Asiatic Cheetah
Posted on August 24, 2008 - Filed Under Pets
Asiatic Cheetah is a rare subspecies of Cheetah. It is seen only in Iran.
The fastest land mammal, Asiatic Cheetah, like other subspecies of
this amazing big cat, is built for speed. A long and sleek body is
balanced on slim, athletic legs with semi-retractable claws that enable
the cat to maintain grip on ground in high speed pursuits. Weighing in
the range of eighty to one hundred and fifty pounds, it is between four
to five feet in length with a near two and a half feet tail that acts
as a rudder to stabilize the Cheetah as it makes quick turns in hunts.
Height is about two and a half feet. Fur color is tawny and hair are
short and coarse. Black spots mark the length of the body. Head is
small and eyes are high set. Dark tear like markings that run from the
inside corners of eyes, across the side of nose to mouth are thought to
protect the Cheetah’s eyes from direct impact of sun’s rays as it
chases its prey in bright daylight.
Residing in the barren lands
of Iran, Cheetah is a traditionally a daytime hunter. In Africa this is
an adaptation to avoid conflict with other bigger predators like lions,
hyenas and leopards that are active at night. Little is known about the
behavior and habits of the Asian Cheetah, though it is known to prey
upon gebeer and goitered gazelle, wild goat and urial sheep. Cheetahs
have strong jaws and kill by the throat hold that suffocates the prey
animal. It is estimated that if they come within two hundred yards of
the prey by taking cover from bush and grass, avoiding notice, then
they have a reasonable chance of success in making the kill. Unlike
other big cats, Cheetahs can be tamed and were used for centuries by
maharajahs in India to bring down gazelle, earning the title of
‘hunting leopard’.
Acinonyx Jubatus Venaticus, the Asiatic
Cheetah is currently recorded in desert and semi-arid shrubland in
scattered regions in Iran. Some unconfirmed sightings have been made in
the past in the Balochistan province of Pakistan , however there is no
evidence to back them up. Cheetahs are to an extent migratory cats and
often move around in search for prey. This is particularly true in case
of females who don’t hold as strongly to a territory as males.
Not
much is known about the reproductive profile of Asiatic Cheetah. Mid
winter is believed to be the peak breeding season for the cats even
though they have been documented to mate year round. Litter size is
reported to be between one to four cubs with two being the average.
Independence is probably reached at eighteen months. Lifespan is up to
twelve to fourteen years.
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