~Cheetahs, Speed and Grace~

[DarkThunder95]

Hey.... Just wanted to put my favorite animal, cheetahs. I didn't see them anywhere, so i'll post some info on them

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large-sized feline (family Felidae) inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws. As such, it is the only felid with non-retractable claws and pads that, by their scope, disallow gripping (therefore cheetahs cannot climb vertical trees, although they are generally capable of reaching easily accessible branches). The cheetah, however, achieves by far the fastest land speed of any living animal

With acceleration that would leave most automobiles in the dust, a cheetah can go from 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometers) an hour in only three seconds. These big cats are quite nimble at high speed and can make quick and sudden turns in pursuit of prey.

Before unleashing their speed, cheetahs use exceptionally keen eyesight to scan their grassland environment for signs of prey—especially antelope and hares. This big cat is a daylight hunter that benefits from stealthy movement and a distinctive spotted coat that allows it to blend easily into high, dry grasses.

When the moment is right a cheetah will sprint after its quarry and attempt to knock it down. Such chases cost the hunter a tremendous amount of energy and are usually over in less than a minute. If successful, the cheetah will often drag its kill to a shady hiding place to protect it from opportunistic animals that sometimes steal a kill before the cheetah can eat. Cheetahs need only drink once every three to four days.

Female cheetahs typically have a litter of three cubs and live with them for one and a half to two years. Young cubs spend their first year learning from their mother and practicing hunting techniques with playful games. Male cheetahs live alone or in small groups, often with their littermates.

Most wild cheetahs are found in eastern and southwestern Africa. Perhaps only 7,000 to 10,000 of these big cats remain, and those are under pressure as the wide-open grasslands they favor are disappearing at the hands of human settlers.

Fun facts:
Cheetahs are tan/yellowing with dots and tear stripes on their face
Cheetahs do not roar like other big cats
They are considered more dog-like than any other cat
Their cubs are mostly gray.
Some cheetahs are known for running 70-75mph
Their back bone acts like a spring to help give speed.
Cheetahs have many enemies.. (lions, baboons, hyenas and more)
Cheetahs are the only cat in which their claws do not retract
They chirp
They are not nocturnal
They are very endangered
They are long and slender unlike other cats.
Cheetahs don't tend to be aggressive.

sources... wiki and National geographic. Fun facts are from my years of studying them.

Heres some pics.....
http://tuibguy.com/wp-content/gallery/c ... ah%203.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... ethcat.jpg
http://www.awf.org/files/3800_file_chee ... esWeis.jpg

A website I found
http://www.cheetahspot.com/

Hope you guys learned something Any questions ask me

[BlackWarrior]

Thanks for posting this thunder! I love cheetahs and yet I still learned something new. ^^

[DarkThunder95]

Yay! lol Glad you liked it.

[brightstar99]

Wow! Cheetahs are my top favorite big cats! Thanks for making a topic about cheetahs!

[SolitaryPride]

Cheetahs are my favorite animal and I plan on working with them when I'm older. The only thing I didn't know from your quote was

Cheetahs need only drink once every three to four days.

Other then that I know about them then what your quote provides.

I find the Saharan Cheetah the most interesting,

The Northwest African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki), also known as the Saharan Cheetah, is a subspecies of cheetah found in the northwestern part of Africa (particularly the central western Sahara desert and the Sahel. It is classified as critically endangered, with a total world population estimated to be about 250 mature individuals. The Northwest African Cheetah is quite different in appearance from the other African cheetahs. Its coat is shorter and nearly white in color, with spots that fade from black over the spine to light brown on the legs. The face has few or even no spots, and the tear stripes (dark stripes running from the medial canthus of each eye down the side of the muzzle to the corner of the mouth) are often missing. The body shape is basically the same as that of the sub-Saharan cheetah, except that it is somewhat smaller. The Northwest African Cheetah ranges around the central and western Sahara desert and the Sahel in small, fragmented populations. The largest of these populations is believed to exist in the Ahaggar highlands of Algeria, but this is based on limited data obtained in 2009 from observations of only four individuals.[4] Besides Algeria, the range is believed to include Togo, Niger, Mali, Benin, and Burkina Faso. More than 50 cheetahs are thought to live in Algeria, compared to 10 or fewer in Niger. The total world population is estimated to be about 250 mature individuals

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_African_Cheetah

Then the King Cheetah, a rare mutation,

The king cheetah is a rare mutation of cheetah characterized by a distinct fur pattern. It was first noted in what was then Southern Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe) in 1926. In 1927, the naturalist Reginald Innes Pocock declared it a separate species, but reversed this decision in 1939 due to lack of evidence, but in 1928, a skin purchased by Walter Rothschild was found to be intermediate in pattern between the king cheetah and spotted cheetah and Abel Chapman considered it to be a color form of the spotted cheetah. Twenty-two such skins were found between 1926 and 1974. Since 1927, the king cheetah was reported five more times in the wild. Although strangely marked skins had come from Africa, a live king cheetah was not photographed until 1974 in South Africa's Kruger National Park. Cryptozoologists Paul and Lena Bottriell photographed one during an expedition in 1975. They also managed to obtain stuffed specimens. It appeared larger than a spotted cheetah and its fur had a different texture. There was another wild sighting in 1986—the first in seven years. By 1987, thirty-eight specimens had been recorded, many from pelts.

Its species status was resolved in 1981 when king cheetahs were born at the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre in South Africa. In May 1981, two spotted sisters gave birth there and each litter contained one king cheetah. The sisters had both mated with a wild-caught male from the Transvaal area (where king cheetahs had been recorded). Further king cheetahs were later born at the Centre. It has been known to exist in Zimbabwe, Botswana and in the northern part of South Africa's Transvaal province. A recessive gene must be inherited from both parents for this pattern to appear, which is one reason why it is so rare.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah

I actually drew this King Cheetah

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz94 ... le/281.jpg

[HappygirlXD]

Nice picture, SolitaryPride!

I love cheetahs. Not my favorite cat, but still one of the most beautifult and interesting.

Also, aren't cheetahs running cats, not big cats?

[SolitaryPride]

Also, aren't cheetahs running cats, not big cats?

There is no such thing as 'Running Cats'
The Cheetah isn't a Big Cat considering it can't roar, it purrs. It is large in size, but not considered a 'big cat' in the animal/zoo/conservation community

[HappygirlXD]

Running cat? It was in a nonfiction book I read. It said that there were three groups of felines: small, big, and running. Cheetahs were the only running cat it listed. :) I'm not saying you are wrong, that is just what I've heard.

[BlackWarrior]

Wow this is new to know as well. I had no idea cheetahs couldn't roar..!
And great piece of art Solitary. ^^

[Kyrarah]

Yus. I always knew cheetahs weren't big cats, since they meow, they don't roar. Anyway, I lvoe the way their bodies were build by the nature to run like a Formula 1. They are cute c: I always loved the way the king's cheetahs fur is, but I didn't know they ahd this name. Thansk for sharing it, you two ^^

[WolvesOfTheSeas]

Thanks for sharing i just love cheetahs i think very amazing animals and also gifted of there speed. So thank you for sharing again Thank you! c:

[paperpaws]

Ooh, I love cheetahs... They look so light and small compared to other big cats, yet are such powerful creatures. I've never actually seen a cheetah in a zoo or anything, I'd love to go on a wildlife safari or something along those lines to see them in the wild. ^-^

[Koa]

Yus. I always knew cheetahs weren't big cats, since they meow, they don't roar. Anyway, I lvoe the way their bodies were build by the nature to run like a Formula 1. They are cute c: I always loved the way the king's cheetahs fur is, but I didn't know they ahd this name. Thansk for sharing it, you two ^^

Running cat? It was in a nonfiction book I read. It said that there were three groups of felines: small, big, and running. Cheetahs were the only running cat it listed. I'm not saying you are wrong, that is just what I've heard.

Also, aren't cheetahs running cats, not big cats?

There is no such thing as 'Running Cats'
The Cheetah isn't a Big Cat considering it can't roar, it purrs. It is large in size, but not considered a 'big cat' in the animal/zoo/conservation community

Keep in mind the cheetah is also not classified under Pantherinae like your typical "big cats" [tigers, lions, jaguars, etc.] and instead the subfamily of Felinae with cats who also lack that title [marga.ys, caracal, servals, lynxes, and even the puma]. That's another way to remember rather than they "cannot roar."

[Nordue]

• Check out NatGeo's Vimeo video of a cheetah running, captured at 1200fps!
  
  . Speed and grace is right^^!