Cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world. It is found in Africa and in some parts of Iran .It is adapted to its habitat which is grassland where speed is the only key to survival.
Physical Characteristics:
Cheetahs have a very different and unique structure of body. They have :
- light weight body
- long legs
- flexible spine
A Cheetah
· They have a coat of yellow color that’s why they blend themselves easily into their surroundings. They have tear marks that run from the corner of eye to the mouth. These tear marks reduce the glare of sun and help cheetah to focus on its prey.
· High Speed and Hunting method of cheetah:
The cheetah runs very fast . Its speed is 100 to 120 km\h but very high energy is required to maintain this speed so cheetah runs on this speed only for 20 to 30 seconds. Cheetahs look for their prey in open areas. They usually eat small to medium sized animals such as;
- gazelles
- Impalas
- Hares
When cheetah hunts a prey it slowly and quietly follows its target and then after sometime jumps on it and eat it.
Habitat and Distribution:
Cheetahs are mostly found in;
- sub-Saharan Africa
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Namibia
- Botswana
- Iran(small population exists here)
Behavior and Lifestyle:
The Cheetah does not show aggressive behavior towards human.
· Male cheetahs live in groups called coalitions.
· Female cheetah likes to live alone but it does not live alone when it raise its cubs.
· Cheetah is not as strong fighter as lions and tigers are. That’s why sometimes they lose their prey to other strong predators.
Life Cycle:
The gestation period of cheetah is 3 months. The female has 3 to 5 cubs. The cubs are born blind. The cubs depend on their mother for some time.
Characteristics of cubs:
Young cheetah has a thick coat of fur on back called a mantle. This mantle helps cheetah to blend into its environment and provides protection from predators. As cubs grow, this mantle disappears.
The mother teaches her cubs that how to live independently and teaches them how to hunt. The Cubs live with their mother for 18 months . After this time they start independent lives.
Threats and Conservation:
Cheetahs are getting declined day by day in world. Main reasons of extinction of cheetah are:
· loss of habitat
· Hunting by human
· Destruction of forests
However some steps have been taken by some organizations on world level to protect them
PEOPLE ALSO ASK?
· Is cheetah also present in Pakistan?
Answer is that cheetah is considered extinct in Pakistan. It is reported that long time ago cheetah lived in areas of Balochistan.
If you want to learn about the largest animal on earth the blue whale then visit following article on our website.https://www.worldrecordshub.com/2026/03/blue-whale-fascinating-creature-of.html
Comments