CHEETAHS (Acinonyx jubatus)
ig Cat Conservation
y’s Actions Affect Tomorrow’s World
Written by Liz Bellward, Founder & Managing Director of
Karma Cats Ltd. ABN: 60 141 655 254
404 222 991
Email: [email protected]
Distribution
and Status
Scientific Name
Distribution
Status
African Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus hecki
Acinonyx jubatus fearsoni
Acinonyx jubatus jubatus
Acinonyx jubatus soemmerringi
Northwest Africa
East Africa
Southern Africa
Northeast Africa
Critically Endangered
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Asiatic Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus venaticus
Iran
Critically Endangered
Web: www..karmacats.org.au
s e-book may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without prior written permission
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Population
African Cheetah 7,500 - 10,000
Asiatic Cheetah 60 - 100
Big Cat
or Small Cat
Due to their physical size, cheetahs are often referred to as big cats but they actually belong in a grouping
of their own. They are separated from big cats and small cats due to unique physical differences including
the fact that they can purr but can not roar (this it typical of the small cat family not the big cats).
Physical
Description
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Size
Head and body length: 1.1m - 1.4m
Tail length:
60cm - 85cm
Weight:
25kg - 65kgs
Life Span
Wild:
Captivity:
5 – 12 years (average 6 years)
12 – 17 years
Breeding
Male:
Female:
Gestation:
Oestrus Cycle:
Sexual maturity 13 – 16 months
Sexual maturity 13 – 16 months
90 – 95 days (3 months).
Seasonally polyestrous (December - February)
Come into heat every 10 - 20 days during this period
Mating lasts approximately 1 minute
Male holds the female by the back of the neck
Are induced ovulators
2 – 8 (average 3 - 4) cubs per litter
Weigh 150 – 300 grams at birth
Mating:
Cubs:
Today’s actions affect tomorrow’s world
© Karma Cats 2010.
(cont. page 2)
Cheetahs are slim and lanky compared to the other big cats that are extremely muscular
Deep chest and large thigh muscles on thin legs – a body of a runner
Coat is yellow / tawny with solid black spots, the belly and throat are white
Cheek whiskers are shorter and finer than other big cats
Have a black “tear” mark running from inside corner of eye to the mouth
Back of the ears are black
Markings are individual
Slight mane of longer hair on neck and shoulders
King cheetahs carry a recessive gene where the spots along the cats back join up to stripes
Compared to other big cats, they have shortened faces and smaller canines
No sheaths on their claws so you can still see them when retracted
www.karmacats.org.au
CHEETAHS (Acinonyx jubatus)
ig Cat Conservation
y’s Actions Affect Tomorrow’s World
Breeding
Cubs:
Written by Liz Bellward, Founder & Managing Director of
Karma Cats Ltd. ABN: 60 141 655 254
404 222 991
Email: [email protected]
Web: www..karmacats.org.au
s e-book may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without prior written permission
art from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research or as permitted under the Copyright Act
Dependant:
Cubs are born blind with eyes opening at 4 - 10 days
Weaned at 3 - 4 months
Start eating meat at 5 weeks
Have adult teeth at 8 months
Have long, fine, silver fur over back and neck to help with camouflage
Cub mortality is extremely high (lion predation is the main cause)
Separate from mum at around 14 - 18 months
Mother starts teaching cubs to hunt at around 3 - 4 months by bringing back live prey
for them to practice on
• Mothers keep their cubs in a den for the first 10 days then move them every 5 – 6 days
• Females who lose a litter are able to breed again in 2 – 3 weeks
Diet & Hunting
• Gazelle and antelope e.g. impala, Thomson’s gazelle, springbok, kudu etc. under 40 kgs are the
cheetah’s main diet, but they will also eat smaller prey such as warthogs and hares
• Hunt mainly during the day to avoid larger predators such as lions and leopards. If it is too hot, will
hunt at night
• Can run at 110 kms per hour over a short distance
• Can reach 75km per hour in 2 secs
• Will use cover where available to get as close to prey as possible
• While chasing prey they use their dew-claw to trip their prey off balance and fall over
• Kill with a bite to the throat
• If shelter is close, will drag the kill there
• Lose approximately 10% of their kills to other predators such as lions, leopards and hyena
Habitat
• Savannah
• Grasslands
• Open Woodlands
Social System
& Territories
• Female cheetahs are solitary unless have young.
• Males are either solitary or form bachelor groups (2 or 3 cats) which increases their chance of survival
against predators such as hyenas, lions and leopards.
• Territories are prey density dependant ranging from 30 km2 to 1500 km2.
• Some females follow the migratory patterns of their prey so travel great distances.
• Urine with scent gland secretions are sprayed on rocks, trees, bushes etc to make territories.
• Faeces are left in prominent positions that will notify intruders.
• Flehmen - allows olfactory & chemical clues to pass over naso-vomeral organ positioned in the roof of
the mouth.
• Vocalisations include growls, snarls, hiss, yelp (high pithed “yowl”), churrs, gurgles, moans and chirps.
• Cheetahs are the only big cat that can purr but can not roar.
Threats
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Today’s actions affect tomorrow’s world
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© Karma Cats 2010.
Lions
Leopards
Hyenas
Trophy hunting
Poaching
• Scrub
• Semi-desert
Prey depletion
Loss of habitat
Human conflict when taking livestock
Full CITES (Appendix I) protection
www.karmacats.org.au