cheetah
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Cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus ) |
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The cheetah [ ˈgeːpart / geˈpart ] ( Acinonyx jubatus ) is a predator that is found mainly in Africa and belongs to the cat family. The cheetahs, which are highly specialized in their hunting behavior, are the fastest land animals in the world. Associated with this, there are clear differences in shape and body structure to other cat species, which is why the cheetah has traditionally been given a special position in the relationship. Genetic studies have shown, however, that this development is not justified; the cheetah's closest relatives are American cats ( pumas ).
The word cheetah comes from the French guépard from the Italian gattopardo , which is made up of gatto for “cat” and pardo for “panther”. The generic name Acinonyx in turn consists of the Greek words ἀκίνητος akínetos "immobile" and ὄνυξ ónyx "claw".
features
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The cheetah's fur has a golden yellow base color, with the belly side usually being significantly lighter. It is covered with black spots that are significantly smaller than those of a leopard and do not form rosettes . The face is darker and unspotted, but has two black stripes that run from the eyes to the corners of the mouth ( tear streaks ).
In terms of spotting, the cheetah resembles the leopard, but its shape differs considerably from it as well as from all other cats. Cheetahs have extremely long, thin legs and a very slim body that is very similar to that of a greyhound . The head is small and round, the tail long. The paws have thick, scaly soles; the claws are only partially retractable (hence the generic name). The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world because of its physique. It reaches speeds of up to 93 km / h, but can only maintain this high speed for about one to two seconds. The average top speed of the cheetah when sprinting is 53.11 km / h, significantly less than the highest measured so far, which is explained by maintaining the highest possible maneuverability. The cheetah's anatomy is also geared towards speed in other areas: its nasal passages are considerably widened so that little space remains for the teeth, which are much smaller than other cats and are therefore a relatively weak weapon. The lungs, bronchi and adrenal glands are also proportionally enlarged.
A cheetah reaches a head-trunk length of 150 cm, with a tail of 70 cm. The shoulder height is 80 cm. Despite this impressive size, it only weighs 60 kg.
According to recent studies, there are only two subspecies or even only two populations, namely the African and the Asiatic cheetah. At the same time, a conspicuously low genetic variability was found with inbreeding rates that almost correspond to those of laboratory mice; consequently it was suggested that the cheetahs could also be susceptible to disease and environmental changes. However, it is not yet clear whether this genetic uniformity in the wild is a major disadvantage for the animals.
It is largely certain that one can transfer tissue between cheetahs without a rejection reaction - something that was otherwise only considered possible with genetic identity (→ identical twins ). Genetic and immunological investigations made it possible to determine that today's cheetahs in South and East Africa probably all descended from a very small parent group (→ genetic bottleneck ) that lived around 10,000 years ago. It was then that the American cheetah became extinct , and the common cheetah apparently only narrowly escaped that fate. It then spread again in the savannas of Africa and Asia (→ purging ) and was therefore able to survive into our time. This study is highly regarded in specialist circles and is now used as a classic example in population genetics .
Distribution area and habitat
The cheetah was once spread over almost all of Africa with the exception of the central African forest areas; In addition, the Middle East , the Indian peninsula and parts of Central Asia were settled. Today it can only be found in sub-Saharan Africa. In Asia there are tiny remnants that are on the verge of extinction (see subspecies ).
Cheetahs are pure savannah and steppe animals . They prefer areas with tall grass and hills for cover as lookout points. Too many trees and bushes make a landscape unsuitable for cheetahs because they cannot use their speed there. In semi-deserts, on the other hand, cheetahs get along well if they can find enough prey.
Current population size and protection status
It is estimated that around 7500 cheetahs still live in the wild in 25 African countries, with the largest subpopulation of 3500 individuals in southern Africa ( Namibia , Botswana , South Africa ). Another estimated 60 to 100 animals live in Iran (see subspecies ). Most are not in protected areas , which often leads to conflicts with ranchers. The species is listed as "endangered" on the IUCN red list , with the African subspecies as "endangered" to "critically endangered" and the Asian subspecies as "critically endangered". Breeding programs in zoos and the use of artificial insemination are successful. However, mortality is high. In 2015, 216 cheetahs were born. Of these, 67 died before they were 6 months old (international cheetah studbook).
Subspecies
Up to now, five subspecies of the cheetah were usually distinguished; of these, four live in Africa and one in Asia. All subspecies must be classified as endangered; two are even considered critically endangered.
- Asiatic cheetah ( A. j. Venaticus ): Once spread from North Africa north of the Sahara across Central Asia to India; today only in Iran. According to an estimate by the Iranian Environmental Protection Agency, there are around 60 to 100 animals in northern Iran , mainly in the Kawir National Park , the Touran National Park , the Naybandan Game Reserve and two other reserves around the Dascht-e Kawir desert . To improve the protection of the critically endangered subspecies, some animals have been fitted with GPS collars.
- North- west African cheetah ( A. j. Hecki ): This subspecies usually includes all cheetahs in north-west Africa, but sometimes only the West African occurrences south of the Sahara. The subspecies is characterized by a particularly pale coat, but has the typical eye stripes. The total population should be less than 250 animals. Secure deposits only exist in the states of Algeria , Niger , Benin and Burkina Faso . In Algeria there are only a few animals left in the Central Sahara in the area of the national parks Ahaggar and Tassili n'Ajjer . Rough estimates assume 20 to 40 animals in this area. In Niger there are still over 50 cheetahs in the area of the Aïr and Ténéré nature reserve . Adult and young cheetahs have been observed regularly in the reserve in recent years. A little south of it, around the Termite massif , there is still a shrinking population of around 30–40 animals. Outside the Sahara, there is another important occurrence in Niger in the area of the W National Park . It is assumed that there are at least 15-25 animals in this area, and the trend is rising. Another 5–20 specimens are likely to live in the neighboring Pendjari National Park in Benin. Few of them live in this region on the territory of the neighboring state of Burkina Faso.
- Northeast African cheetah ( A. j. Soemmeringii ): Northeast Africa, between Lake Chad and Somalia . Pale colored. In Egypt, the subspecies appears to be on the verge of extinction.
- East African Cheetah ( A. j. Fearsoni ): Eastern Africa. In addition to southern Africa, this area is a major population focus. Eastern Africa (Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania) has around 2,500 adult cheetahs. The main reserve complex in this area is in the Serengeti ecosystem.
- South African cheetah ( A. j. Jubatus ): Southern Africa, which is the stronghold of today's cheetah population. A total of around 4,500 adult animals live in southern Africa. There are several protected areas that are home to large populations, including the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park , Chobe , Nxai-Pan , the reserves in the Okavango Delta , Etosha, and Liuwa-Plain . A large part of the population lives, however, similar to East Africa, outside of protected areas on farmland.
According to genetic analysis, the South African and East African cheetahs are closely related and almost identical. The other subspecies have not yet been examined in this regard: That is why the Cat Specialist Group of the IUCN only recognizes four subspecies in its revision of the cat systematics published in 2017 and synonymizes A. j. fearsoni with A. j. jubatus .
Another subspecies of the cheetah has long been the king cheetah - an animal whose existence was questioned until 1975. The spots are fused to form longitudinal stripes. It has now been established that this is not a subspecies ( A. j. Rex ), but a rare mutation that is inherited via a recessive gene . Normally spotted cheetahs can be in one litter together with king cheetahs. King cheetahs are common across Africa, and while they are still extremely rare, their numbers seem to have increased steadily over the past few decades. Biologists are watching this development with interest, as it points to increasing genetic diversity in cheetahs. The Wuppertal Zoo was home to the female Helen (also called Marula ), the first specimen of a king cheetah that was born in Europe. Helen was bred by the Nuremberg Zoo and died in spring 2010 of kidney failure .
External system
Since the cheetah differs morphologically and anatomically very strongly from other cats, it was customary to place it in its own subfamily Acinonychinae and not to assign it to either large or small cats. One saw in him a special development of the cats, which he had reproduced in a convergent evolution to the dogs. However, like all small cats, cheetahs cannot roar; on the contrary, their very quiet sounds are very reminiscent of the utterances of domestic cats. Likewise, like all small cats, cheetahs can purr when they inhale and exhale, which large cats cannot.
New genetic studies have now led to the realization that the cheetah is not that far removed from the other cats and that its closest living relatives are almost certainly the puma and the jaguarundi .
The American cheetah ( Miracinonyx ) of the Pleistocene was thought to be a close relative of the modern cheetah until recently. In fact, it looks very similar to this morphologically. However, it seems to have been a sister species of the puma , which developed convergent to the African-Asian cheetah due to similar ecological conditions .
The oldest remains of the modern cheetah ( A. jubatus ) come from Africa, but a little later the species also appeared in Eurasia. The European cheetah species Acinonyx pardinensis from the Pleistocene was considerably larger than today's cheetahs. The last finds of this kind are 500,000 years old and come from the Mosbach-Sands near Wiesbaden.
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Relationships of cats according to O'Brien & Johnson 2008.
Way of life
Social behavior
Cheetahs are diurnal animals. As a result, they largely avoid encounters with the more nocturnal lions , leopards , spotted hyenas , striped hyenas and saddleback hyenas , which cheetahs can easily dispute their prey and also represent a great danger for the offspring. They are more sociable than most other cats. The females mostly live alone - with the exception of the time when they lead young. Males, on the other hand, form associations in which they (mostly littermates) live in twos or threes. There are rarely larger groups of cheetahs of up to 15 individuals. Males and females only come together to mate and then separate again. The area is delimited by urine markings.
Reproduction
A cheetah is sexually mature around the age of three. The gestation period is about 95 days, a litter usually consists of one to five young. But there are also litters with up to eight young animals. The female gives birth to them in a burrow where they stay for about eight weeks. This is necessary because cheetahs do not have the physical prerequisites to successfully defend their offspring against the stronger big cats - lions and leopards - or hyenas. The young have long silvery hair on their backs, which is probably used as a camouflage and which they quickly lose after about three months. Despite these natural safeguards, mortality is high during the first year of life; mostly they fall prey to predators. If they have survived the first critical phase, they can reach an age of 15 years.
Food and hunting
The range of prey for a cheetah is usually not that wide. Its preferred prey are smaller ungulates such as gazelles and goats . In East Africa, cheetahs feed almost exclusively on Thomson's gazelles , Grant's gazelles, and impalas . These antelopes are light and much easier to overpower than full-grown zebras or wildebeests, which are almost invincible to a cheetah. However, the young of both species are occasionally overwhelmed by cheetahs hunting in the group. Usually, however, the fast hunters stick to prey under 60 kg body weight. In times of need, a cheetah also hunts hares, rabbits and birds.
When hunting, cheetahs usually first stalk their prey at a promising distance. Sometimes they then step out at a relaxed trot in order to clarify in this phase based on their behavior which individual should be the prey. Then the attack takes place at a speed of about 60 km / h. The information on the maximum speed varies even with scientific sources and ranges from 93 km / h to 102 km / h. The cheetah slows down a little near the prey in order to be able to react better to any hooking. Whether successful or not, the hunt is over after a few hundred meters or an average of 38 seconds. Thus, the cheetah - like the lion - covers unusually long distances among cats, but within the forms of chase it is still the counter-model to the persistent approach z. B. of wolves and hyenas. Upon reaching it, the cheetah tries to stumble and knock down the prey, usually with a blow of the paw. Then he presses his throat shut with his teeth. So it does not bite the neck or cervical vertebrae to kill its prey, but suffocates it. Its success rate of 50 to 70% is not surpassed by any other predator hunting alone, only by those who hunt in packs. The cheetah then has to recover from the exertion for a while before it can eat. During this time it can lose its prey to the stronger predators spotted hyena, lion or leopard; he himself is then in a certain danger.
Cultural history
Humans knew very early how to train cheetahs and make them usable as hunting companions . That is why he was trained for the hunt, and he received his synonymously used name "hunting leopard". In Mesopotamia as well as in ancient Egypt , cheetahs have been used in this way since the third millennium BC. In medieval Europe hunting with cheetahs was a luxury that could only be afforded at royal courts. Since this cat did not reproduce in captivity, one always had to catch new cheetahs. Cheetahs are popular luxury pets in the Gulf States, although they are not suitable as pets. Their decimation also contributed to the fact that they were killed for their fur.
literature
- Matto Barfuss : Living with Cheetahs. Naturbuch Verlag, Augsburg 1998, Goldmann, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-442-15311-5 .
- Fritz Pölking , Norbert Rosing : Cheetahs. The fastest cats in the world. Tecklenborg, Steinfurt 1993, ISBN 3-924044-11-2 .
- P. Leyhausen: Cats. In: Grzimek's encyclopedia. Volume 3: Rodents, Predators. Brockhaus - The library. Brockhaus Verlag, Leipzig / Mannheim 1997, ISBN 3-7653-6111-9 .
- R. Conniff: Cheetahs - The ghosts of the savannah. In: National Geographic . German edition. December 1999, p. 10. ISSN 0027-9358
- Luke Hunter, D. Hamman: Cheetah. Struik Publishers, Cape Town 2003, ISBN 1-86872-719-X .
- Gus Mills, M. Harvey: African Predators. Struik Publishers, Cape Town 2001, ISBN 1-86872-569-3 .
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Volume 1, Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 , p. 834.
- Richard D. Estes: The behavior guide to African mammals. Chapter 21. Univ. of Calif. Press, Berkeley 1991, ISBN 0-520-05831-3 , p. 377.
- Reinhard Künkel: Cheetahs: I called them Tanu, Tatu and Tissa. In: Geo-Magazin. Hamburg 5/1978, pp. 60-78. ("For one month Reinhard Künkel lived and hunted in the Serengeti with the fastest land animals on earth."). ISSN 0342-8311
Web links
- www.catsg.org: Species profile cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus ) ; IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group (English)
- www.catsg.org: Species profile of the Asian cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus venaticus ) ; IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group (English)
- Website exclusively about cheetahs on Gepardenland.de
- Acinonyx jubatus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Cat Specialist Group, 2002. Retrieved on 11 May, 2006.
- Asiatic cheetah transmitter marker in Iran (with photo)
- High-speed video recordings of National Geographic
Individual evidence
- ↑ Etymological Dictionary of German by Wolfgang Pfeifer - Lemma Gepard. Last accessed April 19, 2020.
- ^ A b Locomotion dynamics of hunting in wild cheetahs in nature from June 12, 2013
- ↑ Collars Reveal Just How Extreme Cheetahs Can Be from National Geographic, June 12, 2013
- ↑ M. Menotti-Raymond, SJ O'Brien: Dating the genetic bottleneck of the African cheetah. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 90 (8), 1993, pp. 3172-3176.
- ↑ Model calculation of the genetic drift
- ^ Weise FJ, Vijay V, Jacobson AP, Schoonover RF, Groom RJ, Horgan J, Keeping D, Klein R, Marnewick K, Maude G, Melzheimer J, Mills G, van der Merwe V, van der Meer E, van Vuuren RJ , Wachter B, Pimm SL .: The Distribution and Numbers of Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) in Southern Africa . 2017. doi : 10.7717 / peerj.4096 .
- ↑ Wildlife Conservation Society : Rare Cheetahs Get Big-Cat Bling ( Memento of March 17, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Acinonyx jubatus ssp. hecki in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2012. Posted by: Belbachir, F., 2008. Accessed October 10, 2012th
- ^ A b M. E. Sunquist, FC Sunquist: Family Felidae (Cats). In: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 1: Carnivores. Lynx Edicions, 2009, ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1 , p. 155 f.
- ↑ a b c d Acinonyx jubatus in the Red List of Endangered Species of the IUCN 2012. Posted by: Durant, S., Marker, L., Purchase, N., Belbachir, F., Hunter, L., Packer, C., Breitenmoser-Wursten, C., Sogbohossou, E. & Bauer, H., 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
- ↑ AC Kitchener, C. Breitenmoser-Würsten, E. Eizirik, A. Gentry, L. Werdelin, A. Wilting, N. Yamaguchi, AV Abramov, P. Christiansen, C. Driscoll, JW Duckworth, W. Johnson, S. -J. Luo, E. Meijaard, P. O'Donoghue, J. Sanderson, K. Seymour, M. Bruford, C. Groves, M. Hoffmann, K. Nowell, Z. Timmons, S. Tobe: A revised taxonomy of the Felidae . The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group. In: Cat News. Special Issue 11, 2017, pp. 30–31.
- ↑ Ross Barnett, Ian Barnes, Matthew J. Phillips, Larry D. Martin, C. Richard Harington, Jennifer A. Leonard, Alan Cooper: Evolution of the extinct Sabretooths and the American cheetah-like cat. In: Current biology. 2005, Vol. 15 (15), pp. R589-R590. (PDF)
- ↑ Stephen J. O'Brien, Warren E. Johnson: The New Pedigree of Cats. In: Spectrum of Science. 6/2008, pp. 54-61.
- ↑ world-of-cats
- ↑ http://www.gepardenland.de/jagd3.htm
- ↑ Cheetah: Speed isn't everything. Article on Wissenschaft.de from September 4, 2013.
- ↑ D. Scantlebury et al: Mammalian energetics. Flexible energetics of cheetah hunting strategies provide resistance to kleptoparasitism. In: Science. B. 346, 2014, p. 79.
