads with their eyes are set high to assist with tracking their prey. Their claws are non retractable which they use to dig into the ground to further assist with managing their speed. These animals are sexually dimorphic with the males being larger and heavier than the females.

Diet:

The cheetah is a carnivore that will hunt small to medium size prey. I will usually stick to prey that is within the range of 20-40kg (44 – 88 pounds) but can take down prey that is as large as 60kg (132 pounds). Their diet will vary depending on the area they inhabit, their prey can consist of various species of antellope/gazelle/impalla including the nyala, chinkara, desert hares, urials, wild goats, at times livestock. It has been noted that in the area of Kalahari they will feed on citron melons in order to get their water content. As mentioned before typically cheetah's will generally go for smaller less riskier prey, the exception to this will be when a coalition of cheetah's made up of a mother and her cubs may work cooperatively to take down larger prey such as the nyala. If there is a shortage of food in a given area cheetahs may resort to hunting hares as well as birds.

Behaviour:

The broad array of vocalizations of cheetah have been studied in depth. These animals can produce a chirping sound which is also referred to as a stutter bark, they are intense bird like calls that last less than a second. Cheetah's will chirp when they are excited, it can be used when they gather around a kill, to call for their cubs to come out of hiding, as a greeting, or during courtship between mating adults. As an alternative for calling their cubs out from hiding these large cats can also use a repeated 'Ihn ihn' sound. Cheetah's can also make a churring/churtling sound, it is a shrill, staccato call that can last for a couple of seconds. These calls have similar uses as the chirps however, the chirping call is used more often than a churring call. Cheetah's like domestic cats are capable of purring when they are content, the purrs are much louder than a domestic cat and is generally used as a form of greeting or when licking one another.

The cheetah can make a variety of more antagonistic calls which include bleating, coughing, growling, hissing, meowing, and moaning/yowling. Bleats are a sign of distress, usually when a larger predator has stolen a cheetah's kill. Growls, hisses, and moans are usually accompanied with strong hits to the ground with one of their front paws before taking a few steps back and retreating. Meows can have a variety of different uses but are generally used as a way to communicate irritation or discomfort.

Cheetah's will produce a variety of other noises as well, individuals may generate a gurgling noise as part of a close and personal interaction with another. Like domestic cats they may generate a 'nyam nyam' sound whilst eating. When traveling with cubs a mother can usher them along by making a 'prr prr' sound, they can make a low pitched alarm call to get their cubs to stand still if there is a potential threat nearby. When cubs bicker amongst themselves they can let out a high pitched 'whirr' sound that intensifies in pitch in accordance to the intensity of their dispute.

In order to avoid direct confrontation and competition with other predators that roam the area such as hyenas or lions these large cats will typically be more active during the day. The home range of a cheetah can cover a large range and it will occasionally overlap with other cheetahs as well as lions home ranges. These cats are rather sociable animals, the males will tend to gather in small groups with their siblings where as the females will tend lead solitary lives with exception to when they are raising their cubs. These animals are rather shy and cautious, they prefer to avoid confrontation with other predators, other predators such as lions and hyenas have been known to steal the kill of a cheetah right in front of them. These animals are able to hunt during the heat of the day whilst remaining unnoticed waiting for the right moment to strike at their prey.

Cheetahs will have a polygynous mating system where a single male may end up mating with multiple females. Due to the solitary lifestyle of a female the male will generally only associate with a female to mate and only the female will bare any responsibility for raising the young. Cheetahs will breed all year round. Pregnancy will last for about 3 months at which point the mother will give birth to about 2-3 cubs, over the next few months they will be breastfed until they start eating meat. It is shortly after this period when the cubs are able to move with the mother and accompany her on her hunts, they will watch and learn useful hunting skills during this time. The cubs will also play with one another to further develop these skills until they are able to participate in the hunting and eventually hunt independently. The cubs will live with their mother usually until they can hunt independently at which point usually between the age of 1.5-2 years of age they will leave to find their own territory. Females will reach sexual maturity at the age of 21-22 months.

Threats:

The main threats these animals face are diseases, habitat loss from expanding human settlements as well as direct persecution from farmers due to cheetah's preying on livestock. The development of tourism has also had an impact on their population. Tourism vehicles can scare away cheetah's from potential prey which can also result mothers being separated from their cubs. Due to the low population of this animal it suffers from low genetic diversity which can worsen their difficulties with genetic diseases.

Conservation:

Various programs and conservation parks have been set up in both Africa as well as in Asia to attempt to counter the issues these animals have been facing. Throughout the years many cheetahs have been taken in for rehabilitation who have been stuck in traps or have been attacked and injured by farmers protecting their livestock. Research programs and education programs have been set up to give a better understanding of the animal, their impacts and importance to their surrounding ecosystems. These programs are then used for advocacy to try to combat the persecution these animals have undergone.

Extensive attempts have been made in to breed the animal in captivity with the hope of stabilizing their numbers so that they can be reintroduced in the wild. With the low genetic diversity of the cheetahs that are in captivity there has been a great deal of difficulty in managing this approach. Furthermore it appears that cheetahs in captivity such as zoo's also have a rather high mortality rate. The reason for this can vary and is usually most prominent in the cheetahs young either due to various genetic diseases, other diseases, hypothermia, or issues from the mother either abandoning the young or cannibalizing their young. There is a risk of the mother rejecting their young both in the wild as well as in captivity although it may be likely that the captive environments the cheetahs face in captivity may be more stress inducing. These animals tend to be rather poor breeders in captivity, there has been some success in 2017 where a female gave birth to a record amount of 8 cubs in the Saint Louis Zoo. It is believed that further success may be able to be reached for in captive breeding by replicating social groups for the males that is seen in the wild. With the numbers still decreasing for this animal it is clear that further understanding, research, and advocacy are required to further improve this animals chances of avoiding extinction.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah

Kidadl: kidadl.com/animal-facts/cheeta…

Animalia: animalia.bio/cheetah

Cheetah.org: cheetah.org/learn/about-cheeta…