Cheetah - Cat 1 of 3 of the Puma family of cats - Wild Cat Family

Cheetah – Cat 1 of 3 of the Puma family of cats

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Puma Lineage

The first cat in the Puma family of cats we’ll cover is the Cheetah (Acinonyx jubautus).
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) - Puma Lineage

The Cheetah is well known for its ability to chase prey at highs speeds and is classed as the fastest land mammal. Cheetahs are very distinct from other cats and have many unique adaptations. One of these is non-retractable claws that help it grip the ground when running, whereas most other cats have retractable claws.

Unfortunately Cheetah populations have declined drastically in the past hundred years. They now only occur in 10% of their African historic range and in Asia there is a small population of less than a 100 in Iran.

Here are some interesting articles about various fascinating aspects of Cheetahs:

(Images are copyright the original articles)

Rehabilitation Research Returns Orphaned Cheetahs to the Wild

A long-running program in Namibia has shown how orphaned cheetahs can be successfully rewilded, presenting a rehabilitation template for wild-born, captive-bred individuals of other species.

Article: Rehabilitation Research Returns Orphaned Cheetahs to the Wild

Cheetah Research Namibia
A cheetah cub. Thirty-six rescued cheetah orphans went on to be selected for release during the CCF’s rehabilitation project. Image courtesy of the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

A Speedy Trial: What It Takes to Be the Fastest Land Predator

What makes cheetah the fastest land mammal? Why aren’t other animals, such as horses, as fast? While we haven’t yet figured out why, we have some idea about how.

Article: A Speedy Trial: What It Takes to Be the Fastest Land Predator

Cheetah Research - Locomotion
(Left) Flight types involved in cheetah galloping (Right) A simple model for analyzing galloping motion
A team of researchers from Japan devised a simple analytical model emulating vertical hopping and spine bending movement displayed by cheetahs during running and obtained criteria for determining flight types like cheetah galloping
Image courtesy: Tomoya Kamimura from Nagoya Institute of Technology

Cheetahs’ Inner Ear is One-of-a-Kind, Vital to High-Speed Hunting

The cheetah is built for running, with long limbs and powerful muscles that propel it along as it chases down its prey. But a new study has found that the world’s fastest land mammal has another, less obvious adaptation hidden away in its inner ear.

Article: Cheetahs’ Inner Ear is One-of-a-Kind, Vital to High-Speed Hunting

Cheetah Research Anatomy
This illustration shows the evolution of the inner ear through deep time in the cheetah lineage.
© Mélanie Grohé

 

In the next few posts we will cover the other two cats of the Puma Lineage – the Jaguarundi and the Puma/Cougar/Mountain Lion.

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