The feline cheetah is significantly different from its relatives in a number of ways. With its structure and appearance, the cheetah is more like a hunting dog, as it is capable of fast running.

A few more differences between a cheetah and its fellow dog are its preference to sit like a dog and also hunt, plus the cheetah is susceptible to dog diseases, and the composition of their coat is similar to that of a smooth-haired dog. But still, the cheetah has common signs with a cat, for example, the presence of spots on the skin, similar to the fur of a cat, as well as a cat’s footprint and a desire to climb trees.

Cheetah Build

The cheetah is quite large, its weight is from 41 to 64 kilograms, and the length of the cheetah reaches 131 centimeters, given the tail length of 74 centimeters, we can say that the animal’s body itself is shortened.

Also, the cheetah has quite long legs, although rather thin, but slender and strong. The atypical feature of the cheetah as a representative of feline is fixed claws, only a few species of cats have the same feature. But cheetah cubs are capable of drawing their claws up to 10-15 weeks.

The long tail of the cheetah is evenly coated with hair and balances the beast when running. A cheetah is a short-haired animal with a small mane. The color is yellow or sand, and the cheetah is completely covered with small spots. There are elements of camouflage - stripes on the muzzle near the nose. This helps the beast to remain invisible in the grass, and in combination with the body color, cheetah hiding is not difficult.

Habitat and Cheetah Hunting

Cheetah is a rare species that lives in India, Asia and Africa, most often in savannas and deserts.Cheetah has active hours of life on the day, but sometimes hunts at night. The animal has good eyesight and excellent speed, so the predator sees his prey from afar and quickly catches up with it, usually the beast is not engaged in long pursuits. The choice on the hunt makes in favor of antelopes, gazelles, but can also catch hares with birds.

Cheetah maximum speed

When hunting, the maximum speed of the cheetah is up to 130 kilometers per hour. The cheetah accelerates to 75 kilometers per hour in 2 seconds. When running, makes jumps 6-8 meters long. Each jump takes less than 0.5 seconds. During acceleration, the cheetah's respiratory rate increases to 150 times per minute. A cheetah can easily maneuver while running - changing direction. The cheetah cannot run at maximum speed for a long time, on average, the acceleration length is about 900 meters.

Cheetah and man

Cheetahs are quite peaceful and, like dogs, are very loyal to their owners. The cheetah can be safely put on a leash and take a walk, and in active games the beast is very soft and not dangerous. At the time that the cheetah spends with a person, he manages to show his dog habits more than once, for example, he easily brings objects, he can also carry out commands and generally lends himself to training. People often used cheetahs for hunting in countries such as Italy, Ukraine, England, France, Azerbaijan and many others. A cheetah should be tamed at a young age, but an adult is more suitable for hunting, since the kids are not yet able to do this, the mother teaches the ability to hunt animals up to a year and a half.

The sounds of cheetahs

Cheetahs can make a variety of sounds. During communication, they emit sounds similar to those of cats. The beast can purr when it’s in a good mood, and when it’s angry, it can snort and clang its teeth. If you scare the little cheetah, it can whistle sharply and deafeningly. Cheetahs rarely live in pairs, form an alliance only for the duration of reproduction. Typically, a female cheetah gives birth to five kittens. A male cheetah does not raise cubs. The mother zealously watches the offspring and often moves the babies so that the enemies do not reach them. Until one and a half to two years, the cubs live with their mothers, but then leave them for independent living.

A cheetah is a rare predatory animal that is on the verge of extinction. In the world there is an illegal hunt for cheetahs, people also develop the habitat of this animal, all this leads to a reduction in the species. Therefore, the cheetah can be seen on the pages of the International Red Book.