Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)- Data, Pictures & Videos

[Acinonyx sp.]

Focus on the Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus  (Schreber, 1775)

Afrikaans    Jagluiperd  

German    Gepard

French    Guépard

Swahili    Duma / Msongo

isiNdebele    Ihlosi

isiZulu     Ihlosi

isiXhosa    Ihlosi

seSotho    Lengau

seTswana    Lengau

Shona     Ihlosi

Shangaan    Ndloti

Venda     Didingwe

Nama/Damara  !Arub

Herero    Shitona
Ovambo    Shinga

IUCN Conservation Status:

Vulnerable (VU), C2a(i) = a continuing decline in numbers of mature individuals.
No  sub-population  was found  to  contain  more  than  1  000  mature  individuals.    In  2006 heetah numbers worldwide were estimated to be <15 000.





The cheetah’s speed, its hunting skills and its daylight activity led to its choice as a tame

hunting companion in earlier  times.   Evidence of this can  be  seen on a silver urn  found

recently in the Caucasian mountains.  The urn, dating back to 700-300 BC, is etched with

a tamed cheetah wearing a neck collar.  In South Africa, bushman from the Kalahari have
a tradition of tracking cheetah to its kill in order to snatch meat for their own use.

Taxonomy 
Kingdom:    ANIMALIA

     Phylum:    CORDATA

     Class:     MAMMALIA

     Supercohort:   LAURASIATHERIA

     Cohort:    FERUNGULATA

     Superorder:    FERAE

     Order:     CARNIVORA

     Suborder:    FELIFORMIA

     Family:    Felidae

     Subfamily:    Acinonychinae

     Genus:    Acinonyx
     Species:    jubatus

In 1775 J.  C. D. von Schreber  described the animal  after a specimen from the Cape of

Good Hope as a “purring” cat and classified it as Felis jubatus.  More recently the cheetah

was reclassified as Acinonyx jubatus as it differs from other cats in having claws that are

not fully  retractable.   The name  “cheetah” is  derived from  the  Hindu  word “chita”  which

means “spotted”.  The  cheetah  is not related to  other  spotted cats such as  the leopard,

jaguar or serval.  The genus is represented by a single species A. jubatus and is widely
distributed from Africa to the Middle East

the  legitimacy  of  their
sub-specie classification has been bought into doubt by genetic analysis which shows only
a minimal genetic variation between the populations.  This may be due to several recent bottlenecks in the genetic development of the species.

Distribution
In  the  past,  cheetah  were  widely  distributed  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  the

Mediterranean,  excluding  the  rainforests  of  central  and  western  Africa,  to  the  Arabian

Peninsula, the Middle  East, Pakistan, India  and  the southern  parts  of Russia.   Cheetah

were extinct in India by 1952 and in Russia by 1989.  Only a reduced population of 40-50

cheetah  remains  in  the  Middle  East, most  being  found  in  Iran  and  a few  in  Pakistan.  

Cheetah  are  now  believed  to  be  extinct  in  the  western  Sahara,  Ghana,  Nigeria  and

Djibouti.  The two largest cheetah populations are in East Africa in the Serengeti and  in
southern Africa, in Namibia and Botswana.





Description

Cheetah have a slender build, relatively long legs and, in comparison to the stronger body

built of most other cat species, are light in weight in relation to size.  Its build resembles

that of  the dog  family rather  than that  of the cat  family.   The average  mass of  an adult

cheetah male is  64 kg and  of  a female, 45  kg.   Its aerodynamic  build  allows it to  reach

speeds of up to 104 km/hour during a chase, the highest speed of all land mammals.



Cheetah have partly retractable claws in poorly developed nail beds.  This distinguishes

them from  other cats  that have  fully retractable  claws and from the  dog family  that  has

non-retractable claws.



The spots of cheetah differ from  the rosette-like spots on the pelage  of the leopard and

jaguar  as  they  are  round  or  oval  and  fully  coloured.    The  typical  black  teardrop-stripe

commences from the inner eye and stretches down the face to the corner of the mouth.



The  colouring  and  spotted  pattern  of  the  pelage  varies  with  habitat  and  distribution.  

Cheetah from the Sahara desert are lighter in colour with hazelnut-coloured spots and dull

teardrop  stripes  and  tail  rings,  some  being  so  light  that  they  are  referred  to  as  white

cheetah.  Individuals inhabiting the black rocky mountain areas of the Sahara usually have

a brighter colouring.



A unique colour variation known as the king cheetah is found in southern Africa.  These

free roaming cheetahs were first recorded in 1928 with the most recent sighting being in

the Sabi  Sand Game  Reserve  in 1992.   Several  king cheetah  litters have  been born  in

captivity, 70 being bred in the De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre between 1980 and 2004.  

Research indicates that the king cheetah is not a genetic sub-species but merely a colour

variant of  A. jubatus,  with longer,  more  silk-like  hair.    The  spots along  the spine  of this

variant meld together to form stripes.  The end quarter of the tail is solid black compared

to the rings of the common cheetah.



In the 17th century, a cheetah with dark blue spots on a blue-tinted, white skin was found

in Jahaner,  India.    Sightings of  a  spotless  cheetah  in  Tanzania  in 1921  and  of  a  black
cheetah in Kenya in 1972 were also reported.

Spoor

The cheetah has the rounded print of a cat but shows definite, dog-like claw marks at the

front.    The  claw  marks  distinguish  it  from  other  cat  spoor  while  the  rounded  shape

distinguishes it from the lengthened, oval spoor of a dog or hyaena spoor.  The front print

of an adult cheetah spoor measures 110x85 mm and the hind 95x75 mm, inclusive of the
claw markings.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Trophy

The trophy measurement is the accumulative measure of the maximum length of the skull
from the nostril to the base of the cranium together with the maximum diameter of the skull.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Habitat requirement

Although  cheetah  fare  well  on  grass  plains  they  prefer  open  savannah  woodland  with

ample  visibility.    Hunting  success  is  increased  by  a  moderate  growth  of  vegetation  for

refuge but  dense  thicket limits  their  chasing  strategy.   Cheetah  are  mostly  restricted  to

sub-tropical  and  arid  habitats  with  an  annual  rainfall  of  100-600  mm.    Although  past

distribution  included  temperate  highveld  grassland,  this  habitat  is  marginal  as  cheetah

cannot  tolerate  snow  and extreme  wet,  cold conditions  with  a temperature  below -5°C.  

Mountainous terrain and riverine thickets are totally avoided.  The most determining habitat
parameter is the abundance of suitable prey.

Behaviour

Unlike most of the larger predator species that are nocturnal, the cheetah is predominantly

diurnal.    Most hunting  takes  place  in  early  mornings  after  dawn  and  in  late  afternoons

before  dusk,  as  they  need  good  visibility  to  outrun  their  prey.    This  strategy  reduces

competition with other large predators that kill cheetah such as the lion Panthera leo, the

leopard P. pardus and the spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta.



Communication between individuals consists of a high pitched cry that can be heard up to

two kilometres away.  Cheetah purr like a domestic cat when happy and at rest.



Cheetah display a unique behaviour in their use of “play-trees”.  These act as a beacon

for  social  gatherings  of  homebound  groups  and  for  single,  adult,  nomad  cheetah  of  a

different birth origin.  Generally, a play-tree is visible from a distance and is a lone, tall tree

consisting  of  a  single  large  stem,  ample  canopy  shading  and  sparse  vegetation
underneath.  The stem is marked to a height of 1.7 m by numerous claw scratches.  Visiting cheetah  often  remain  at  a  play  tree  for  several  days.    Cheetah  from  different  groups

tolerate each other at play-trees and there is interchange of individuals between groups.  

It is a preferred site for alpha female/male bonding.



When trapping cheetah, the best results are achieved by placing traps at play-trees and,

if possible, by scenting them with cheetah urine rather than by setting them with dead bait.  

The trap should not be removed immediately after a successful capture as more than one

cheetah  may  be  trapped  at  the  same  site.    Translocated  cheetah  generally  attempt  to

return to their original home ground.  


Feeding & Nutrition

Free roaming, adult cheetah require an average of 2.5-3.5 kg fresh meat per day in order

to  maintain  their  health.    The  composition  of  cheetah  prey  depends  on  the  relative

abundance of prey species in the area.  Cheetah seldom take prey larger than 60 kg and

do not scavenge carcasses killed by other predators, preferring fresh meat from their own

kills.  Thus if bait is used it should be fresh meat.  In comparison to other large predators,

cheetah hunt young animals rather than old, injured or sick individuals.



A  cheetah  hunt  follows  one  of  three  basic  strategies  pouncing  on  unsuspecting  prey

searching for prey using a vantage point such as a high termite mound or a large, fallen

tree trunk ambushing, pushing or charging prey against a game or stock fence. Cheetah

are masters of this strategy



A kill usually starts with a short, high speed chase of 100-250 m.  The cheetah then trips

its prey with a  smack against the hind  legs,  jumps over it and  smothers  it by sinking its

fangs into the  throat.  The average  speed of cheetah  recorded  in the Serengeti was  87

km/h, although they can reach a top speed of 104 km/h.  The breathing rate of a cheetah

increases  tenfold  during  a  chase.    An  unnecessary  energy  loss  is  prevented  by

determining the potential of a successful outcome early in the chase and aborting it if it is

low.  The  average recorded chase  distance for successful  kills  in the southern  Kalahari

was 218 m and for unsuccessful chases, 122 m.



The kill prey is consumed rapidly in order to prevent its theft by other larger predators such

as lion and hyaena.  Even vultures can succeed in taking over a cheetah kill.  When more

than one cheetah feed together their bodies  lie in  a circle  around the carcass forming a

unique  star-like  pattern.    The  cheetah’s  water  requirements  are  met  by  the  blood  that

accumulates in the hollows of a kill.  Thus they are independent of surface water although

they will drink if water is available.  Wild fruit such as the tsamma and gemsbok cucumber

found  in  the  arid  Kalahari,  have  high  moisture  contents  and  are  frequently  chewed  by
cheetah in order to supplement their water intake.

Territory & Home range

Territorial male and brother groups scent-mark their ranges more intensely than nomadic,

solitary males.  As the health of nomads is generally weaker than that of territorial males,

they  seldom  remain  in  an  area  for  longer  than  a  few  days.    The  most  common  scent

marking is a backwards spray of urine against the stem of a tree or bush.  The tail is lifted

with the  hindquarters  facing the  tree.   The  urine  is then  sprayed  up the  tree  trunk to  a

maximum  height  by  stretching  the  hind  legs  and  lifting  the  hind  quarters  as  high  as

possible.  Dominance of the cheetah is established by the height of the marking; the higher

the marking, the  greater the dominance.   Play-trees  are priority sites for  scent marking.  

Scat deposited at fixed sites on the periphery of the range also act as a warning signal to

intruders.



The cheetah is unique among the large cats as the female has a larger home range than

the  male.    In  the  Serengeti,  adjacent  female  home  ranges  overlap  and  measure  an

average  of  833  km²  compared  to  the  37  km²  of  male  groups  and  777  km²  of  nomadic

males.  In Namibia, the recorded mean home range of females is 1 500 km² and for males,

800 km².  The home ranges of male groups do not overlap.  The size of these ranges is

limited by prey abundance and thus differs between regions.  The entire range is not used

equally and activities such as hunting, refuge and breeding are concentrated in different
areas.

Social structure

Lion and cheetah are the only large cats in the world that form social groups.  Groups of

cheetah consist of an adult alpha female and her sub-adult cubs, or of 2-4 sub-adult (chi)

or adult (beta or alpha) brothers or, less often, beta sisters.  Adult males of the same litter

either live  together as a  brother group  or  split to  become solitary nomads.   With  a  high

cheetah  density  and  a  good  supply  of  prey,  non-related  male  groups  may  form  large,

temporary groups  of up  to 20  individuals.   Related brothers generally group  together for

life  and  inhabit  the  same  home  range,  while  solitary  males  will  only  fight  to defend  a

territory or home range for a few months and then become nomadic.  Male groups do not
have a hierarchy of dominance and all members may mate with an available alpha female.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Reproduction

An  adult  alpha  female  has  little  contact with  the  alpha  males  and  even  courtship  and

mating  seldom  lasts  longer  than  24  hours.    Despite  this,  an  alpha female  is  extremely

particular in her choice of a male partner.  She becomes sexually mature at 21-24 months

and  generally  starts  mating at  about  three  years.   Mating  usually  occurs  at  night  and

gestation lasts  for 90-95  days.  Young  are born  at any  time of  the year as  females are

seasonally poly-oestrus and are not restricted to a breeding season.  When in pro-oestrus

she releases hormones in her urine that attracts alpha males.  During courtship oestrus is

further stimulated, with full oestrus being reached after 7-14 days.  In the interim the male

is rejected aggressively.  Ovulation is stimulated only during the final mating.  A high level
of major sperm abnormalities caused by  the  limited genetic variation of the species has negatively affected the population growth of cheetah.



The cubs are  hidden  in a den  until  an age of  5-8  weeks.  The den  is usually close  to  a

rocky outcrop used by the female as a vantage point and the surrounding area must have

ample prey and tall grass cover for  hunting.   The mother  translocates the litter to a new

den if prey moves away from the area or if predators endanger the site.  She constantly

remains in close vicinity to the den and restricts her hunting to this area.  The alpha male

has no role in raising the young and never accompanies the mother.



The cubs remain dependent for 12 to 20 months.  The weaning process starts at six weeks

and lasts until  an age of  3-4 months.   Cubs accompany the  hunt from an  age of seven
months and only leave the mother after 18 months.

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negatively affected the population growth of cheetah.



The cubs are  hidden  in a den  until  an age of  5-8  weeks.  The den  is usually close  to  a

rocky outcrop used by the female as a vantage point and the surrounding area must have

ample prey and tall grass cover for  hunting.   The mother  translocates the litter to a new

den if prey moves away from the area or if predators endanger the site.  She constantly

remains in close vicinity to the den and restricts her hunting to this area.  The alpha male

has no role in raising the young and never accompanies the mother.



The cubs remain dependent for 12 to 20 months.  The weaning process starts at six weeks

and lasts until  an age of  3-4 months.   Cubs accompany the  hunt from an  age of seven

months and only leave the mother after 18 months.





Production

The cheetah’s worst enemies are the degradation of suitable habitat, an inadequate supply

of prey and the low genetic diversity of the species.  As few cheetah in the Serengeti live

beyond four years, most females can produce only one litter.  Diseases commonly causing

mortalities are anthrax, tick fever, mange and catynteritis.  Cheetah are also susceptible

to internal parasites.



Cubs have a birth mass of 150-300 grams and a thick, greyish-blue coat on the back of

the neck that disappears after three months.  In the Serengeti 83% of the cubs die before

reaching an age of  14  months as they are prone  to  injury, disease and starvation.    The

density  of  both  cubs  and  adults  in  an  area  varies  in  relation  to  predation  and  prey

abundance.    A  large  number  of  females  will  concentrate  in  areas  with  a  good  prey

resource.  The average long-term cheetah density in the Serengeti is 0.8-1.0 cheetah/10

000 ha but can range up to 40 cheetah/10 000 ha.  The density of cheetah in savannah
woodland is lower than that of larger predators as a result of their predation.

*This image is copyright of its original author

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