However, the cheetah does not have the capacity to live close to humans like the leopard which is much more adaptable. However, under the pressure of lions and spotted hyenas which populate the protected areas, it can leave the protected areas to escape from the competition and get closer to the inhabited areas like the wild dog. It is more widespread in eastern and southern Africa, particularly in the large national parks where it can enjoy greater protection. The cheetah is also in danger of extinction in West African countries. In Africa, the Sahara cheetah, which is a small, light-coloured subspecies, has difficulty surviving in Niger, northern Mali and southern Algeria. The last cheetahs in India, where it was once widespread, were killed by a Maharajah in the mid-twentieth century. The Asian cheetah has almost disappeared from the continent except for a few specimens which survive with difficulty in Iran. It was also widespread throughout the Middle East as far as India. The cheetah was formerly widespread in all Africa except for the rainforests of the Congo Basin. Indeed, the cheetah is often the victim of kleptoparasitism committed by other large African predators who also do not hesitate to attack cubs and even adults. The cheetah is also particularly sensitive to interspecific competition. There is indeed a serious risk of extinction of the species due to a genetic bottleneck because of a low genetic diversity pool. Apart from the classic anthropogenic threats that most animals face such as habitat destruction, poaching and human-animal conflict, the cheetah is also under ecological pressure. Jubatus is Latin for crested referring to a cheetah’s long hair on its nape.Known as the world's fastest land mammal, the cheetah is also one of Africa's most threatened carnivores. Its Latin name - Acinonyx jubatis - can be referenced as follows:Īcinonyx is derived from two Greek words, akinitos, meaning unmoved and onyx meaning nail or hoof, referring to a cheetah’s inability to retract its claws like other cats. So where does the cheetah get its name? The name is derived from Hindustani, meaning painted, referring to its beautiful coat. Patel determined that a cheetah’s tail creates significant aerodynamic drag, allowing it to redirect its movement in a stable way. It was previously thought that a cheetah’s long tail accounted for up to 10% of its body weight, but it turns out that it’s actually less than 2%.ĭr. Amir Patel made some interesting discoveries about this animal. On top of that, cheetahs have unusually wide nostrils giving them much needed and free flowing oxygen at a higher rate during bursts of speed, as well as large lungs and arteries and a powerful heart that allows more oxygen to reach their muscles.Ī cheetah’s tail is also used extensively when running at full speed, acting as a rudder and counterweight to increase its agility and stability. Long legs, loose hips and shoulder joints, and a flexible spine also assist and a cheetah at full speed is capable of one stride as long as 25 feet! What physiological factors enable a cheetah to perform this feat of speed? To start off with, its slender build, akin to a greyhound dog, gives a significant advantage in speed over a longer distance than, say, a lion. And, because they are prone to having their kills stolen from them, they will start eating their kill where it gives them the most sustenance, eating from their prey’s rump and also gaining access to organs such as the liver, which provides the needed sustenance and energy they need to survive. It’s common for lions, hyenas and leopards to chase cheetahs off of their kill and they are hesitant to put up a fight when this does happen. As a result, they rank quite low in the hierarchy of predators found in their environment and due to their more slender build, avoid contact with other predators whenever possible. So without their ability to reach the speeds they do, they would quickly die from hunger. This may put it into perspective for you - we could give Usain Bolt an almost 50m head start in a 100m race and he’d still come second!Ĭheetah are highly specialised but also quite timid. Usain Bolt at his peak managed a stunning 44.72 kilometres/hour at a race in Berlin on 16 August 2009. Cheetahs are simply awesome and perfectly-conditioned to survive in the African bush.Īn animal that can move at incredible speeds is surely something quite spectacular (110 kilometres/hour or 68 miles/hour - imagine that!?).Īdmittedly, cheetahs are not able to continuously run at this speed and can only do so for a few seconds, but that does not take anything away from the achievement.
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