Cheetah

Title

Cheetah

Artist

Greg Joens

Medium

Drawing - Pencil On Paper

Description

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a big cat in the subfamily Felinae that inhabits most of Africa and parts of Iran.
It is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx.
The cheetah can run as fast as 109.4 to 120.7 km/h (68.0 to 75.0 mph),
faster than any other land animal.
It covers distances up to 500 m (1,640 ft) in short bursts,
and can accelerate from 0 to 96 km/h (0 to 60 mph) in three seconds.


The cheetah is a unique felid, with its closest living relatives being the puma
and jaguarundi of the Americas. This cat is notable for modifications in the species' paws,
being one of the few felids with only semi-retractable claws.


Its main hunting strategy is to trip swift prey such as various antelope species
and hares with its dewclaw. Almost every facet of the cheetah's anatomy has evolved to
maximize its success in the chase, the result of an evolutionary arms race with its prey.
Due to this specialization, however, the cheetah is poorly equipped to defend
itself against other large predators, with speed being its main means of defense.

In the wild, the cheetah is a prolific breeder, with up to nine cubs in a litter.
The majority of cubs do not survive to adulthood, mainly as a result of depredation from other predators.
The rate of cub mortality varies from area to area, from 50% to 75%,
and in extreme cases such as the Serengeti ecosystem, up to 90%. Cheetahs are notoriously
poor breeders in captivity, though several organizations, such as the De Wildt Cheetah and
Wildlife Centre, have succeeded in breeding high numbers of cubs.

The cheetah is listed as vulnerable, facing various threats including: loss of habitat and prey;
conflict with humans; the illegal pet trade; competition with and predation by other carnivores;
and a gene pool with very low variability. It is a charismatic species and many captive cats are
"ambassadors" for their species and wildlife conservation in general.

Source: Wikipedia

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October 14th, 2015

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