Cheetah Habitat

Cheetah Habitat is quite varied, as these animals prefer areas providing propitious conditions for hunting. They can live in prairies, semi-deserts, savannahs, grasslands, and even mountain areas. Today, the majority of Cheetah population is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa. In the past, Cheetah populations covered almost the entire African continent and a large part of Asia. Today, scattered surviving groups have been found in Iran, and there have been unconfirmed reports about occasional Cheetah sightings in India.

The Cheetah is a highly unique wild feline species. This is but the only wild cat that can be tamed. Their ability to develop a high speed and their agility made them valuable hunting companions for Ancient Egyptians, Persians and Indians, who lived in Cheetah Habitats. They were also held as pets. Cheetahs are not as aggressive as other wild big cats.

The Cheetah is more vulnerable in the wild than other felines, as their knack for running is their basic adaptation. Cheetahs avoid fighting against even much smaller predators, as even a slight wound can slow a Cheetah down and make him unfit for hunting. Not infrequently, they have to surrender their prey to other wild predators. For this reason, they usually eat their kills right on the spot. Young Cheetahs are extremely exposed, so nearly 90 per cent of the young get killed. Therefore, Cheetah Habitat usually abounds in vegetation, where mothers can hide their cubs.

Cheetahs are very speedy animals. Being carnivores, they hunt everything they can catch in the Cheetah Habitat. They have greyhound-like streamlined bodies and long springy legs. The tail is long and tipped with a bushy tuft. Their large lungs and heart give them sufficient air intake and blood circulation. Cheetahs have relatively small heads. The tail plays the role of a rudder, helping them turn quickly wile running. The tan coat is covered in black spots. The chest and abdomen are white. The tail has black rings. Cheetahs have black “tear marks” – lines running from the corner of the eye and along the side of the nose and down to the mouth.

Cheetahs are more sociable than most other felines. Males live in groups, called “coalitions”, consisting mostly of same-litter species. Therefore, if you have come across a group of Cheetahs when exploring in Cheetah Habitat, these are definitely males and most likely brothers. In some cases, lone males may join coalitions. Males are territorial, and they are cooperative in hunting and defending their territories. Coalitions occupy areas between female’s home ranges. Females are solitary, and they do not permit males to approach their young.

Cheetahs are believed to have originated around 4,000,000 years ago. They used to be common both in Eurasia and the Americas until the last Ice Age. Severe and dramatic climatic changes wiped out Cheetah populations in Americas and Europe. In the beginning of the 20th century there were more than 100,000 wild Cheetahs on the planet. Massive destruction of Cheetah Habitat has caused the Cheetah population to fall dramatically, and today there are no more than 14,000 wild Cheetahs in the world.