Cheetahs
David Shepherd
CBE OBE FRSA FGRA
"Cheetah"
Signed, limited edition
Date of publication 1989
Image Size 9.5" x 16"
Mint condition in portfolio
The cheetah is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran.
It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at 80 to 128 km/h with the fastest reliably recorded speeds
being 93 and 98 km/h, and as such has several adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail.
Cheetahs Are the World's Fastest Land Mammal. ...
They're Built for Speed. ...
Cheetahs Don't Roar, They Meow and Purr...
They're Racing Toward Extinction. ...
Their Eyes Help Them Hunt...
They Have Natural Camouflage...
Their Social Life Is a Mixed Bag..
While females lead a nomadic life searching for prey in large home ranges, males are more sedentary and may instead establish much smaller territories in areas with plentiful prey and access to females.
The cheetah is active mainly during the day, with peaks during dawn and dusk.
It feeds on small- to medium-sized prey, mostly weighing under 40 kg (88 lb), and prefers medium-sized ungulates such as impala, springbok and Thomson's gazelles.
The cheetah typically stalks its prey to within 60–70 m (200–230 ft), charges towards it, trips it during the chase and bites its throat to suffocate it to death.
It breeds throughout the year. After a gestation of nearly three months, a litter of typically three or four cubs is born.
Cheetah cubs are highly vulnerable to predation by other large carnivores such as hyenas and lions. They are weaned at around four months and are independent by around 20 months of age.