In ancient times, the Asian cheetah was often called a hunting cheetah, and even went hunting with him. So, the Indian ruler of Akbar at the palace had 9,000 trained cheetahs. Now all over the world there are no more than 4,500 animals of this species.
Features of the Asian cheetah
At the moment, the Asian view of the cheetah is a rare form and is listed in the Red Book. The territory where this predator occurs are under special security. However, even such environmental measures do not give the proper result cases of poaching shooting are still found to this day.
Despite the fact that the predator belongs to the cat family, there is little in common. In fact, the similarity with the cat is only in the shape of a head and outline, in its own structure and size a predator looks more like a dog. By the way, the Asian look of a leopard is the only predator from a cat family that does not know how to hide claws. But this shape of the head helps the predator hold the title of one of the fastest, because the speed of the cheetah moves to 120 km/h.
The animal reaches 140 centimeters in length, and about 90 in height. The average weight of a healthy individual is 50 kilograms. The color of the Asian cheetah is fiery red, with stains over the body. But, like most cats, the belly still remains bright. Separately, it should be said about the black stripes on the animal’s face they perform the same functions as in humans, sunglasses. By the way, scientists have found that this species of the animal has spatial and binocular vision, which helps it so effectively hunt.
Females in appearance practically do not differ from males, except that they are a little smaller in size and have a small mane. However, all neurotene has the latter. By about 2-2.5 months, it disappears. Unlike other cats, cheetahs of this species do not climb trees, since they do not know how to drag the claws.
Food
The successful hunting of the beast is the merit of not only his strength and dexterity. In this case, the determining factor is precisely acute vision. There is a sharp sense of smell in second place. To hunt animals on animals approximately their size, since mining is not only the hunter himself, but also to offspring, as well as a nursing mother. Most often, the cheetah catches gazelle, implies, calves of the gnu. Hare gets a little less often hares.
The cheetah never sits in ambush, simply because this is not necessary. Due to the high speed of movement, the victim, even if he notices the danger, will no longer have time to run away-in most cases the predator overtakes prey in only two jumps.
True, after such a marathon, he needs to take a breath, and at this time he is a little vulnerable to other predators a lion or a leopard passing at that time can easily take his dinner from him.
Propagation and life cycle
Even conception here does not happen like other representatives of feline. The period of ovulation in the female begins only when the male runs after her for a long time. That is why the propagation of the cheetah in captivity is almost impossible it is impossible to recreate the same conditions on the territory of the zoo.
Rushing offspring lasts about three months. At a time, the female can produce about 6 kittens. They are born completely helpless, so up to three months of age, the mother feeds them milk. After this period, meat begins to be introduced into the diet.
Unfortunately, not all kids live up to one year old. Some become prey of predators, while others die due to genetic diseases. By the way, in this case, the male takes an active part in raising children, and if something happens to his mother, he completely takes care of the offspring.
