Where does the cheetah live on what continent. Cheetah - an animal of the Red Book: description, photos, pictures, videos about the life of cheetahs. What is its speed. The main distinguishing features of the cheetah and leopard

The cheetah is a beautiful animal from the cat family. It has a slender body, a small head with small ears, and a fairly long tail. The weight of a cheetah can reach 65 kg, the body length is 140 cm, and the tail is up to 80 cm. The coat has a light yellow color with small dark spots, two dark stripes clearly stand out on the head, going down from the eyes, which give the muzzle a sad expression.

Spreading

The cheetah lives on the African continent, as well as in some parts of Asia. It used to be more widespread, but due to human destruction, the number of cheetahs in nature has greatly decreased.

Nutrition

Like other members of the cat family, cheetahs are predators. They prey on animals of medium and small size. Most often, gazelles, hares, ostriches and some other animals become their victims. Cheetahs do not hunt from ambush, like other felines, but pursue their game in open spaces, overtaking it with large jumps.

Lifestyle

In search of prey, cheetahs go out in the morning or in the evening, and during the hot daytime hours they prefer to rest in the shade. Males live independently or unite in small groups. Together, they hunt together and protect the territory from other males.

The female almost always hunts alone and raises the young herself. She usually has between two and six babies. Cubs are born weak and blind. Baby cheetahs might be easy prey for predatory animals, but they manage to escape thanks to their unusual coloration. Their coat is almost the same color as the honey badger, and the honey badger is a rather aggressive animal, and rarely anyone will want to mess with him. During the hunt, the female leaves her cubs in the thickets, and when she returns, she feeds them with milk. Babies stay with their mother until about a year and a half, and then begin an independent life.

In nature, cheetahs live up to 20-25 years, and in captivity they can live much longer. This is due to the fact that cheetahs in zoos receive regular food and timely treatment.

• The cheetah is the fastest land mammal. It can reach speeds up to 115 km/h.
• While running, the cheetah makes jumps from 6 to 8 m long.
• In a cheetah, the claws do not fully retract and help him develop greater speed in the same way as spiked shoes in athletes.
• At high speed, the cheetah chases game no more than 400 meters. If on this segment it is not possible to overtake the victim, then the cheetah stops the pursuit.
• In ancient times, cheetahs were used in princely hunting. To do this, they caught young cheetahs and taught them the wisdom of hunting.
• Cheetahs quickly get used to humans, are well tamed and can be trained.
• Cheetahs do not attack humans.

Cheetah brief information.

In the Middle Ages, eastern princes called cheetahs pardus, that is, hunting, and "went" with them to game. In the 14th century, an Indian ruler named Akbar had 9,000 trained predators to hunt. Today their number in the world does not exceed 4.5 thousand.

animal cheetah- This is a predator from a large cat family. The beast stands out for its incredible speed, spotty coloration and claws, which, unlike most cats, cannot “hide”.

Features and habitat

The cheetah is a wild animal, which is only partially similar to cats. The beast has a slender muscular body, more like a dog, and high-set eyes.

A cat in a predator is given out by a small head with rounded ears. It is this combination that allows the beast to instantly accelerate. As is known in the world there is no animal faster than a cheetah.

An adult animal reaches 140 centimeters in length and 90 in height. Wild cats weigh an average of 50 kilograms. Scientists have found that predators have spatial and binocular vision, which helps them in hunting.

A cheetah can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h

As can be seen from photo of a cheetah, the predator has a sandy yellow color. Only the belly, like many domestic cats, is white. At the same time, the body is covered with small black spots, and thin black stripes on the “face”.

Their nature "inflicted" for a reason. The stripes act like sunglasses for humans: they slightly reduce exposure to the bright sun, and allow the predator to look at long distances.

Males boast a small mane. However, at birth, all kittens “wear” a silvery mane on their back, but by about 2.5 months, it disappears. Tellingly, the claws of cheetahs never retract.

Only Iriomote and Sumatran cats can boast of such a feature. The predator uses its feature when running, for traction, as spikes.

Cheetah cubs are born with a small mane on their head.

Today there are 5 subspecies of the predator:

• 4 species of African cheetah;
• Asian subspecies.

Asians are distinguished by a denser skin, a powerful neck and slightly shortened legs. In Kenya, you can meet the black cheetah. Previously, they tried to attribute it to a separate species, but later it was found out that it was an intraspecific gene mutation.

Also, among the spotted predators, you can find an albino, and a royal cheetah. The so-called king is distinguished by long black stripes along the back and a short black mane.

Previously, predators could be observed in various Asian countries, at present they are almost completely exterminated there. The species has completely disappeared in countries such as Egypt, Afghanistan, Morocco, Western Sahara, Guinea, the United Arab Emirates and many others. Only in African countries today you can find spotted predators in sufficient numbers.

In the photo is a king cheetah, it is distinguished by two dark lines along the back

The nature and lifestyle of the cheetah

The cheetah is the fastest animal. This could not but affect his lifestyle. Unlike many predators, they hunt during the daytime. Animals live exclusively in open space. Thicket predator avoid.

Most likely this is due to the fact that animal speed 100-120 km/h. Cheetah when running, he takes about 150 breaths in 60 seconds. So far, a kind of record has been set for the beast. A female named Sarah ran a hundred meters in 5.95 seconds.

Unlike most cats, cheetahs try not to climb trees. Dull claws prevent them from clinging to the trunk. Animals can live alone or in small groups. They try not to conflict with each other.

They communicate by purring and chirping sounds. Females mark territory, but its boundaries depend on the presence of offspring. At the same time, the animals do not differ in cleanliness, so the territory is quickly changed.

Black stripes near the eyes serve as "sunglasses" to the cheetah

Tamed cheetahs resemble dogs in character. They are dedicated, loyal and trainable. No wonder they were kept at court for many centuries, and used as hunters. IN animal world cheetahs they easily relate to the invasion of their territories, only a contemptuous look shines from the insolent owner, without a fight and a showdown.

Nutrition

This wild beast, when hunting, trusts his sight more than his sense of smell. The cheetah chases animals about its own size. The victims of the predator are:

• gazelles;
• calves;
• impalas;

The main diet of Asiatic cheetahs are goitered gazelles. Because of their way of life, predators never sit in ambush. Most often, the victim even sees his danger, but due to the fact that cheetah is the fastest animal in the world, in half the cases, nothing can be done about it. The predator catches up with its prey in several jumps, while each jump lasts only half a second.

True, after that, the runner needs half an hour to take a breath. At this point, stronger predators, namely, leopards and, can deprive the cheetah of his lunch.

By the way, it never feeds on carrion, and only eats what it catches itself. Sometimes the animal hides its prey, hoping to return for it later. But other predators usually have time to feast on other people's work faster than him.

Reproduction and lifespan

Even with reproduction in cheetahs, things are somewhat different than in other cats. The female begins to ovulate only if the male runs after her for a long time. And in the literal sense of the word.

This is a long distance run. Actually, that's why cheetahs almost never breed in captivity. Zoos and nurseries fail to recreate natural conditions.

Pictured is a cheetah cub

The gestation period lasts about three months, after which 2-6 cubs are born. Kittens are helpless and blind, and so that their mother can find them, a thick silvery mane grows on their backs.

Up to three months, kittens eat mother's milk, then parents introduce meat into their diet. By the way, the father is involved in the upbringing of offspring, and takes care of the babies if something happens to the female.

Despite parental care, more than half of cheetahs do not grow up to a year. Firstly, some of them become prey to other predators, and secondly, kittens die from genetic diseases.

Scientists believe that during the ice age, they almost died out, and individuals living today are close relatives to each other.

The cheetah is an animal of the red book. For many centuries, predators were caught and trained to hunt. Since they could not breed in captivity, the animals slowly died out.

Today there are about 4.5 thousand individuals. Cheetahs live long enough. In nature - for 12-20 years, and in zoos - even longer. This is due to the quality of medical care.

Asunonyx jubatus

Cheetah (English), Gepard (German), Guepard (French), Chita, Guepardo (Spanish).

The English word "cheetah" is derived from the Indian names chita (Hindustani), chitra (Gond), cital (Hindi) or chitraka (Sanskrit), all of which mean "spotted" or "speckled". Sometimes it is called a hunting leopard.

Several subspecies of the cheetah from Asia and Africa have been described, although the differences between them are not entirely clear. Some authors do not distinguish between subspecies, but we, following Ellerman and Morrison-Scott (Ellerman & Morrison-Scott), divide the cheetah into two subspecies: the Asian cheetah (A.j.venaticus), described below, and the African cheetah (A.j.jubatus).

Asunonyx jubatus venaticus

Asian Cheetah.

DESCRIPTION. Body length including head 110-150 cm (44-59 inches). Tail length 60-80 cm (24-31 inches). Height at withers 70-85 cm (28-33 inches). Weight 40-60 kg (90-130 pounds). A large, slender cat whose body tapers towards the back, with long, slender legs and a small, round head. The pale-yellow skin is covered with small black spots, there are characteristic black facial stripes ("tear stripes"), stretching from the eyes to the mouth. The hair on the neck and withers is thick and forms a small mane. The tail is long, with black transverse rings towards the end and a fluffy white tip. The nails are blunt, slightly curved and only partially retractable. Females are smaller than males, more gracefully built and without a mane around their necks, but otherwise similar to males.

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LOCATION. Semi-deserts, cereal steppes and savanna. They are rare in the forest zone.

SPREAD. Initially, it was widely distributed in Southwest Asia from the Arabian Peninsula and Palestine east to Central India, and north to Turkmenistan. In all likelihood, disappeared from all of Asia, except Iran; possibly also preserved in parts of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Outside of Asia, the cheetah is distributed throughout most of Africa, except for the Central Sahara, and the rainforest zone.

TAXONOMICAL NOTES. For Asia, three subspecies of the cheetah are mentioned: A.j.raddei (Transcaspian territories), A.j.venator (India), A.j.venaticus (India). Some authors believe that A.j.venaticus also lives in North Africa, others do not agree with this. All Asian subspecies are here considered together under the priority name venaticus Griffith, 1821.

NOTES. Usually not considered an object of sport hunting. The cheetah is a peaceful and non-aggressive animal, often tamed and used as a hunting hound more than 4,300 years ago. Domestic cheetahs are said to be very affectionate and playful animals.

STATUS. All cheetahs are listed as endangered in the USDI (1972) and Appendix 1 of CITES (1975). The Asian subspecies (A.j.venaticus) is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Laws on the protection of cheetahs have been adopted in almost all Asian countries.

Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
Listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)- the only surviving representative of the genus Acinonyx from, as well as. The unique morphology and physiology of the cheetah allows it to reach speeds of over 100 km / h in just 3 seconds, as well as take 7-meter “steps” at maximum speed. Cheetahs are also known for being less aggressive than other big cats towards humans and livestock. There is no official confirmation of the killing of people by cheetahs. However, they are subject to intense human persecution and extermination.

Description

Long tail and legs, slender body, flexible spine, half-retracted claws distinguish the cheetah from other cats and give a huge advantage in speed. Adult cheetahs weigh 40–70 kg. The length of the body from head to tail ranges from 110 to 150 cm. The length of the tail is 60 - 80 cm. At the withers, cheetahs are 66–94 cm. Males are usually slightly larger than females and have a larger head, but the differences are not significant. Life expectancy is up to 12 years in nature and up to 20 in captivity.

Color

The coat of cheetahs is yellowish-sandy in color with black spots from 2 to 3 cm all over the body. The spots on the tail merge into dark rings. Color is an important element of the animal's camouflage, which helps in hunting and makes it invisible to other large predators. The distinctive black "tear" stripes from the eyes to the mouth act as sunglasses and possibly function as a sight, helping the animal to better focus on prey. Up to three months old, cheetah cubs have a thick, silvery-grey mantle on their backs and a dark belly that makes them look like honey badgers and helps protect them from predators like lions, hyenas, and eagles.

This unusual-looking cheetah, also known as the Cooper's cheetah, was first discovered in Zimbabwe in 1926 and was considered a separate subspecies. Acinonyxrex. This is actually a rare fur pattern mutation. For this color to appear, the recessive gene must be inherited from both parents.

Paws

The paws have claws that are half retracted, short toes, and pads that are harder and less rounded than those of other cats. All this improves traction with the soil, increases the speed and maneuverability of the cheetah.

Teeth

Cheetah teeth are smaller compared to other large cats. Cheetahs have enlarged nostrils, this is due to the need to obtain large volumes of oxygen while running. Because the nasal passages are large, there is little room for tooth roots, and large teeth need strong roots to hold them in place.

Tail

The cheetah uses its long tail as a rudder, allowing it to make sudden, sharp turns during high-speed chases. The tail also serves as a signaling device for young cheetahs to follow their mother through tall grass.

Behavior and hunting

Males live in small groups of 2 to 4 individuals, called coalitions, which usually consist of brothers. Females, unlike males, are solitary, except when they produce offspring. To avoid encounters with lions and leopards, cheetahs usually hunt in the middle of the day. During the pursuit, cheetahs approach their prey as close as possible before turning on their main weapon - speed. They knock prey to the ground and kill it with a suffocating bite to the neck, after which it must be quickly eaten until other large predators lay eyes on the delicacy.

Despite the advantage in speed, only half of the chases end in success. The diet of cheetahs mainly consists of ungulates weighing up to 40 kg, including gazelles and young wildebeest. They also eat small animals such as hares, warthogs, and birds.

reproduction

Cheetahs are able to breed at any time of the year, but tend to mate during the dry season, with cubs born at the beginning of the rainy season. Females reach sexual maturity at the age of 20-24 months. Pregnancy lasts about 3 months.

On average, 3-4 kittens weighing 150-300 grams are born with characteristic black spots and thick fur. For the first 5-6 weeks, the cubs are completely dependent on their mother's milk, and starting from the 6th week they are already able to feast on their mother's prey. Cheetahs gain independence at the age of 13-20 months.

Subspecies

According to the latest research, today there are 5 subspecies, 4 of which live in Africa and one in Asia.

African subspecies of the cheetah:

• Acinonyx Jubatus hecki: northwestern Africa (in particular, the central-western Sahara and the tropical savannah of the Sahel);
• Acinonyx Jubatus raineyii: east Africa;
• Acinonyx Jubatus Jubatus: South Africa;
• Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii: central Africa.

Asian subspecies of the cheetah:

• Asian subspecies of cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus venaticus) is in critical condition, only a small population in Iran is currently preserved.

Number and habitat

Cheetahs once lived throughout the African continent, with the exception of the rainforests of the Congo Basin. Today, they have disappeared from over 77% of their historical range in Africa. They were also distributed over large areas of Asia from the Arabian Peninsula to East India, but today their range has been reduced to one isolated population in the remote central plateau of Iran. In general, cheetahs have become extinct in at least 25 countries in which they previously lived. Back in 1900, there were over 100,000 cheetahs. Today, according to the latest estimates, between 8,000 and 10,000 individuals remain in Africa.

Main Threats

Habitat loss and fragmentation

Habitat loss and fragmentation of territories pose the greatest threat to animals. Cheetahs are territorial animals and therefore very sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation. The reduction in hunting grounds forces animals to enter farmlands, which in turn leads to conflicts with humans.

Predators

Unfortunately, up to 90% of cheetah cubs die in the first weeks of life from the clutches of other predators. The main threat comes from leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, and sometimes eagles.

The cheetah's top running speed of over 110 km/h makes it a skilled hunter, but the price it pays for this ability is its fragile body, which puts it at a disadvantage against other large predators that can kill it. The chase is very exhausting for cheetahs and they need to rest to recuperate. At this time, animals are most vulnerable and at risk of being attacked.

Due to low numbers, cheetahs are forced to mate with close relatives, which limits the species. Due to incest, fertility decreases and vulnerability to disease increases.

Unorganized tourism has the potential to threaten cheetahs. The main negative impacts of tourism development are interference with hunting and separation of mothers and calves as a result of the intervention of tourist vehicles.

Trade

For thousands of years, rich people have kept cheetahs in captivity. The pharaohs of ancient Egypt kept them as pets. Italian nobles, Russian princes, and Indian royalty used cheetahs for hunting and as a symbol of their wealth and nobility. Cheetahs do not breed well in captivity, so the demand for wild capture is growing, which is causing serious damage to the population, especially in Asia. It is likely that illegal trade was the reason for the almost complete disappearance of the Asian subspecies of the cheetah.

Today, there is still a high demand for wild cheetahs as pets. This problem leads to the illegal capture of animals and their smuggling to various parts of the world. According to statistics, out of six cheetah cubs caught, only one survives the road, forcing smugglers to catch even more animals.

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The cheetah is the fastest animal...

The cheetah lives on the plains of Africa, in India, Western and Central Asia. On the territory of Kazakhstan in the late XVIII - early XIX century. on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea and in the deserts adjacent to the Aral Sea, the cheetah was regularly encountered. In the middle of the XIX century. on the Mangyshlak Peninsula and the Ustyurt Plateau, this predator has become quite rare. Over the past 25-30 years, there is no reliable information about the encounters of this predator in Kazakhstan.

Cheetahs are so unlike other cats that they are allocated to a special subfamily. In appearance, a cheetah resembles a hound dog with long legs, a small cat-like muzzle and a long, thin tail, which cheetahs use as a balance when running. Their slender, lean body with an arched back seems even fragile, but in fact they have well-developed muscles and practically no fat deposits. The coat of cheetahs is similar to that of smooth-haired dogs. And blurry spots on the skin already resemble cat fur. The fangs are rather small, there are no powerful jaws. Cheetahs are the only felines unable to retract their claws and they cannot climb trees. The feet are wide in relation to the size of the body. On the foot pads made of rough leather to soften the step. Their long, sharp claws help the cheetah keep its balance while running. All these characteristics allow the cheetah to be the fastest living creature. dark on the ground.

The color is yellowish-golden, the belly is white, black spots are all over the body, on the muzzle there are the so-called black “tear stripes” running from the tips of the eyes to the mouth. This protective coloration makes the cheetah invisible against the background of vegetation.

In 1981, at the DeWildt Cheetah Center (South Africa), a new cheetah mutation called the king was noted. Cheetahs with this coloration are extremely rare in nature. In terms of body structure, it is no different from an ordinary cheetah, but its coloration contains especially large marks, and all the spots are connected in a pattern. The first king cheetah was discovered in 1926 in Zimbabwe and was initially mistaken for a new variety of cheetah. King cheetahs can interbreed with ordinary cheetahs, resulting in a full-fledged offspring. A royal-colored cub can be born from normal-colored parents.

Body length varies from 115 to 140 cm (average 130 cm), tail 65 - 90 cm (average 75 cm), height at withers 79 cm.

Weight: The mass of an adult cheetah is 40-65 kg: the average weight of a male is 43 kg and 38 kg of a female.

Life expectancy: Cheetahs live in captivity up to 17-20 years, in nature - up to 8-10.

Voice: Predator's vocal language is quite varied. In his voice, you can hear almost all the sounds made by a domestic cat. The sounds made by the cheetah are similar to the abrupt chirping of a bird. They are heard at a distance of two kilometers and allow the cheetah to communicate with their cubs and relatives. When a cheetah is happy, it purrs like a huge house cat. Pleasure is manifested by the sounds "wa-wa" and "nyam-nyam". "Prr-pr" - a calm call, a very low "i-hee, i-hee" - alarming. Protecting prey or being irritated, adult animals growl, purr, snort and click their teeth. His growl is more like a bark. Toddlers, fighting for the best pieces of meat brought by their parents, emit long cries and sniff terribly, pressing their ears. When they are frightened, they whistle sharply. In response to the mother's call, they chirp softly.

Habitat: Due to their way of hunting, they prefer open spaces: savannahs, semi-deserts, etc.

Enemies: The main reasons for the catastrophic decline in the number of cheetahs in all areas of its range are the development of desert areas and plowing of land, and in this regard, the disappearance of ungulates, as well as the direct persecution of the cheetah by poachers.

In Africa, the cheetah is the weakest of the large predators. . Hyenas, leopards and lions can take prey from cheetahs and kill their cubs.

he preys on medium-sized ungulates - antelopes. Most of all he likes to hunt Thompson's gazelle, impalas, wildebeest calves. In his diet are also found - hares and birds. There are cases when in arid regions the cheetah ate juicy wild melons. In zoos, he eats 2.8-3.3 kg of meat per day. Here they are fed horse meat, sometimes beef, rabbits, and chicks.

Cheetahs are diurnal predators. It goes hunting during the day or at dusk, often lies in wait for prey at a watering place. It is best adapted to life on the plain. Keen vision allows him to see his prey. Unlike other felids, cheetahs hunt by stalking prey rather than by ambush. As a rule, the cheetah hunts alone. Seeing the herd, he bypasses it from the leeward side and begins to creep up, pressing tightly to the ground and keeping his eyes on the antelopes. As soon as they start to worry, the cheetah freezes. He approaches his prey at a distance of up to 30 meters and makes a swift dash.

Cheetahs push off when galloping with their front and hind legs, this type of running allows them to reach speeds of up to 110 km / h and quickly change direction. Incredibly, this beast can reach a speed of 65 km / h in just 2 seconds from a standstill! Usually the chase does not last long: the predator catches up with its prey before they run half a kilometer. At its highest speed, the cheetah can run up to 6 meters in leaps. This is a sprinter: they can only withstand such a speed for a short distance, after which their body overheats, and the muscles stretch from overexertion and lose elasticity. To ensure the flow of fresh air to the powerful lungs, an extensive and short nasal cavity serves. Cheetahs also have enlarged hearts, lungs, bronchi, and tonsils in order to maximize the supply of oxygen to the blood and muscles.

Prey is usually knocked down with a paw blow, and then strangled by grabbing its throat with a death grip. If in a short time the cheetah fails to overtake its prey, it refuses to continue the hunt, because due to the huge energy consumption, it is unable to pursue a long chase. In order to avoid a mistake, the predator chooses a weaker animal in the herd, and does it unmistakably. The run rarely lasts more than a minute. Approximately half of hunting attempts are successful, and the success rate for hunting gazelles was 70%.

Gnawing or tearing off pieces of meat, unlike, for example, lions and leopards, the cheetah never helps itself with its front paws. On the contrary, it draws them under itself. A cheetah is not born a hunter, but becomes, and only if his mother gives him an "intensive training course." Captive-born cheetahs do not know how to sneak up on prey and chase the victim. Joint meals of mother and cubs are very peaceful, without quarrels and fights.

Although cheetahs live on the same open plains as lions, where hyenas and wild dogs live, there is no rivalry between them, because they the cheetah hunts very fast animals, and therefore inaccessible to other predators. However, its prey cannot always be hidden, and scavengers never mind eating it.

Cheetahs are well adapted to living in waterless areas. They do not need daily watering. On average, up to 82 km they pass between watering places. They have been observed to satisfy their need for moisture by drinking the blood or urine of their prey, or by eating juicy melons.

In the mountains of Algeria, cheetahs constantly move from one valley to another, but they also show territorial behavior, marking trees (mostly tamarix) with their secretions and scratching them (mostly acacias). They rest under these trees or lie down on the lower horizontal branches. Here they hunt mainly at night.

Social Structure: Cheetahs live alone or in pairs. After the young cheetahs leave their mother, they stay together as a kindred group for an average of about 6 months. Females separate from their siblings at about 2 years of age (usually 23 to 27 months of age). Males (siblings) usually remain together for a considerable time in a small group, up to 4 individuals. Such a group occupies an area up to 100-150 km2.

On average, the cheetah population consists of 21% males, 47% females, and 32% juveniles: of these, 44% of youngsters are between 12 and 16 months of age. It is established that only 11% of puppies live up to 4 months; 4 - 5.6% of puppies up to 14 months old. Mortality from birth to maturity ranges between 90 and 98%.

Reproduction: Cheetahs form pairs during the breeding season. Males do not take part in feeding the cubs, therefore, soon after mating, the mating pair breaks up.

Usually, a female cheetah brings no more than six (average 3.3) tiny cubs. Cheetahs do not suit the den, and the children's room is placed right in the middle of some thick bush or thickets of tall grass, less often in an abandoned den of other animals. Around day 10, cheetah cubs open their eyes. At the age of five or six weeks, puppies follow their mothers. The female fearlessly protects her children and hides very well from enemies, constantly transferring children from place to place during the first months of their life. This is how health and safety regulations are followed. However, despite all the efforts of females to protect their babies from adversity, only a third of the cubs survive to adulthood. If a mother loses her pups, she may enter estrus after an average of 3 weeks and bear new offspring. Therefore, it is estimated that a female cheetah could give birth up to a maximum of three times a year, producing a maximum of 18 pups.

Cheetah puppies are weaned at around three months of age. They stay with their mother for 13 to 20 months. At the age of one and a half years, they celebrate adulthood, leaving their parents.

Season/breeding period: The rut is extended, but more often occurs in December-January. The peak of the birth of kittens falls on the rainy season.

Puberty: Cheetahs reach sexual maturity on average at the age of 2-3 years (females - 24-36 months; males - 30 - 36 months).

Pregnancy: Pregnancy lasts 84-95 days.

Offspring: Cubs - 2-5 are born blind, uniformly colored. Spotted pattern appears later. In newborn cubs, the coat is darker, and a thick and lush ashy "mantle" stretches along the back from the neck to the tail. After two months, it gradually turns into a mane, revealing the spotting of the back, and before that, like a camouflage robe, it reliably covers each baby from enemy eyes. Cheetah babies can retract their claws like kittens, only up to 10 - 15 weeks, after which the claws become almost immobile, and, accordingly, the metacarpus is more like a dog's. Permanent teeth replace milk teeth by about nine months.

The cheetah does not attack people. As a rare animal, the cheetah has no commercial value and needs full protection throughout its range. The cheetah has a gentle and peaceful disposition. The cheetah very quickly gets used to the person, it can be tamed. In India and Iran, cheetahs were tamed, trained and used to hunt antelopes. Hunting cheetahs were also known in Kievan Rus. In many parts of the Middle East, cheetahs were the favorite game of every rich man. It is known that the Mongol emperor Akbar (Akbar), had a "stable" of 1000 cheetahs for hunting

A very rare, endangered animal. The entire wild population of cheetahs is estimated at about 8-10 thousand individuals. The largest population of cheetahs is now in East Africa: in Kenya and Tanzania and in southern Africa: in Namibia and Botswana.

The species is listed in the IUCN Red List. The cheetah is subject to universal and complete protection. Listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Cheetahs appear to have nearly died out during the last ice age. Cheetahs that exist today are close relatives, so they show signs of genetic degeneration caused by incest. For example, cheetahs have a very high infant mortality rate.

The only species of the monotypic genus. With the vast range of the cheetah, it naturally has pronounced geographical variability. So far, there is no consensus on the number of subspecies of the cheetah. Most zoologists agree on seven subspecies of the cheetah: five in Africa and two in Asia, some of this seven recognize only two - Asian venaticus and African jubatus, which are translated from Latin as "hunting" and "having a mane." In fact, this is not a mane, but a short mane, like a comb of slightly elongated hair.

Five African subspecies:

Acinonyx jubatus jubatus - in South Africa, 500 individuals;

Acinonyx jubatus raineyi - in Kenya, less than 3000 individuals;

Acinonyx jubatus ngorongorensis - in Tanzania and Zaire;

Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii - from Nigeria to Somalia;

Acinonyx jubatus hecki - in Algeria

Two Asian subspecies;

Acinonyx jubatus raddei - in the Caspian lowland, extremely rare, possibly already extinct;

Acinonyx jubatus venaticus - from India and the Middle East, less than 200.

In zoos, it is still almost impossible to get offspring from cheetahs. There were such examples, but they can be called a happy accident. In general, zoo workers unanimously come to the conclusion that keeping these animals in captivity is extremely laborious.