Shadow of ancestors, or paleontology of cheetahs. The shadow of ancestors, or paleontology of cheetahs Natural enemies of the cheetah

The giant cheetah (Acinonyx pardinensis) was distributed in Europe and Asia from the Villafranchian (Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene) to the Late Pleistocene. Outwardly, he was very similar to a cheetah. modern type(Acinonyx jubatus), but differed from it, among other things, in a much larger size. Sometimes the giant cheetah is called the European or Eurasian cheetah.

Fossils of giant cheetahs have been found in Germany, France, Georgia (Dmanisi), as well as in China and India. In some regions during the Middle Pleistocene era, giant cheetahs lived side by side with such large felines as cave lions (Panthera (leo) spelaea), European jaguars (Panthera (onca) gombaszoegensis) and leopards (Panthera pardus). The size of the giant cheetah overlapped with that of European jaguars and leopards, which probably caused fierce food competition between these species.

As mentioned above, the giant cheetah was very similar to the modern one, but reached a much larger size. In terms of linear dimensions, these cheetahs were comparable to small lions, but they had a typical cheetah physique. The reconstructed height at the shoulder of a giant cheetah was 90 cm. The body length of these predators was about 2 meters, not counting the 140 cm tail. The approximate body weight of a giant cheetah is approximately 100-120 kg. According to other sources - 60-90 kg. The body weight of giant cheetahs from the faunal complex Dmanisi (Georgia), based on the size of the humerus, is estimated at about 100 kg (this is at least 30 kg more than the weight of the largest modern accelerator cheetah).

Giant cheetahs were highly specialized sprinters and apparently could develop very high speed. The body proportions of the giant cheetah were similar to those of its modern relative; he had the same long and dry legs, but his back was relatively somewhat longer. It is difficult to say whether they could run faster than modern cheetahs or were still inferior to them in speed, since the large linear dimensions and longer back of the giant cheetah suggest that its running speed was even faster than that of the modern type cheetah, however, it should be noted that in addition to all this, the body mass of the giant cheetah was much larger than that of the modern one, which could affect the speed of its run. In any case, the giant cheetahs were excellent sprinters, able to overtake any animal of the time and deal with such large prey that their modern relatives could not handle.

Systematics
Squad: Carnivora (predatory)
Suborder: Feliformia (felids)
Superfamily: Feloidea (feline)
Family: Felidae (feline)
Subfamily: Felinae (small cats)
Genus: Acinonyx (cheetahs)
View: Acinonyx pardinensis (giant, European, or Eurasian cheetah)

Illustrations

Reconstruction of the appearance of a giant cheetah (Acinonyx pardinensis).

Giant cheetah (Acinonyx pardinensis) compared to modern cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus.)

Skeletons of a giant cheetah (Acinonyx pardinensis), above, a miracinonyx (Miracinonyx inexpectatus), in the middle, and a cougar (Puma concolor), below.

Skulls without lower jaw of a giant cheetah (Acinonyx pardinensis), on the left, and a modern-type cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), on the right.

Mandibles of a giant cheetah (Acinonyx pardinensis), left, and a modern-type cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), right.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a predatory, most fast mammal from the cat family, and the only modern surviving representative belonging to the genus Acinonyx today. To many wildlife lovers, cheetahs are known as hunting leopards. Such an animal differs from most felines in a sufficient number of external characteristics and morphological features.

Description and appearance

All cheetahs are fairly large and powerful animals with a body length of up to 138-142 cm and a tail length of up to 75 cm.. despite the fact that compared to other cats, the body of the cheetah is characterized as shorter, the weight of an adult and well-developed individual often reaches 63-65 kg. Relatively thin limbs, not only long, but also very strong, with partially retractable claws.

It is interesting! Cheetah kittens can fully retract their claws into their paws, but only under the age of four months. Older individuals of this predator lose such an unusual ability, so their claws are distinguished by immobility.

The long and rather massive tail has uniform pubescence, and in the process of fast running, this part of the body is used by the animal as a kind of balancer. On a relatively small head there is a not very pronounced mane. The body is covered with short and sparse fur of yellowish or yellowish-sandy coloration. In addition to the abdominal part, medium-sized dark spots are quite densely scattered over the entire surface of the cheetah's skin. Also along the nose of the animal there are stripes of black camouflage coloring.

Cheetah subspecies

According to the results of the research, five well-distinguished subspecies of the cheetah are known today. One species inhabits the territory Asian countries, and the remaining four species of cheetah are found only in Africa.

The most interesting is the Asiatic cheetah. About sixty individuals of this subspecies inhabit the sparsely populated regions of Iran. According to some reports, several individuals could also be preserved on the territory of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Two dozen Asiatic cheetahs are kept in captivity in zoos around the world.

Important! The difference between the Asian subspecies and the African cheetah is shorter legs, a rather powerful neck and a thick skin.

No less popular is the king cheetah or rare mutation Rex, the main difference of which is the presence of black stripes along the back and rather large and merging spots on the sides. King cheetahs interbreed with ordinary species, and the unusual color of the animal is due to a recessive gene, so such a predator is very rare.

There are also cheetahs, with very unusual fur coloration. Red cheetahs are known, as well as individuals that have a golden color and pronounced dark red spots. Animals of light yellow and yellowish-brown color with pale reddish spots look very unusual.

extinct species

This large view lived in Europe, and therefore was called the European cheetah. A significant part of the fossil remains of this species of predator was found in France, and date back to two million years. Images of the European cheetah are also present on the rock paintings in the Shuve cave.

European cheetahs were much larger and more powerful than the modern African species. They had well-defined elongated limbs, as well as large fangs. With a body weight of 80-90 kg, the length of the animal reached one and a half meters. It is assumed that a significant body weight was accompanied by a large muscle mass, so the running speed was an order of magnitude higher than in modern species.

Range, habitats of cheetahs

A few centuries ago, cheetahs could be called a thriving species of the cat family. These mammals inhabited almost the entire territory of Africa and Asia.. The subspecies of the African cheetah was distributed from the south of Morocco to the Cape of Good Hope. A significant number of Asiatic cheetahs inhabited India, Pakistan and Iran, united United Arab Emirates and Israel.

A large population could be found on the territory of Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria. This mammal was also found in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Currently, cheetahs are almost on the verge of extinction, so their distribution area has been greatly reduced.

Cheetah food

Cheetahs are natural born predators. In pursuit of its prey, the animal is able to develop speed more than a hundred kilometers per hour. With the help of the tail, cheetahs balance, and the claws give the animal an excellent opportunity to repeat all the movements of the victim as accurately as possible. Having overtaken the prey, the predator makes a strong sweep with its paw and clings to the neck.

The food for the cheetah is most often not too large ungulates, including small antelopes and gazelles. Hares can also become prey, as well as baby warthogs and almost any bird. Unlike most other feline species, the cheetah prefers daytime hunting.

Cheetah lifestyle

Cheetahs are not pack animals, but married couple, consisting of an adult male and a sexually mature female, is formed exclusively during the rut, but then disintegrates very quickly.

The female leads a single image or is engaged in raising offspring. Males also live mostly alone, but can also unite in peculiar coalitions. Intra-group relations are usually equal. Animals purr and lick each other's faces. When meeting adults of different sexes belonging to different groups, cheetahs behave peacefully.

It is interesting! The cheetah belongs to the category of territorial animals and leaves various special marks in the form of excrement or urine.

The size of the hunting territory protected by the female can vary depending on the amount of food and the age of the offspring. Males do not guard one territory for too long. The shelter is chosen by the animal in an open, fairly well-viewed space. As a rule, the most open area is chosen for the lair, but you can find a cheetah shelter under thorny acacia bushes or other vegetation. Life expectancy varies from ten to twenty years.

Reproduction features

To stimulate the ovulation process, the male must chase the female for some time. As a rule, adult sexually mature male cheetahs unite in small groups, which most often consist of brothers. Such groups enter into a struggle not only for the territory for hunting, but also for the females located on it. For six months, a pair of males can hold such a conquered territory. If there are more individuals, then the territory can be protected for a couple of years or more.

After mating, the female is in a state of pregnancy for about three months, after which 2-6 small and completely defenseless kittens are born, which can become very easy prey for any predatory animals, including eagles. The salvation for kittens is a kind of wool coloring, which makes them look like a very dangerous carnivorous predator - honey badger. Cubs are born blind, covered with short yellow hair with abundant small dark spots on the sides and paws. After a couple of months, the coat completely changes, becomes quite short and stiff, acquires a characteristic color for the species.

It is interesting! To find kittens in dense vegetation, the female is guided by the mane and tail brush of small cheetahs. The female feeds her cubs until the age of eight months, but kittens acquire independence only a year or later.

On our planet in different time lived a large number of fauna representatives. However, the populations of many animals began to decline. The main factors of extinction have always been considered those associated with climate. But with the development of man, many animals disappeared forever. In this article we will talk about the disappeared wild cats.

Tasmanian tiger (marsupial tiger, Tasmanian wolf, thylacine)

One of the most mysterious animals that has been exterminated is the Tasmanian tiger.

It got its name in honor of the habitat - Tasmania. Despite the fact that to a large extent its name suggests the relationship of a mammal to the cat family, in fact it is a big misconception. Many researchers even classify the mammal as a subspecies of wild dogs.

The length of an adult individual could reach 1.4 meters without taking into account the tail. The length of the tail could exceed 60 cm. The weight of the animal is 6.35-7.7 kg.

European settlers who arrived on the Australian mainland began a rapid hunt for individuals of this species, arguing that the Tasmanian tigers steal livestock. By the 1920s, the animal population had been reduced so much that scientists had to list the species in the Red Book. Man finally exterminated the Tasmanian tiger in 1936.

Caspian tiger (Persian tiger, Turanian tiger)

A feature of such tigers is long stripes along the body, as well as their brown color. In winter, whiskers appeared in the Caspian tigers, the fur in the abdomen and the entire body became very fluffy and thick.

The mass of the average Caspian tiger was 240 kg.

The Romans used the Caspian tigers in gladiator fights.

The Caspian tiger lived in Central Asia, as well as the territory of the North Caucasus. The rookery of the Caspian tiger could be observed up close in tropical impassable places. But they were all pretty close to the water. In just one day, the Turanian tiger could travel more than 100 km, which indicates the endurance of an extinct animal.

The last mentions and studies related to this representative of the fauna date back to the 50s of the last century. On the territory of Turkmenistan on January 10, 1954, one of the last individuals was seen, which migrated from the northern part of Iran. According to some reports, the last Caspian tiger was shot in the southeastern part of Turkey in 1970.

Javan tiger

It got its name because of the place of its main residence - the island of Java, located in Indonesia.

Adult individuals weighed 75-141 kg, body length is about 2-2.5 meters.

It died out relatively recently - in the 1980s, due to habitat destruction, as well as poaching.

Bali tiger

The habitat is the island of Bali, which is why it was called Balinese.

It is believed that the Ballic and Javan tigers had the same ancestor.

The length of the tiger is 0.93-2.3 meters, excluding the tail, weight 65-100 kg.

Outwardly, this tiger among all subspecies was distinguished by the smallest number of black stripes. There may be dark spots between the stripes.

The tiger is often mentioned in folk stories and in fine arts peoples of Bali.

Bali tigers were destroyed by hunters. The last tiger was killed in 1937.

Pleistocene tiger

The most mysterious feline subspecies, known from fragmentary remains.

He lived in Russia, China and on the island of Java.

It is rather an early version of the modern tiger.

European cheetah (giant cheetah)

Lived on the territory of Eurasia about 500 thousand years ago.

Body length 1.3-1.5 meters excluding tail. Weight 60-90 kg. Height 90-120 cm.

Historians have discovered the remains of this cat in Europe, India and China.

Outwardly, he looked like a modern cheetah. The color of this animal remains a mystery. There are suggestions that the European cheetah had long hair.

The European cheetah most likely died out due to competition with other felids, which left no free niche for this large predator.

Miracinonyx

Possibly a distant relative of the cheetah. Probably the ancestor of the cougar.

He lived about 3 million years ago on the American continent.

Outwardly, it was similar to a modern cheetah, had a shortened skull, with enlarged nasal cavities and high teeth.

It was about the size of a modern cheetah.

Miracinonyx died out 20-10 thousand years ago due to climate change, lack of food and human hunting for it.

European jaguar (Gombastsog panther)

Lived approximately 1.5 million years ago, and is the earliest famous view genus Panthers in Europe.

European jaguars averaged around 120-160 kg. They were larger than modern jaguars.

The European jaguar was most likely a solitary animal. Lived in forests, but could also hunt in open spaces.

Pleistocene jaguar

It is believed to have descended from the giant jaguar. Appeared about 1.6 million years ago.

It was 1 meter high, 1.8-2 meters long, excluding tail, weight 150-190 kg.

Pleistocene jaguars lived in dense jungles, swampy floodplains, or coastal areas of the North and South America.

Extinct 10 thousand years ago.

giant jaguar

Lived in North America 1.6 million years ago.

There were two subspecies of giant jaguars - North American and South American.

The jaguar had long legs and a tail, and was about the size of a modern lion or tiger.

Scientists believe that jaguars lived on open plains, but due to rivalry with lions and other big cats, they were forced to find more wooded areas.

Extinct 10 thousand years ago.

Barbary lion (Atlas lion or Nubian lion)

The mass of an adult is 100-270 kg.

This animal was considered the largest lion subspecies. The Barbarian lion differed from its counterparts in a thick and dark mane, which went far beyond its shoulders and hung down in the lower abdomen.

In the past, it could be found in Africa, in the northern part of the Sahara desert. Europeans brought it to the Roman Empire, where it was used for recreational purposes, namely, fights with the Turanian tiger.

At the beginning of the 17th century, its population declined sharply, as a result of which it was visible only in northwestern Africa. Due to the popular use of firearms against animals, as well as the existence of a targeted policy against the Barbary lion, led to a decrease in numbers in this region. The last individual was killed in 1922 in the Atlas Mountains on the territory of their Moroccan part.

cave lion

2.1 meters long, up to 1.2 meters high.

The Mosbach lion is considered the progenitor of the cave lion.

Lived in northern Eurasia.

The cave lion, despite its name, did not live in the caves, but came there only during periods of illness or old age.

It is believed that cave lions were social animals and lived, like modern lions, in prides.

american lion

He lived about 11 thousand years ago.

The body length is about 2.5 meters, excluding the tail. weighed american lion over 400 kg.

The American lion is descended from the cave lion, whose ancestor is the Mosbach lion. Outwardly, most likely, it looked like a hybrid of a modern lion and a tiger, but, perhaps, without a huge mane.

mosbach lion

Lived about 300 thousand years ago.

The body length of an adult individual reached 2.5 meters, excluding the tail, the lions were about 1.3 meters high. The Mosbach lion weighed up to 450 kg.

It turns out that it was the largest and heaviest subspecies of the lion of all that existed.

From the Mosbach lion came the cave lion.

Xenosmilus

It inhabited the territory of modern North America about 1.8 million years ago.

Xenosmilus weighed up to 350 kg, and the body size was about 2 meters.

Xenosmilus had a powerful physique and short but strong paws, had not very long upper fangs.

Homotherium

Lived in Eurasia, Africa and North America 3-3.5 million years ago.

The ancestor of Homotheria is Machairod.

Growth of Homotherium up to 1.1 meters, weight about 190 kg.

The forelimbs are somewhat longer than the hind limbs, a short tail - Homotherium was more like a hyena than big cat. Homotherians had relatively short upper canine teeth, but were wider and serrated.

Homotheria had a difference from all cats - they saw better during the day, and not at night.

Extinct 10 thousand years ago.

Machairod

Lived in Eurasia, Africa and North America about 15 million years ago.

The name of the genus comes from the similarity of the teeth of its representatives with curved mahair swords. Machairods looked like giant tigers with 35 cm long saber fangs.

This Saber-toothed tiger weighed up to 200 kg and was up to 3 meters long.

They became extinct about 2 million years ago.

Smilodon

He lived in America from 2.5 million to 10 thousand years BC. e.

Smilodon was the largest saber-toothed cat, reaching a height at the withers of 1.25 meters, a length of 2.5 meters including a 30-centimeter tail and weighing from 225 to 400 kg.

He had a stocky physique atypical for modern felines. The coloration of these animals could be uniform, but most likely it was spotted, like a leopard, and the presence of a short mane in males is also possible.

Smilodon fangs were up to 29 centimeters long (including the root), and, despite their fragility, were powerful weapons.

Scientists believe that smilodons were social animals. They lived in groups. Feeding the pride females.

The name "smilodon" means "dagger tooth".

One of the famous cartoon characters Diego from the cartoon " ice Age”is just the smilodon.

Thilacosmil (Saber-toothed tiger)

Lived in South America about 5 million years ago.

It was 0.8-1.8 meters long.

Extinct 2.5 million years ago, probably unable to compete with the first saber-toothed cats, in particular with homoteria.

Outwardly, thilacosmil was a large, powerful stocky predator, with huge fangs. He was missing his upper incisors.

In general, tilacosmil was not a relative of saber-toothed tigers from the cat family, rather just a similar species that lived in the same conditions.

European cheetah

European cheetah(lat. Acinonyx pardinensis) - a large species of extinct cheetah from the Felidae family that lived in Europe. By the beginning of the Late Pliocene, the cheetah had spread widely across Eurasia. In Europe, its earliest finds date back to 3 Ma and are often found in Villafranchian deposits.

Most of the fossil remains found are single. The largest number of remains were found in France, in the Sainte-Vallière Valley - the eastern part of the Rhone Valley, date back to about 2 million years old.

The most recent fossil remains date back to about 500,000 years old and were found in the territory of Mosbach, Germany. Also, the cheetah is present in the cave paintings of the Shuve cave, from France, dated to about 30,000 years old.

Characteristic

The European cheetah was much larger and heavier than the modern African species, reaching the size of a large lion, and was less specialized. However, he already had well-defined main features of specialization: elongated limbs, weak fangs and others. Body length 130-150 cm, tail length 70-95 cm. Weight 60-90 kg. The height at the shoulders was 90-120 cm. The proportions of the body were identical to the African cheetah.

The dental morphology of the European cheetah differs from that of the modern cheetah: eight common features with a cheetah, two with a leopard, five are transitional, and two are indeterminate.

Thanks to the presence powerful fangs, it can be suggested that he successfully hunted not only gazelles, but also heavier and larger prey, such as early horses, hipparions, Procamptoceros, Gallogoral meneghini and steppe deer.

There is also an assumption that a large mass could also mean a large muscle mass, thanks to which he could accelerate even faster when running than a modern African cheetah. Probably his hunting methods resembled those of modern cheetahs.

Literature

• Adapted from Jouranal of Paleontology and The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives, (authors: Mauricio Anton, Alan Turner, and F. Clark. Howell). (Columbia University Press, 2000)
• Kurten B. 1968. The Giant Cheetah, Acinonyx pardinensis. In: Pleistocene Mammals of Europe. Chicago, Illinois: Aldine Publishing Company; p 88-90.

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Read more about the cheetah: ; ; ; ; ;

European (fossil) Cheetah

Approximately three million years ago, another species, a larger species of cheetah, lived in Europe and Asia. This cheetah is considered a separate subspecies - Acinonyx pardinensis. Its latest remains, found on the territory of Mosbach in Germany, date back to about half a million years old. Meanwhile, the cheetah appears in the drawings of the Chouvet cave in France, which date back to about 30 thousand years old, which means that our ancestors could observe a large cheetah or its current relative in Europe. The differences between the two species seem to lie in size, otherwise these cheetahs were most likely identical.

Scientists know quite a few remains of the European cheetah. In many parts of Europe, only single remains of a large cheetah have been found. One important exception to this rule is the Sainte-Vallières valley in the east of the Rhone Valley in France, where the remains of several animals dated to about two million one hundred thousand years old have been found. In principle, the rarity of such finds corresponds to what we know about modern cheetahs as predominantly solitary, with the exception of females with kittens and rare groups that sometimes combine young males.

It was the finds in the Sainte-Valière Valley that allowed scientists to reconstruct an approximate appearance European cheetah. The very elongated limbs of the found remains of the European cheetah showed scientists that Acinonyx pardinensis was the same sprinter as the living cheetah. The skeletal structure of the European cheetah also showed that it was the size of a small lion, but much less in weight.

The European cheetah was about 60-90 kg in weight (40-60 kg weighs a modern one), its height at the withers was about 90 to 120 cm (the modern cheetah has from 60 to 90 cm at the withers), its body length was about 130-150 cm ((112-135 modern), with a tail length of approximately 70 - 95 cm (66-84 modern). The body proportions of the European cheetah were the same as those of its modern relative, which means that he could run with approximately the same speed (and quite possibly faster) as his modern relative, despite its significantly large size and hence weight. However, more weight could mean the presence of more muscle mass, and hence the greater speed developed by the animal. It is not known whether the European cheetah needed more speed or not, but the large proportions of the body apparently were due to living in a colder climate, and allowed the animal to stay warm longer. Therefore, perhaps faster than the modern cheetah was simply a by-product of the evolution of the northern species of cheetah.

The larger size of the animal may have helped it hunt faster and more massive game. Perhaps the need to hunt such faster animals was one of the reasons for the development of greater speed in the European cheetah. The high-speed chase method is generally not suitable for group activities, hence the number of cheetahs living in a particular area was small. In addition, it must be taken into account that the larger European cheetah apparently consumed more food than its modern African counterpart, and, accordingly, it needed more animals to hunt in a larger area.

Perhaps this fact, together with the need of animals for territorial division, largely explains the wide geographic range of distribution of European cheetahs, which arose in the early era of the appearance of cheetahs, and was maintained over a long period of time. The larger size of the European cheetah raises questions about how it hunted. Most likely, his hunting method resembled that of modern cheetahs, with the exception of hunting large animals.

We know that modern cheetahs prey on gazelles, impala gazelles, and young zebras. If we draw logical conclusions from this, then we can assume that the objects of hunting for the European cheetah were larger gazelles, fallow deer, as well as young ancestors of wild horses, and other not very large herbivores. But despite being larger than the modern cheetah, adult horses and large deer were probably not among the animals that the European cheetah hunted, since hunting for them was beyond its power due to their large size.

One of the prey of the European cheetah may have been the antelope-like Procamptoceros, which is the ancestor of modern antelopes, but differed from them. large sizes. The European cheetah was also apparently adapted for hunting in hilly terrain. This is not a strange fact, in some parts of Africa, modern cheetahs hunt in much more hilly areas than one might imagine, in any case, the body structure of the cheetah is similar to the body structure of the snow leopard, the ruler of the mountains.

Cheetah and puma are blood brothers

The cheetah is an animal unique in its structure and behavior, which is quite different from its feline brothers. Most close relative the cheetah, from the felines of our planet, is the American cougar.

Puma is a native inhabitant of America, unknown outside of it. Excavations show that the cougar appeared on the North American continent about half a million years ago. Its earlier history is unknown, but scientists speculate that the cougar was descended from the cheetah-like cat Miracinonyx, whose genes were subsequently passed on to both the cougar and the cheetah.

In this regard, it is interesting to note that recent studies of the bio-molecular structure of the cougar have shown that the only living relative of the cougar is the cheetah. According to scientists, the separation of their species occurred about three and a half million years ago. The habitat of the modern species of cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, previously included a vast territory: Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Now the habitat of the cheetah is concentrated mainly in Africa. The oldest remains of the cheetah in the eastern and South Africa date back to about three to three and a half million years old.

The CHEETAH (Acinonyx jubatus) is a very special adaptive type. This animal is so peculiar that it stands out in a separate subfamily. In appearance and body structure, the cheetah is more like a long-legged dog than a cat, for it is exceptionally well adapted to fast running. This is a rather large animal: the body length is about 130 cm, the tail is 75 cm. Its body, compared to other cats, is shortened, while the legs are very long, thin, slender, and at the same time strong. The claws, which is very characteristic, are non-retractable. The tail is long, thin, evenly pubescent. The head is small. The fur is short, sparse. A small mane is developed. The general tone of the color is yellowish, sandy. Throughout the skin of the cheetah, except for the belly, small dark solid spots are densely scattered. The cheetah belongs to the inhabitants lowland deserts and savannah. In these landscapes, it is common in Africa, Western, Central and Central Asia to the Hindustan, but everywhere it is very rare, occasionally found only in South Turkmenistan. The cheetah goes hunting mainly during the day or at dusk, less often at night, before that, having rested in the den, under a bush or in the grass. He keeps alone or in pairs, except for the time of raising young. The cheetah has sharp eyesight, and from afar he sees the ungulates he hunts. These are gazelles, gazelles and other small antelopes, sometimes argali. It feeds on hares and birds. He first hides the victims, and then pursues, developing tremendous speed at a short distance (up to 500 m) - up to 110 km / h. No wonder the cheetah is the fastest land mammal. Sometimes he watches for prey near waterholes. The gestation period for a cheetah is 84-95 days. Cubs (1-4) are born blind, uniformly colored. Spotted pattern appears later. The timing of breeding is unknown, but in May and September, females with cubs (the size of a domestic cat or somewhat larger) are found in Turkmenistan. In zoos, young cheetahs reach sexual maturity at three years old. Like a rare beast a cheetah commercial value does not have and needs full protection throughout its range. In India and Iran, cheetahs were tamed, trained and used to hunt antelopes. Hunting cheetahs were also known in Kievan Rus. http://www.floranimal.ru/pages/animal/g/142.html