December 4 is a good day for running and jogging, because it is International Cheetah Day. What else do you know about these amazing big cats, besides the fact that they are fast?
1, How fast indeed are cheetahs?
As the fastest animal on land, a cheetah can accelerate up to 112 kmh on short distances of 100 meters. But this super speed can only be kept for a few seconds. A cheetah runs no more than 500 meters at the speed of 104 to 120 kmh. In fact, it very rarely runs at this high speed as most chases are within 100 meters.
In 2012, an 11-year-old cheetah from the Cincinnati Zoo named Sarah made a world record by running 100 meters in 5.95 seconds over a set run.
2, What do they sacrifice for speed?
The cheetah is a real super car in animal kingdom. Everything is built for speed: a smaller head and bigger nasal passage; deeper chest; longer legs; and softer spine. The other side of the coin is, cheetahs sacrifice power for speed. Their biting force is not as strong as other big cats, and their claws are non-retractable, meaning they cannot stay sharp.
3, In fact, cheetahs do not need to run so fast for most of times.
When hunting, a cheetah may stalk its prey to within 100–300 meters before attacking. They may achieve successful hunts by running at a speed of only 64 kmh. The chase usually lasts less than a minute; if the cheetah fails to make a kill quickly, it will give up. Cheetahs have an average hunting success rate of 40 to 50 percent.
4, They are often bullied.
Cheetahs usually become exhausted after chasing, and have to rest for quite a while. This is a serious disadvantage, as other carnivore may come and rob the cheetahs. With their light body weight, blunt claws and weak bite force, cheetahs cannot protect their food. A cheetah may surrender its kill to sturdier carnivores such as lions, leopards, spotted and brown hyenas, and wild dogs. Studies have found that cheetahs lose around 10 to 15 percent of their kills to other predators.
5, To be honest, they are not anything else except running.
Cheetahs are terrible tree climbers; though they can swim, they usually avoid water. Cheetahs cannot roar, they can only chirp, purr, and meow.
6, Their lifespan is unexpectedly short.
The average lifespan of wild cheetahs is only 5 to 6 years. Cheetah cubs have a very high mortality rate, too. In a 1994 study in Serengeti, Tanzania, nearly 77 percent of cubs died before eight weeks of birth, and nearly 83 percent of those alive did not make it to adolescence (14 weeks). The study concluded that the survival rate of cubs until weaning was a mere 4.8 percent.
7, Cheetahs are not confined in Africa.
When talking about cheetahs, we always think of Africa. However, Asian cheetah, a subspecies of cheetah, is endemic to Iran. It is the only surviving cheetah population in Asia. There may be less than 50 of them left. However, cheetahs used to be widely distributed from the Arabian Peninsula to Turkey, Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan to India. In fact, the name "cheetah" is a hindi word, meaning "spotted."
8, There are fewer cheetahs than you think in the wild.
Cheetahs are the most endangered big cats in Africa. There used to be 100,000 cheetahs one century ago; but now the estimated population is 6,674, according to IUCN red list. Threats include poaching, human disturbance and habitat loss. Besides, the species is quite prone to infectious disease, since its genetic diversity is extremely low.
9, How to differentiate cheetahs and leopards?
The two big cats do look similar, but it is not hard to tell them apart. You can easily differentiate them by fur patterns and body shapes. The most obvious characteristic is that cheetahs have "tear marks" on their faces, while leopards do not.
10, Cheetah cubs are just too cute!
Click through the gallery below and see for yourself!
(All pictures via VCG. Cover photo via VCG, designed by CGTN's Jia Jieqiong. Edited by An Qi)
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