Cheetah Facts
Felidae Acinonyx jubatus
Sizes:
Length:
Head and body-4.3-4.9 ft
Tail-2 to 2.5 ft.
Shoulder Height:
2.3-2.8 ft
Weight:
75-150 lbs.
Lifestyle:
Habit:
Female solitary; male lives in small groups
Diet:
Gazelles and other antelope; also hares, rodents, gamebirds and sometimes larger prey such as the zebra.
Lifespan:
Up to 12 years in the wild, longer in captivity
Breeding:
Sexual Maturity:
20-24 months
Mating Season:
Throughout the year
Gestation:
90-95 days
Litter Size:
Up to 8, but usually 2 to 5 cubs
Distribution:
Found mainly in South and East Africa, the Middle East, and Southern Asia.
Conservation
The cheetah is a vunerable species. Out of all the big cats, it is the least able to adapt to new environments. They have always proved difficult to breed in captivity, but recently a few zoos have been successful. Once widely shot for its fur, the cheetah now suffers more from the loss of both habitat and prey. The cheetah became extinct in India in the 1950's. Less than 30,000 remain in Africa, but it's population is somewhat stable in eastern and southern Africa.
Related Species:
There are 5 subspecies of cheetah in the genus Acinonyx: four in Africa and one in Iran. The endangered subspecies, Acinonyx jubatus venatiecus lives in Asia.
Other Facts:
Cheetah cubs are born with long, grey fur. Some naturalists think that this mimics the ratel, a fierce relative of the badger that few animals dare attack
The Cheetah was trained by man for hunting as long as 3000 BC
Cheetahs were once raced against greyhounds
Female Cheetahs have been known to catch live prey for their cubs to use as hunting practice.
The Cheetah makes facial expressions, using the bold black lines around its muzzle to signal its mood.
From a standstill, the cheetah can reach its top speed in about 3 seconds, and can cover almost 33 inches in a single stride.
Fastest land mammal on Earth; over short distances it can reach a speed of over 60 mph.