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30 Cheetah Stats

The Greatest Cheetah Stats.

In Africa cheetahs live in Morocco, Algeria, Niger, Mali, Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, ESwatini, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

Read on for some valuable cheetah facts so you are knowledgeable about African cheetahs.

The largest land areas cheetahs live in are the Southern African countries of Namibia and Botswana. Their range occurs widely but is extremely sparse and fragmented in the regions they still inhabit. However, Southern and Eastern Africa are major roaming areas for cheetah populations. As human populations grow and expand throughout Africa, agriculture, roads, and settlements destroy the open grasslands that cheetahs inhabit.

The Southern African cheetah lives mainly in the lowland areas and deserts of the Kalahari, the savannahs of Okavango Delta, and the grasslands of the Transvaal region in South Africa. The Southeast African cheetah is currently the most common subspecies and was widespread everywhere in southern to central Africa, ranging from South Africa to the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo Katanga Province and southern Tanzania. Total cheetah populations in Africa are estimated around 6,670. Illegal trade is threatening wild populations of cheetahs. Live cheetahs are caught and traded illegally to the pet trade and are hunted for their skin.

During the 1970s, 9,500 cheetahs were killed on Namibian beef farming farmlands. Large areas of Namibia are covered by farmland, because of this conflict with farmers and cheetahs occur when cheetahs perceive to hunt beef livestock. Cheetahs hunt all their prey by themselves and can become easy targets. Namibia hosts the largest population of cheetahs worldwide but farmers who perceive cheetahs as a threat to their animals threaten this population.

There are five subspecies of cheetahs, four live in Africa. The Tanzanian cheetah, also known as the Kenyan cheetah or the East African cheetah Acinonyx jubatus raineyi is native to East Africa. This cheetah subspecies inhabits the savannahs and grasslands of Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, and Kenya. The Sudan cheetah, also known as the Somali cheetah, Central African cheetah or Northeast African cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii lives in the savannahs, grasslands, deserts, and arid areas of Central and Northeast Africa.

The South African cheetah or the Namibian cheetah Acinonyx jubatus jubatus is the most numerous subspecies of the cheetah. The cheetah can be found in the savannahs of the Okavango Delta, grasslands of the Transvaal, farmlands of Namibia, and the arid areas of the Kalahari. 

The Northwest African cheetah, also known as the Saharan cheetah or the Senegal cheetah Acinonyx jubatus hecki, is native to Northwest Africa. It is one of the most threatened subspecies of the cheetah and is classified as critically endangered. All cheetahs bear distinctive tear marks particularly thicker at the corners of the mouth.

Cheetahs usually prey on small antelopes such as Thomson's gazelles and impalas, but they also hunt small mammals and birds.
Hungry Cheetah

Here are 30 of the best random facts about African cheetahs. Read on for some valuable cheetah facts so you are knowledgeable about African cheetahs.

Best cheetah fact ever, for more than half of every stride, the cheetah is airborne.

30 Cheetah Stats

The cheetah scientific name is Acinonyx jubatus.

The cheetah is the fastest land sprinter on earth.

Cheetah's purr just like a domestic cat when content.

Cheetahs have long, slim, muscular legs; a small, rounded head set on a long neck; a flexible spine; a deep chest; special pads on its feet for traction; and a long tail for balance.

Cheetahs are the only cat that cannot retract its claws.

The cheetah's coat is tan with about 2,000 small, round black spots, with fur that is coarse and short.

The cheetah has a small head with high-set eyes.

Black tear marks, which run from the corner of its eyes down the sides of the nose to its mouth, keep the sun out of its eyes and aid in hunting.

The cheetah has an enlarged liver and heart; and wide nostrils and increased lung capacity.

For more than half of every stride, the cheetah is airborne.

The cheetah is found in Africa throughout Benin, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Cheetahs can be found in open plains, woodland, savannah, highlands and arid regions extending to desert fringes.

Females are not territorial but roam over large areas.

Males warn intruders to stay away from their territories by scent marking but sometimes fights occur, resulting in serious injury or death.

The cheetah’s social system of solitary females and social males is unique among cats.

Females raise cubs on their own, teaching them survival skills.

At around 18 months, the mother leaves the cubs, who then form a sibling group, which can stay together for up to 6 months.

By 2 years, the female siblings have left the group to establish their own home ranges, but male siblings often remain together for life.

Coalitions of 2 to 5 brothers and sometimes-unrelated males are formed to better acquire and defend territories.

The cheetah uses a variety of vocalizations include chirping like a bird, stutter calling, moaning in distress and growling, snarling and hissing in anger or fright.

Cheetahs are active in the daytime, hunting in the early morning and late afternoon.

Cheetahs usually prey on small antelopes such as Thomson's gazelles and impalas, but they also hunt small mammals and birds.

Chases last an average of about 20 seconds, and rarely more than 1 minute.

Being sprinters, cheetahs hunting speeds averages 40-75 miles per hour.

Prey is tripped and then suffocated with a clamping bite to the underside of the neck.

Solitary females and males may hunt every 2 to 3 days but females with cubs need to hunt every day.

Of all big African predators, the cheetah is second only to the wild dog in hunting success, with an average success rate of 50%.

The average lifespan of a cheetah is 10-12 years; only around 7,500 wild cheetahs are left in Africa.

Cub mortality is extremely high, they are most vulnerable from 6 weeks to 4 months and in open habitat like the Serengeti plains, less than 5% reach adulthood.

Hunting by lions and hyenas accounts for more than half of cheetah cub deaths.


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