Not All Speed: Cheetahs Kill in Prey-Specific 'Deadly Tango' of Agility

A new study of cheetahs has determined that the cat's unrivaled speed it not the only tactical advantage it has while on the hunt: cheetahs also employ a killing technique equivalent to a deadly tango that is specific to the type of prey they are after.

The study, which was published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, was conducted by an international team of researchers who used GPS and accelerometer data loggers to study the big cats.


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Cheetahs

Cheetahs remain to be one of the most popular of the “big cats”, famed for being the fastest land mammal ever known to be.

Pivotal in the plot of the 1989 Disney live action feature entitled Cheetah, the movie looked into the fabled elusive big cat species in a brighter light, depicting how relatively easy they are to domesticate, in contrast to their fellow big cats like the lion, tiger and panther.

The movie tells the tale of how a family took it upon themselves to adopt a cheetah, only to realize that they had domesticated it too much, and that it had to be set free for it to actually learn to survive in the wild. Ironically, the cheetah fell into the hands of poachers, who had intentions of actually introducing the fast cat into a dog race as an added attraction.

Needless to say, the cheetah was rescued by its past owners from the would-be gambling ring lords, ending the movie with an inside look at the threats and dangers cheetahs are faced to deal with on a day to day basis.

As fast as cheetahs are known to be, the movie did feature something about cheetahs which isn’t well known to most – how similar their body physique is with dogs. From the overall shape of a cheetah’s body, to its paws and claws, cheetahs actually bear more physical similarities with dogs, which contributes to their fast running attribute.

The paws of a cheetah are similar with how a dog’s paws are, with their claws not being retractable, with soft pads geared to weather the rigors of fast running. Their body physique is also similar with dogs, lean like that of a Greyhound’s , and generally built for speed.

As the cheetah holds the distinction of being the fastest land mammal, they continue to be legendary among the bigger cats, with their speed being their more notable and more famous attribute.

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Cheetah

The cheetah is one of the big wild cats. The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world, taking only 3 seconds to go from 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometers) per hour.

Even at high speeds, the cheetah is nimble and can make quick and sudden turns in pursuit of prey, using its tail for control.

Cheetahs are known as the most efficient predators in the wild. Cheetah approach prey slowly with its spotted fur camouflaging it among the savannah bushes. When the prey is within range the cheetah will chase and pounce quickly. This animal is quite smart with its ability to detect the weakest animals. The cheetah will need to end his hunt quickly because it is a sprinter, not an endurance runner. But the speed at which the cheetah runs down its prey usually results in the prey tipping over and falling, which leaves its throat vulnerable for the cheetah’s killing bite. Cheetah hunts last usually less than a minute.

Cheetah have a short and coarse yellow fur with round black spots measuring 2-3 cm. The coat is a very effective camouflage when the cheetah is hunting.

Cheetahs have a small head with high eyes. They have a pattern of "black tears" from the inner corner of each eye down the side of the nose to the mouth to keep sunlight out of the eyes and to assist in hunting and seeing long distances.

Cheetah females usually have a litter of three kittens and live with them for one and a half to two years. Young ones spend the first year learning from their mothers and practicing the techniques of hunting through playing games. Male cheetahs live alone or in small groups, often with their littermates.

Most wild cheetahs are found in Eastern and Southwestern Africa. Perhaps only 7,000 to 10,000 of these big cats remain, and those are under pressure as the wide-open grasslands they favor are disappearing at the hands of human settlers.

Cheetah Family

Cheetah Face

Cheetah Running High Speed

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Cheetah The Wild Animal

The Big Cat Cheetah

Cheetah Picture

Beautiful Cheetah

Cheetah Photo

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Cheetah - A Big Cat?

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Cheetah - A Big Cat?

Cheetah is one of the big cat species. Cheetas are unique and are very intriguing creatures. These felines are famous for their speed—their ability to sprint 120 kilometers per hour makes them the fastest living animals around. 

To put the Cheetah's speed into perspective, it has the capacity to go from 0km to 100km in 3.00 seconds flat. That puts it on the same level as the Noble M600, which ranks 8th on the fastest commercially produced cars (by 0–100 km/h acceleration) in the world per Wikipedia.  

In fact, according to this list, no car ever beat the Cheetah's 0-100 km/h acceleration speed up until 2005 when the Bugatti Veyron was produced. And all that from nature alone. No research and development investments. Just built in outright by virtue of their species. Isn't that amazing of them?

Cheetah

Face of Cheetah

Cheetah Big Cat

Cheetah Cat

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