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Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

Description:

The cheetah's chest is deep and its waist is narrow. The coarse, short fur of the cheetah is tan with round black spots measuring from 2 to 3 cm (0.79 to 1.2 in) across, affording it some camouflage while hunting. There are no spots on its white underside, but the tail has spots, which merge to form four to six dark rings at the end. The tail usually ends in a bushy white tuft. The cheetah has a small head with high-set eyes. Black "tear marks" running from the corner of its eyes down the sides of the nose to its mouth keep sunlight out of its eyes and aid in hunting and seeing long distances. Although it can reach high speeds, its body cannot stand long distance running, because it is more suited to short bursts of speed. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah)

Habitat:

Not so long ago cheetahs inhabited an area from North Africa to India, but they are now commonly found only in sub-Saharan Africa (south of the Sahara Desert). Their range includes sparse sub-desert, steppe (a treeless plain), medium and long-grass plains. They need an environment with bushes, tall grass and other large plants in order to hide from predators. Females/Family Group: Young females usually occupy the same range as their mother although ALL females are solitary except when they have a litter. Average female home ranges extend to 833 square kilometers (322 square miles). A female raises her cubs alone since adult male and female cheetahs mix only to mate. The average life span of wild radio-collared female cheetahs is 6.9 years which compares to 11.7 years for females in captivity. Males Only rarely will a male cheetah live alone. Generally 2 or 3 cheetah males, often brothers, will form a coalition. This small group will live and hunt together for life and usually claims a large area or range which may overlap several female territories. The average size of male territories is 37.4 square kilometers (14.4 square miles). Young males seek out an area at a great distance from their parent; sometimes as far as 482 kilometers (300 miles). (http://www.cheetahspot.com/index.php)

Notes:

Captive. Taken at Busch Gardens (zoo). http://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens... Busch Gardens supports the conservation of and education about cheetahs through the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, which has donated nearly $100,000 to cheetah efforts in Africa since 2005 and also helps fund conservation programs for white rhinos, marine animals and many other species around the world.

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7 Comments

LaurieWinters
LaurieWinters 11 years ago

Thanks, Gracey. I agree, they are beautiful animals.

LaurieWinters
LaurieWinters 12 years ago

Thanks very much, Mary. It is a beautiful creature.

MaryEvans2
MaryEvans2 12 years ago

Wonderful capture of this beautiful cat.

LaurieWinters
LaurieWinters 12 years ago

Thank you, Lily!

Lily Barth
Lily Barth 12 years ago

Beautiful!

LaurieWinters
LaurieWinters 12 years ago

Thanks Karen! I love being able to watch these Cheetahs, up close.

KarenL
KarenL 12 years ago

Lovely portrait Laurie!

LaurieWinters
Spotted by
LaurieWinters

Temple Terrace, Florida, USA

Spotted on Jan 6, 2012
Submitted on Jan 8, 2012

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