All about the Asiatic Cheetah

 

Physical Apperance:

• Asiatic Cheetahs grow to approximately 44 to 53 inches in length as adults.
• Their tails range from 26 to 33 inches as adults.
•  As adults, their height can reach 32 inches and they can weigh 86 to 143 pounds.
• Asiatic cheetahs tend to be slender and have long legs.
• Their claws are semi-retractable and blunt. Their fur is short, coarse and tan in color with several small, black, round spots. They have high-set eyes and small heads with a “tear mark” that is black in color that begins at the corner of each eye and runs down to the sides of the mouth and nose.

Habitat:

• Asiatic Cheetahs thrive in open lands, small plains, semi-desert areas, and other open habitats where prey is available.
• The Asiatic cheetah is found mainly in the desert areas.
• Asiatic cheetahs can be found in Northern Iran and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• They can live in several different types of habitat. These include areas with tall grass, grassy plains, places with large plants and bushes and in treeless plains.

Diet:

• Asiatic cheetahs are carnivores.
• These cats have been spotted hunting during the day, but they sometimes also hunt at night.
• They tend to hunt more often during the day because hunting at night means they might come into a conflict with other bigger predators such as leopards and lions.
• These big cats tend to prey on oryx, gazelles, kudu, impala, young warthogs, game birds, rabbits and hartebeest.

Young:

• It is believed that the Asiatic cheetah tends to breed during the mid-winter months.
• Females are thought to have one to four cubs at a time, but average two cubs at a time.
• It is believed that cubs reach independence at about eighteen months old.
• It is estimated that approximately 50 to 75 percent of cubs do not live longer than three months.