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

Animal cheetah is a predator from the large cat family. The beast stands out for its incredible speed, spotted color and claws, which, unlike most cats, it cannot “hide”.

Features and habitat

Cheetah is a wild animal, which only partially resembles cats. The animal has a slender, muscular body resembling more dog, and high-set eyes.

A small head with rounded ears gives the cat away as a predator. 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 on average 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 by photo of 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 on the “face” there are thin black stripes.

Nature “inflicted” them for a reason. The stripes act like sunglasses for humans: they slightly reduce exposure to bright sun, and allow the predator to see at long distances.

Males boast a small mane. However, at birth, all kittens “wear” a silver mane on their backs, but by about 2.5 months, it disappears. Characteristically, cheetahs’ claws never retract.

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

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

Nowadays there are 5 subspecies of the predator:

• 4 species of African cheetah;
• Asian subsp.

Asians are distinguished by thicker skin, powerful necks and slightly shortened paws. In Kenya you can find the black cheetah. Previously, they tried to classify it as a separate species, but later they found out that it is 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, but now they are almost completely exterminated there. The species has completely disappeared in countries such as Egypt, Afghanistan, Morocco, Western Sahara, Guinea, UAE and many others. Only in African countries today can spotted predators be found in sufficient numbers.

The photo shows a king cheetah, it is distinguished by two dark lines along its back

Character and lifestyle of the cheetah

Cheetah is the fastest animal. This could not but affect his lifestyle. Unlike many predators, they hunt in daytime days. Animals live exclusively in open space. The predator avoids thickets.

Most likely this is due to the fact that the animal's speed is 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 the 100-meter dash 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 using purrs and sounds reminiscent of chirping. Females mark territory, but its boundaries depend on the presence of offspring. At the same time, the animals are not known for their cleanliness, so the territory is quickly changed.

The black stripes near the eyes serve as “sunglasses” for the cheetah.

Tamed cheetahs resemble dogs in character. They are loyal, loyal and trainable. It’s not for nothing that they were kept at court for many centuries and used as hunters. IN animal world cheetahs They take lightly to intrusion into their territories; the insolent person receives only a contemptuous look from the owner, without a fight or showdown.

Nutrition

This wild animal When hunting, he trusts his vision more than his sense of smell. The cheetah chases animals that are approximately its own size. Predator victims include:

• gazelles;
• calves;
• impalas;

Goitered gazelles become the main diet of Asiatic cheetahs. Because of their lifestyle, 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, can’t do anything about it. The predator catches up with its prey in several jumps, with each jump lasting only half a second.

True, after this, the runner needs to take a breather for half an hour. At this moment more strong predators, namely leopards and , can deprive a cheetah of its lunch.

By the way, it never feeds on carrion, and only eats what it catches itself. Sometimes the animal hides its prey in the hope of returning for it later. But other predators usually manage to feast on other people’s works faster than him.

Reproduction and lifespan

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

This is a race for long distances. This is actually why cheetahs almost never breed in captivity. Zoos and nurseries are unable to recreate natural conditions.

Pictured is a cheetah cub

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

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

Despite parental care, more than half of cheetahs do not reach the age of one year. Firstly, some of them become prey for other predators, and secondly, the kittens die from genetic diseases.

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

Cheetah is a red book animal. For many centuries, predators were caught and trained to hunt. Since they could not reproduce in captivity, the animals slowly died out.

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

The cheetah is a mammalian predator from the cat family, genus cheetah. Almost everyone knows that this beast is the fastest in the world. What else is known about these spotted animals?

Description, appearance

Cheetah is a beautiful animal: long slender body It seems fragile, but the animal’s muscles are well developed. Although the animal is a feline, its body structure is a bit like a dog. The legs are long, rather thin, but strong, and the claws, as is usually the case in cats, do not retract into the paws while running - this is intended by nature so that the animal has good grip on earth's surface, the claws play the role of spines. The head is not very large, the eyes are set high, which is more typical for dogs, and the rounded ears are small.

The cheetah's body is not very long. But it’s not short either - from 1 meter 20 centimeters to one and a half meters, height from about 65 centimeters to one meter. The length of the tail is half the length of the body - 65-75 centimeters, the cheetah weighs from 45 to 70-75 kilograms.

The fur is short, not very thick, the color of coastal sand, the entire skin (except for the belly) is strewn with black spots of various sizes and shapes. Sometimes in the area of ​​the head and withers, males may have a kind of mane, consisting of coarse short hair. Young cheetahs up to 2.5 months old all have this mane, but many lose it. And there are lucky ones who still have it.

A distinctive decoration of the muzzle are the so-called “tear marks” - two black stripes going from the eye to the mouth. They are applied by nature for a specific purpose - thanks to them, the animal better focuses its gaze on the intended prey when hunting. And these marks also protect the predator’s eyes from bright sun rays, preventing him from going blind when looking at the sun.

Where does it live?

The main habitat is Africa. And it occupies the entire continent. As you might guess, it lives in deserts and savannas with flat terrain. Prefers open areas and is not a fan of ambushes.

There are also cheetahs living in Asia. Once upon a time, many Asian regions could boast of having these proud animals in their countries. They lived in Egypt, United United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan and other countries. But they were exterminated by humans and now live only in Iran.

The cheetah is diurnal and active only in sunlight, that is, during the day. And he also prefers to hunt in the daytime, or more precisely, either in the cool morning or in the evening, but always before dusk falls. After all, he looks for prey visually, and not with the help of smell, so he definitely needs light. The animal hunts quite rarely at night.

The method used by the cheetah for hunting is quite unusual: while most felines guard the future victim while in ambush, the spotted animal reaches potential prey by chasing it. First, it looks for an object to hunt, lying on a high hill or in thickets of bushes. Having noticed a potential victim, it tries to crawl as close as possible without unnecessary noise. Then it quickly jumps up and overtakes the unsuspecting animal. The cheetah runs very quickly, alternating running with long, sustained jumps. During the chase, the cheetah repeatedly changes its running trajectory, deceiving and misleading the prey.

It is necessary to hunt using this method because the open area where cheetahs live does not provide conditions for finding cover and making an ambush. Therefore, in order to be well-fed, the animal has to run short, fast runs. Having caught up and overtaken the prey, the predator knocks it down, hitting it with a powerful front paw, and then begins to strangle it. It squeezes the prey's neck until the animal stops breathing.

The speed of a cheetah is more than 100 km/h. The maximum officially registered speed is 112 kilometers per hour.

Although the animal has a considerable lung capacity, such a frantic speed exhausts it. If the victim was not caught after 200-400 meters, then the animal no longer pursues it. And if the hunt ends successfully, then while the cheetah takes a breath and regains its strength, other animals jump up to it and, taking advantage of the hunter’s weakness, steal their well-deserved prey.

What does a cheetah eat?

The cheetah mainly hunts ungulates: wildebeest, zebras, gazelles. Hares that come into view also attract attention and become lunch. And when cheetahs hunt in a group, even large, fleet-footed ostriches are unable to escape from predators.

Cheetahs do not have the habit of eating carrion; even after hiding their prey in the bushes and tearing off only a piece from it, they never return to it. It’s simpler and easier to hunt for new prey. And the food hidden in the bushes remains there, although not for long - there are plenty of hunters to eat what is thrown and hidden in the desert. Hyenas, leopards, sometimes even lions are contenders.

Reproduction

The mating season begins in different ways; there is no clearly established period. When the year comes, males gather in small groups of 2-5 animals. This usually includes cheetah brothers who have reached the age of maturity. Such a clan protects the territory with future partners from encroachments by males from outside.

Females reach sexual maturity at 2 years, sometimes a little later, but estrus begins earlier - at about one and a half years. Another feature of these animals is that the female begins to ovulate only in one case - when the male begins to run after her. And run literally, physically. During mating games Cheetahs go on long, long runs. In all likelihood, this fact is the reason why they do not reproduce in captivity - in zoos there are no conditions for running.

A cheetah's pregnancy lasts about three months- from 85 to 95 days. Several children are born - maybe up to 6. Cubs are born blind, their eyes open only after 10-15 days. The fur of small predators is long, and so that mother can easily find them in colorless areas, it has a gray-blue color. There are no spots characteristic of cheetahs on the skin of the babies; they appear a little later. The babies are decorated with unique identification marks: a black-brown mane grows on the head, and the end of the tail is equipped with a dark tassel. Somewhere in the fourth month of life, these signs disappear.

Until three or four months, the mother feeds the offspring with milk, and then the parents slowly add meat to the diet. The mother is involved in upbringing; the children are with her for the whole year. The father does not raise his offspring, but if something happens to the mother, he replaces her, becoming a good educator and mentor.

But, unfortunately, parental care does not help many cheetahs survive even to a year. Some children are eaten by stronger predators, and many kittens are exposed to genetic diseases from which they die.

The reason for these diseases is that in ancient times, during the onset of the Ice Age, most of the animals died, and cheetahs were also close to this. There were only a few of them left, but they were related. Perhaps this is the cause of the disease.

Difference between cheetahs and leopards

People often confuse two animals with each other - the cheetah and the leopard. Both of these species belong to the class of mammals, both are predators, both are related to cats. Only the genera are different: leopards are panthers, and cheetahs are a genus of cheetahs. Main differences:

1. The body of both animals is slender and flexible. Only the cheetah stretches up to one and a half meters, and the leopard can boast of 180 centimeters. And the leopard’s tail will be longer - up to 110 centimeters versus the short tail of the cheetah - only 75 cm.
2. This important difference can be noticed while watching a run. The speed of a cheetah is over 100 kilometers per hour, while the leopard is much slower - even at short distances it cannot run faster than 60 km/h.
3. The leopard takes its prey in its teeth and climbs up a tree to feast. The cheetah is deprived of such a habit.
4. A leopard, like most cats, has claws that retract, but a cheetah's claws retract a little - the main part remains outside.
5. The cheetah prefers to rest at night, hunting only during the day. The leopard goes hunting at dusk or at night.
6. A cheetah can hunt in a pack, while a leopard is a solitary hunter.
7. The cheetah's muzzle is decorated distinctive sign- black stripes run from the eyes towards the mouth. The leopard is deprived of such a sign.
8. The spots that decorate the cheetah skin are clear, but they do not form or create any patterns. On the skin of a leopard, the spots are collected in rosettes, and they can also merge with each other and be solid.
9. Leopards' babies are born with a spotted coat, while small cheetahs acquire spots later.
10. The cheetah lives in savannas and deserts, preferring flat landscapes. The leopard lives not only in savannas, but in forests, floodplains and mountainous areas.
11. The leopard has a much wider habitat. The cheetah lives only on the African continent, and in small quantities in Iran, but the geography of the leopard’s residence is much larger: in Africa, India, countries adjacent to the Hindustan, in the north and south of China, in Asia, in Far East etc.

Subspecies

There are five subspecies of cheetahs. Four of them inhabit Africa and one is in Asia. More than four thousand species live on the African continent, and the Asiatic cheetah is very few in number. In total, there are, according to various estimates, from 10 to 60 animals living in natural conditions, mainly in Pakistan and the mountains of Afghanistan. About two dozen live in zoos. The Asian subspecies does not differ very much from the African one: the legs are shorter, the neck is more powerful, and the skin is thicker.

Royal cheetah and other colors
Mutations in genetics lead to changes in the usual colors of cheetahs. Thus, the royal cheetah has a special color. Longitudinal dark stripes run across the entire back, and large merging spots appear black on the sides. It's not just royal cheetahs that have unusual colors. There are many other predators in nature, such as:

1. Albino cheetahs are completely white.
2. Absolutely black cheetahs with barely noticeable spots (so-called melanism).
3. Cheetahs are red in color with reddish or yellow-brown fur with pale scarlet spots.

In deserts there are also animals with dull and very faded coat color. Most likely, the point here is camouflage and adaptation to life under the hot rays of the sun.

Lifespan

In natural conditions, cheetahs live up to 18-20 years, sometimes living up to 25 years. In captivity, where others Better conditions for life and good medicine, they can live much longer.

It happens that a cheetah chases its prey over and over again, but the attempts end in failure. After ten such unsuccessful attempts in a row, the animal may die from lack of food because it will completely exhaust its strength.

When the next attack ends unsuccessfully, the cheetah immediately stops without wasting any strength. As soon as an animal runs at maximum speed for at least half a minute, it will fall from the resulting heatstroke, because while the animal is running, the body generates a lot of heat.

Sometimes in natural conditions a cheetah encounters lions. Having not managed to escape, the cheetah usually remains defeated - the forces are not equal. The cheetah has only one way to escape - to quickly run away.

This is interesting! Hunters Ancient Egypt cheetahs were tamed and used as assistants during hunting.

A cheetah can go without food for about a week.

When communicating with each other, they make not cat sounds, and not even dog sounds. Their communication resembles the chirping of birds.

Cheetahs are very well adapted to life in arid areas. Thus, an adult animal can go without water for several days.

There are many predators in Africa, the weakest of them is our hero, the cheetah. There are many cases when he became a victim of alligators.

Video: Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

In ancient times, the Asiatic cheetah was often called a hunting cheetah, and they even went hunting with it. Thus, the Indian ruler Akbar had 9,000 trained cheetahs at his palace. Now all over the world there are no more than 4,500 animals of this species.

Features of the Asian cheetah

On this moment Asian species of cheetah belongs to rare species and is listed in the Red Book. The territories where this predator is found are under special protection. However, even such environmental measures do not give the desired result - cases of poaching still occur to this day.

Despite the fact that the predator belongs to the cat family, there is little in common. In fact, the similarity with a cat is only in the shape of the head and outline; in its structure and size, the predator is more like a dog. By the way, the Asian species of leopard is the only predator from the cat family that does not know how to hide its claws. But this head shape helps the predator maintain the title of one of the fastest, because the cheetah’s movement speed reaches 120 km/h.

The animal reaches 140 centimeters in length and about 90 in height. Average weight a healthy individual weighs 50 kilograms. The color of the Asian cheetah is fiery red, with spots along the body. But, like most cats, the belly still remains light. Separately, it should be said about the black stripes on the animal’s face - they perform the same functions as sunglasses on a person. By the way, scientists have found that this type of animal has spatial and binocular vision, which helps it hunt so effectively.

Females by appearance practically no different from males, except that they are slightly smaller in size and have a small mane. However, all unborn people have the latter. By about 2-2.5 months it disappears. Unlike other cats, cheetahs of this species do not climb trees, since they cannot retract their claws.

Nutrition

A successful hunt of an animal is a merit not only of its strength and dexterity. In this case, the determining factor is acute vision. In second place is a keen sense of smell. The beast hunts animals approximately its own size, since the prey falls not only on the hunter himself, but also on the offspring, as well as on the nursing mother. Most often, the cheetah catches gazelles, impalas, and wildebeest calves. He comes across hares somewhat less often.

The cheetah never sits in ambush, simply because it is not necessary. Due to the high speed of movement, the prey, even if it notices the danger, will not have time to escape - in most cases the predator overtakes the prey in just two jumps.

True, after such a marathon, he needs to take a breath, and at this time he is a little vulnerable to other predators - a lion or leopard passing at this time can easily take his lunch.

Reproduction and life cycle

Even conception here does not occur the same way as in other felines. The female's ovulation period begins only when the male runs after her for a long time. That is why breeding of a cheetah in captivity is almost impossible - it is impossible to recreate the same conditions on the territory of a zoo.

Gestation lasts about three months. At one time, a female can give birth to about 6 kittens. They are born completely helpless, so their mother feeds them milk until they are three months old. After this period, meat begins to be introduced into the diet.

Unfortunately, not all babies live to reach the age of one. Some become prey to predators, while others die due to genetic diseases. By the way, in this case the male takes an active part in raising children, and if something happens to the mother, he completely takes care of the offspring.

The cheetah is a mammalian carnivore of the cat family. According to researchers, cheetahs are a close relative of pumas. Also, these animals show signs of genetic degeneration, which is why they are characterized by high level cub mortality.

Spreading

The most a large number of Cheetahs live in African countries; very few of them remain in Asia. There are separate habitats of these wild cats preserved only in the central part of Iran. At the moment, all over the planet there is approximately 4.5-5 thousand individuals of this type. These animals live only on open area.

External characteristics of the type

The cheetah has a slender, muscular body. To develop high speed, the animal has a small head and small rounded ears. But the chest and lungs will take in a large volume of air.

In general, the animal looks quite fragile: with a body length (without tail) of 115–140 centimeters, the weight reaches only 65 kilograms. The animal can reach a height of 90 centimeters.

The coat color is predominantly yellow-brown with small chaotic black spots. The fur on the belly is somewhat lighter than on the back. The animal has dark stripes on its face running from the eyes to the nose. These stripes are called "cheetah tears". They are the main ones distinctive feature in color. There are, however, deviations in the color of the skin. For example, the so-called royal cheetah, which has stripes along the back. There are cases when the animal was completely black or, conversely, light without spots. It happens that cheetahs are born not with black, but with red spots.

The tail attracts special attention. It reaches 80 centimeters. The tip of the tail of animals is white, and the spots on it merge into rings. The cheetah's tail plays the role of a balancing mechanism and at the same time a steering wheel.

Cheetahs have long, muscular legs. The hind legs are longer than the front ones. The claws of this animal are only partially retracted. While running, they provide better grip on the surface. The soles on the paws are hard. There are five toes on the front legs and four on the hind legs.

Subspecies

Previously, researchers highlighted seven subspecies of this rare animal:

However, recent research has shown that Acinonyx jubatus raineyii and Acinonyx jubatus jubatus are genetically the same.

In addition, cheetahs are so rare that they are listed as an endangered species in the Red Book.

Lifestyle

Food and hunting

Cheetahs are diurnal carnivores. Their diet contains meat:

• medium gazelles;
• baby wildebeest,
• hares,
• impalas.

They prefer to hunt early in the morning or in the evening. Unlike others cat families, cheetahs do not ambush. Since this predator lives mainly in open areas, the main principle of hunting is to drive prey at a short distance. After the predator creeps up to about 10–15 meters from the prey, the chase begins. While hunting, cheetahs can reach speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour. He reaches this speed in just a few seconds. The cheetah's run involves huge jumps of 6-8 meters. The predator usually knocks down its prey and strangles it.

Usually, the chase doesn't last more than a few seconds. If during the first 300-400 meters the cheetah cannot overtake the victim, then the chase stops. Because no matter how hardy the heart and lungs of this predator are. even they cannot quickly recoup the energy costs required to develop such high speeds.

If the hunt is successful, then the animal needs rest. Often during such a rest, cheetahs are deprived of prey, which is taken by leopards, lions and even hyenas. It should also be noted that, unlike other predators, cheetahs do not hide food in reserve, no matter how much meat is left after the hunt. Moreover, this representative of the feline eats only the prey that he killed himself.

Reproduction

Male cheetahs live alone, while females and their young form packs with a stable hierarchy. The mating season continues throughout the year. During mating season males unite in small groups of two to three individuals, to maintain the hunting territory and the females that live on it. As a rule, groups of two individuals can protect their possessions for up to six months, and already three males are able to drive other males away from their possessions for several years.

In order for a female to ovulate, the male must pursue her for some time. Pregnancy in this species of animals lasts relatively short - up to three months. Lambing occurs in a secluded place, as a rule, from 2 to 6 kittens are born, which are cared for by both parents.

Externally, babies are very different from adults. long gray hair. Kittens have a mane and a touching tuft at the end of the tail, which disappear after a few months.

The cubs are born blind, just like normal kittens. After their eyes open, they begin to follow their mother everywhere, who feeds the cubs for up to 8 months. Gradually, the female teaches the young cubs to hunt and kill prey. Having learned to hunt on their own, cheetahs leave their mother. As a rule, males leave in small groups, and females leave alone.

Life expectancy of cheetahs wildlife averages 10–15 years, and in captivity can reach 20 years.

The cheetah is a beautiful and graceful animal, which is considered the fastest runner among predators. The hunting method characteristic of the cheetah is very interesting. When you watch a predator chasing game, your heart simply skips a beat at the speed the animal develops. You can find out what a cheetah looks like, how it hunts, and how it lives in the wild by reading this article.

Cheetah habitat

Life is very difficult for cheetahs these days. Because of its beautiful skin it was very popular, and the speed at which it runs cannot protect it from the bullets of ruthless hunters.

Now spotted beauties live in the wild in Africa, and in the recent past they could be found in Arabia, India, and Iran. Cheetahs are on the verge of extinction, so that the species does not completely disappear from the face of the Earth, the animals are bred in captivity and protected in natural environment.

Description

The method of hunting characteristic of a cheetah is determined by the structure of the animal’s body; it is aerodynamic. This promotes streamlining while running, which makes it possible to develop greater speed. The muscles are highly developed, there is almost no fat on the body, it is slender and graceful, at first glance it even seems somewhat fragile. In fact, the animal is strong, its distinctive feature is the speed that it develops instantly and uses this during the hunt. We'll talk about the hunting method itself a little later.

Describing the appearance of a cheetah, one cannot fail to note its extraordinary beauty, which is very different from the beauty of other wild cats. The animal's head is small with high-set eyes, enlarged nostrils, small rounded ears and two thin black stripes on the sides of the muzzle. Because of these stripes, it seems that the animal is sad.

The color of the cheetah is sandy-yellow, with small black spots randomly scattered throughout the body. The weight of an adult animal is 45-66 kg, body length is 110-140 cm, the tail is beautiful and long up to 70-82 cm. The claws are partially retractable, this is a distinctive feature of the species. This feature helps the animal to sharply change direction at high speed, which again helps it in the hunt.

Characteristics of the cheetah

In their natural environment, cheetahs live 12-15 years; in captivity they can live up to 20 years. Males have their own territory, which they mark with urine and guard. Females do not have their own territory; they stay alone and simply follow their prey. The beast's lair is open, usually located in thorny thickets, on large termite mounds, under trees or in rocks. Unlike other cats, the cheetah is not clean. He often changes his lair, so he does not have the habit of relieving himself in the same place. In captivity, it is also impossible to accustom him to cleanliness.

The cheetah's hunting method allows it to feast on game such as antelope and zebra, which are quite difficult to catch. These are very agile artiodactyls; not every predator is able to catch up with a healthy antelope on a flat, open area; for a cheetah, on the contrary, the best option. The spotted predator hunts in areas with short grass, as it needs visibility.

Reproduction

Cheetahs form pairs only during the mating season; after the rut, the animals disperse, and the female takes care of the offspring herself.

Pregnancy lasts three months. There are 2-6 kittens in one litter. Babies are born weak and are easy prey for other predators. Therefore, the mother constantly guards them and often changes the location of the den.

Hunting method typical of the cheetah

Spotted predators have acute vision; to search for prey, they climb to high places and can spot prey at a great distance. The cheetah hunts either in the morning at sunrise or in the evening at dusk; the males can organize hunts together, but the females are solo hunters; they never hunt together.

Having identified the object of prey, the animal throws all its strength into catching it. First, the predator, clinging to the ground, crawls towards the target at a distance of up to 150-200 meters, then rushes forward and, developing incredible speed, catches up with the prey, which has almost no chance of escaping. A cheetah's leap is 6-8 meters; the animal spends half a second on one such throw. This beauty can reach speeds of up to 90-100 km/h in just 3 seconds. You can only run at this pace for a few hundred meters, since a burst of such power requires a huge consumption of oxygen. There have been cases, especially with young animals, when, after running 200-300 meters, the predator lost consciousness and could not come to its senses for a long time. Experienced spotted hunters, if they do not catch their prey within the first hundred of the distance, simply stop chasing and begin to look for a new target.

Having caught up with the prey, the predator hooks it and knocks it down with a blow of its front paw. The inner toe of the paw is armed with a curved sharp claw; at the first blow, this claw makes a deep wound in the body of the game. The cheetah strangles the prey that has been knocked to the ground by the throat, without opening its jaws for 6-8 minutes.

The life of a cheetah in the wild is extremely interesting; I would like to draw your attention to some interesting facts:

• Over short distances, a cheetah can easily outrun a racehorse.
• The spotted cat never eats carrion; when it is full, it leaves the leftovers for birds or jackals. Without even thinking about guarding the carcass until the next meal, the animal leaves forever.
• The predator drinks water only once every three to four days.
• In ancient times, nobles of Assyria and India organized cheetah competitions; this was considered royal entertainment.
• The cheetah is easy to tame. Despite the bloodthirsty hunting instinct, this predator is quite calm and affectionate. Not a single case of a cheetah attacking a person has been recorded.
• Russian princes loved to hunt with a tamed cheetah.