cheetahs - physical characteristics
The cheetah's chest is deep and its waist is narrow. The coarse, short fur of the cheetah is tan with round black spots measuring
from 2 to 3 cm (0.79 to 1.2 in) across, affording it some camouflage while hunting. There are no spots on its white underside, but the
tail has spots, which merge to form four to six dark rings at the end. The tail usually ends in a bushy white tuft. The cheetah has a
small head with high-set eyes. Black "tear marks" run from the corner of its eyes down the sides of the nose to its mouth to keep sunlight
out of its eyes and to aid in hunting and seeing long distances. Although it can reach high speeds, its body cannot stand long distance
running. It is a sprinter.
The adult cheetah weighs from 40 to 65 kg (88 to 140 lb). Its total body length is from 115 to 135 cm (45 to 53 in), while the tail can
measure up to 84 cm (33 in) in length. Males tend to be slightly larger than females and have slightly bigger heads, but there is not a
great variation in cheetah sizes and it is difficult to tell males and females apart by appearance alone. Compared to a similarly-sized
leopard, the cheetah is generally shorter-bodied, but is longer tailed and taller (it averages about 90 cm (35 in) tall) and so it appears
more streamlined.
The cheetah's paws have semi-retractable claws (known only in three other cat species - the Fishing Cat, the Flat-headed Cat and the
Iriomote Cat) offering extra grip in its high-speed pursuits. The ligament structure of the cheetah's claws is the same as those of
other cats; it simply lacks the sheath of skin and fur present in other varieties, and therefore the claws are always visible, with
the exception of the dewclaw. The dewclaw itself is much shorter and straighter than other cats.
Adaptations that enable the cheetah to run as fast as it does include large nostrils that allow for increased oxygen intake, and an
enlarged heart and lungs that work together to circulate oxygen efficiently. During a typical chase its respiratory rate increases
from 60 to 150 breaths per minute. While running, in addition to having good traction due to its semi-retractable claws, the cheetah
uses its tail as a rudder-like means of steering to allow it to make sharp turns, necessary to outflank prey who often make such turns to escape.
king cheetah
Some cheetahs also have a rare fur pattern mutation: cheetahs with larger, blotchy, merged spots are known as 'king cheetahs'.
It was once thought to be a separate subspecies, but it is merely a mutation of the African cheetah. The 'king cheetah' has only
been seen in the wild a handful of times, but it has been bred in captivity.
The king cheetah is a rare mutation of cheetah characterized by a distinct pelt pattern. It was first noted in Zimbabwe in 1926.
In 1927, the naturalist Reginald Innes Pocock declared it a separate species, but reversed this decision in 1939 due to lack of
evidence, but in 1928, a skin purchased by Walter Rothschild was found to be intermediate in pattern between the king cheetah and
spotted cheetah and Abel Chapman considered it to be a color form of the spotted cheetah. Twenty-two such skins were found between
1926 and 1974. Since 1927, the king cheetah was reported five more times in the wild. Although strangely marked skins had come
from Africa, a live king cheetah was not photographed until 1974 in South Africa's Kruger National Park. Cryptozoologists Paul
and Lena Bottriell photographed one during an expedition in 1975. They also managed to obtain stuffed specimens. It appeared larger
than a spotted cheetah and its fur had a different texture. There was another wild sighting in 1986 - the first in seven years. By
1987, thirty-eight specimens had been recorded, many from pelts.
Its species status was resolved in 1981 when king cheetahs were born at the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre in South Africa.
In May 1981, two spotted sisters gave birth there and each litter contained one king cheetah. The sisters had both mated with a
wild-caught male from the Transvaal area (where king cheetahs had been recorded). Further king cheetahs were later born at the
Centre. It has been known to exist in Zimbabwe, Botswana and in the northern part of South Africa's Transvaal province. A recessive
gene must be inherited from both parents in order for this pattern to appear- which is one reason why it is so rare.
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