Cheeter is one of the fastest animal in the wild cause it runs up to 112 km/hr
Cheetah
Scientific Classification
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Cheetah Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Subfamilies
The Felidae family consists of 2 subfamilies (Pantherniae and Felinae) and 4 extant genera (Felis, Neofelis, Panthera, and Acinonyx) and 38 species.
Subfamily: Pantherinae
Panthera includes lions, tigers, jaguars, and leopards.
Cats in this grouping have the ability to "roar" but not "purr". (See "Purring" vs. "Roaring" Cats section in Communication.)
Roaring occurs due to "ossified hyoid and both divided and undivided vocal folds". This statement refers to the twiglike hyoid bones in the neck that help to anchor the tongue in place. These larger-sized cats have tongues further secured in place with a longer length of tough cartilage that begins at the hyoid bones and ends in the skull. This prevents a member of Panthera from purring but is flexible enough to allow their larynx the ability to roar.
Most in this family prefer to make other sounds (snarling, hissing, grunting, yowling, coughing) — the lion is the only Panthera member that roars regularly.
Subfamily: Felinae
Felinae includes all non-roaring cats (cheetah, lynx, bobcat, caracal, puma, fishing cat, ocelot, margay, jaguarundi, and serval).
Cats in this grouping have the ability to "purr" but not "roar". (See "Purring" vs. "Roaring" Cats section in Communication.)
Purring occurs due to "imperfect ossified hyoid and undivided vocal folds". This statement refers to the twiglike hyoid bones in the neck that help to anchor the tongue in place, which, when combined with a Felinae's ability to vibrate its larynx, produces a purring sound.
No one knows why those in this subfamily developed the ability to purr, but one theory suggests the mother Felinae began to purr to help mask and camouflage the mewing sounds her vulnerable kittens made during nursing.
The serval (Leptailurus serval) is in the subfamily Felinae with the cheetah.
Genus, Species
Genus: Acinonyx
The cheetah is the only cat species in this genus as they are the only type of Felidae that cannot fully retract its claws.
Species: jubatus
Subspecies
There are five recognized cheetah subspecies:
A. j. hecki: Northwest Africa
A. j. fearsoni: East Africa
A. j. jubatus: Southern Africa
A. j. soemmerringi: Northeast Africa
A. j. venaticus: North Africa to central India
"Cheetah" is derived from the Hindi word Chita, meaning "spotted one".
Acinonyx means "no move claw" in Greek — a reference to its non-retractile claws.
The hair on a cheetah is longer on the nape than elsewhere — this feature is more visible on cubs as the mane is more pronounced and extends over the head, neck, and back. The word jubatus means "mane" or "crested" in Latin — likely this is in reference to the mane found on cheetah when they are cubs.
Fossil Record
An explanation for the speed of the pronghorn may have been the presence of cheetah species which would have hunted then at one time on the North American continent.
Recent detailed DNA studies shows evidence that all living cats can be traced back to panther-like predators that existed in Southeast Asia 10.8 million years ago.
Once considered alone in separate subfamily, cheetahs have now been grouped with pumas (Puma concolor) and jaguarundis (Puma jagouaroundi) according to detailed DNA analysis. This group diverged some 6.9 million years ago.
It is believed that the cheetah may have originated in North America before spreading to Eurasia and Africa. Pronghorns, the fastest animal in North America, reaches speeds of up to 60 mph — far faster than any living North America predator including coyotes, wolves, and pumas. One explanation to their superior speed is that such acceleration was needed against the threat of previous North American cheetah species, which likely hunted them in the past.
Two extinct cheetah-like cats are known to have existed in North America — Miracinonyx inexpectata and M. trumani. Based on a nearly complete skeleton found at Hamilton Cave, West Virginia, M. inexpectata was larger than A. jubatus and had fully retractable claws. Based on hundreds of bones found at Natural Trap Cave in Wyoming, M. trumani was larger but similar to A. jubatus.
The oldest cheetah fossils, found in eastern and southern Africa, are approximately 3.5 to 3 million years old. Early fossils of A. jubatus were discovered in Northern Tanzania, Africa. A. jubatus is believed to have existed 3 million years ago, roughly the same time as the now extinct Acinonyx pardinensis, an Eurasian cheetah species that was approximately the same size as today's lion species (Panthera leo)
Diet
Gazelles (especially Gazella thompsonii), impalas (Aepyceros melampus), other small- to medium-sized ungulates, plus calves of larger ungulate species are the primary diet of cheetahs. In addition, hares (Lepus spp.), small mammals, and birds may also be taken.
Hunting
"Fast twitch" muscle fibers provide power over endurance, and cheetahs have up to a 20% higher concentration of these specialized fibers compared to other fast moving animals like greyhounds and horses. "Fast twitch" muscle fibers are efficient for only a few minutes during times when the supply of oxygen is reduced through anaerobic respiration.
To capture prey, cheetahs are capable of accelerating from 0 to 80 km/h (50 mph) in just three strides, with a maximum speed of 110 km/h (68.35 mph) in a few seconds. However, cheetahs have little endurance so the pursuit of prey must be well timed out.
Unlike most other cats, cheetahs do not ambush their prey or attack within springing distance. Prey may be spotted within seconds or stalked for hours. When the cheetah is within 70 to 100 m (230 to 330 ft.), the chase begins. A chase lasts perhaps 20 seconds, with few pursuits exceeding one minute. The distance covered averages 170 m (550 ft.), but some may continue pursuit for about 500 m (1,640 ft.). Rarely will a cheetah attempt an attack if more than 200 m (650 ft.) away from prey.
During a fast sprint all four paws of a cheetah do not touch the ground when the legs are fully contracted under the body and as the legs become fully extended. A single stride may cover 7 m (23 ft.) — the same distance as a much larger race horse in full stride. At near maximum acceleration, a cheetah runs about one stride per 0.28 seconds or 3.5 strides per second.
Cheetahs have a curved dewclaw on their forelegs. While in pursuit, as a cheetah nears its target it will swat at and trip the prey animal with its dewclaw.
Most pursuits end in failure. However, if the cheetah makes contact it knocks down its prey and drives its small upper canine teeth into the throat to strangle/suffocate the animal to death.
Compared to other large carnivores in their area, cheetahs tend to rest through the heat of the day, concentrating their hunts later in the morning and early afternoon. This strategy may limit competition and confrontations between cheetahs and other large predators like lions and hyenas.
A cheetah may attempt to first drag a kill to a hiding spot before eating. Cheetahs rarely scavenge remains they did not kill themselves, unlike other African predators. Lions, hyenas, and even vultures will drive a cheetah away from its kill, so a cheetah must often eat quickly or flee to avoid confrontations.
Lone adults may hunt every two to five days, compared to a female with cubs that may make a kill daily. An adult cheetah eats about 6.2 lb. (2.8 kg) of meat per day. Cheetahs rarely drink — seldom do they drink more than once every four days and sometimes only once every 10 days.
It given the speed so as to help other animal like hyena to which they cant run even to 50km/hr
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