The cheetah has had one of the most dramatic lives of any cat. The cheetah was originally around almost 4 million years ago, long before the other big cats. It was once very common in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. Then, about 10,000 years ago, the cheetah disappeared from North America. This sudden disappearing act was caused by a major climatic change. Evidence that the cheetah existed in the US, was found in areas now known as, Texas, Nevada and Wyoming. The cheetah was also gone in Europe, and most of those in Asia and Africa had disappeared. Because of this traumatic event, it is believed that the cheetahs we see today, were all the result of inbreeding and this is why it is hard to find markings, that could distinguish one cheetah from the next. The cheetah has a sleek, almost fragile looking body. Its tail is almost as long as its entire body. But there's a reason for that, the tail provides balance to the cheetah when it runs. And when it runs, the cheetah is like no other animal, in fact, it is the fastest land animal. The cheetah can reach speeds approaching 70 mph. The cheetah hunts with speed, it knocks down its prey before killing it. Though the cheetah is fast, it can't sustain its speed for more than a minute, that's why if the cheetah doesn't catch its prey early in the chase, it will give up. Unlike many big cats, a cheetah can purr, but it cannot roar. The cheetah is a very vulnerable species; it has a hard time adapting to new environments. And they are also difficult to breed in captivity. Cheetahs can be found in Africa. They usually spend their time in a sparse semi-desert and grassy plains. The cheetah needs to be near bushes, tall grass and other plants, so they can hide from predators. The cheetahs food of choice is Thompson's gazelles, but they also eat antelope, hares, warthog and birds. Females give birth to 1 to 5 kittens after a gestation period of 90 to 95 days. The mother will move the kittens often, trying to protect them, but eventually the mother has to leave the kittens alone so she can go find food. This is probably why 90% of the kittens are killed within the first three months. The newborns usually leave their mothers within 13 to 20 months after birth. The life span of the cheetah can be up to 12 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity. Because of what happened in the past and the events that followed; the cheetah suffers from a lack of diversity. Because of this, they are more prone to disease than other cats and have a hard time reproducing. Due to the continued decline in prey, the loss of places to roam and the illegal killing, cheetahs are finding it hard to survive. The cheetah is really a marvelous creature, it would be a shame to realize, that after all it has done just to still be alive, that society can't find a way to help it continue for centuries to come. |
