Cheetahs
Cheetahs
Cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus): Cheetahs are native mostly to Eastern and Southern Africa as well as a small territory in South West Asia. The body of an adult cheetah is about 1.1 to 1.6 meters. Of comparable length to the leopard, the cheetah is much taller with its long, thing legs. They have speckled coats of varied colour, from yellowish greys and browns to richer golden tones. They have rounded faces with dark tear-marks under their eyes.
The most impressive characteristic of the cheetah is its speed. Clocked as the fastest land animal alive, it can achieve speeds of ~105 km/h (~60 mph) and greater. Along with these records of speeds are noted feats of jumping. In one case, a cheetah was seen leaping a 25 yard gorge while in pursuit of a deer which made the same jump while fleeing. Perhaps exagerated, this report shows the cheetah's desire (and need) to make a speedy kill. While this burst of speed allows them to be faster than their prey, they cannot keep it up for long.
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#12: Mother and cub on rock: Large - 337K or Small - 199K #13: Cheetahs frolicking - 273K #14: Sunning its tummy - 24K #15: KyOOte cub - 26K #16: 4 lovely cheetahs - 56K #17: Grooming - 84K #18: Walking the plains - 55K #19: 2 kitties in the shade Large - 365K or Small - 365K #20: 3 cheetahs - 162K #21: Mother and cubs - 202K |
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King Cheetah: (once Acinonyx rex)
Once thought to be a specific species of great cat, it has determined that the king cheetah is the result of merely a genetic variation on the regular cheetah markings resulting from an uncommon recessive gene. They typically have oranger coats and larger spots which tend to merge into stripes along the back.
#1: 3/4 view - 229K
#2: King with two cheetahs - 318K
#3: Side view - 274K
Once, a lazy hunter watched in envy as a mother cheetah hunted a
gazelle with the speed of an arrow. He watched her drag the prey
back to her two cubs waiting in the bushes. And as he watched, he
hatched a wicked plan. As soon as the mother left to hunt the next
day, he snatched both cubs from their hiding place and ran with
them into the forest. He would train them to hunt for him. When
the mother returned to find her babies gone, she began to cry.
She wept all night and the next day. She wept so long that her tears
made dark stains down her cheeks. An old hunter passing by heard
her. When he learned the reason for her grief, he gathered the
village elders and together they searched for the cubs. The cubs
were returned and the greedy young man was driven from his village.
But those two dark tracks of tears remained on the cheetah's face
and whenever hunters see them, they are reminded that men must only
hunt in the honorable way of the tribe.
Last Updated: May 16th, 1999Tracks of Tears: A Zulu Folktale
fast, ain't it?
Email: Marlos Rawlings
#39: Cubs: 
