Cheetahs could be described as the misfit of the feline world. Their anatomical structure is almost a combination of feline and canine engineering. They are celebrated for their swiftness, surpassing all other land mammals. Furthermore their behavioural characteristics are fascinating also.
Cheetah Classification
Of the thirty six varieties of non domesticated cats, the cheetah has a completely unique classification. Most wild cats fall into the bracket of ‘Panthera’ which includes in their respective sizes the tiger, lion, Jaguar, leopard and snow leopard or ‘felis’ meaning ‘cat’ Other than cheetahs the only other exceptions to the rule are the onza which is awaiting taxonomic placing and clouded leopards. Their latin name is ‘neofelis nebusola’ meaning ‘clouded new cat’. There are six subspecies of cheetah and their initial common classification is ‘acinonnyx jubatus’. The king cheetah is a particularly beautiful specimen since it has thicker longer, almost striped spots that complement its appearance in addition to its camouflage.
Cheetah’s Speed
Cheetahs can approach speeds of up to seventy miles per hour of which they can sustain that speed for four hundred metres. More incredible they can accelerate from standing to sixty miles per hour in three seconds. During bounds cheetahs cover between eight and nine metres, which is partly due to their hyper flexible spines. However at the expense of possessing extreme running capabilities cheetahs are significantly weaker than leopards and obviously lions. This means that if a cheetah makes a kill and a larger feline predator is in close proximity they will probably have to abandon it, in the interests of their self preservation.
Another contributing factor enabling cheetahs to attain such incredible speeds is that their claws are non-retractable unlike the other members of the cat family. In essence their claws act as running spikes and gain excellent traction on the ground. However even though cheetahs are faster than their prey, they are not necessarily as agile. Antelopes that are being pursued can sometimes manage to change direction while cheetahs are pursuing them at top speed. If they can keep a cheetah away from them for over a quarter of a mile, the cheetah will more than likely fatigue and abandon the chase.
Cheetah Behaviour
Bachelor males often reside together in groups, sometimes comprising up to four individuals. Other than lions they are the most sociable of the non domesticated cats. Cheetahs are not capable or roaring like the traditional five big cats, tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard and snow leopards through they do purr loudly when content and make a variety of noises and chirping sounds.
Cheetahs were also used for hunting purposes by the Egyptians and even today cheetahs are reared and are seldom aggressive by comparison with other wild cats and seem to enjoy the company of humans in a similar manner to that of the canine family.
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