Cheetah
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473 creative works found
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Honey (named after the colour of her eyes) and her three cubs were very obliging to rest on this ridge whilst they scanned the plains for breakfast. Taken in the Masai Mara early one morning about half an hour after sunrise, this is one of my favourite images and I find myself always coming back to it. / / (Masai Mara – Kenya) / / The world’s fastest land animal, the cheetah, is a unique and the most specialized member of the cat family and can reach speeds of 70 mph. Unlike other cats, the cheetah has a leaner body, longer legs, and has been referred to as the greyhound of the cats. It is not an aggressive animal, using flight versus fight. With its weak jaws and small teeth, the price it paid for speed, it cannot fight larger predators to protect its kill or young. The cheetah was once a common animal found on five continents, but is slowly losing its race for survival and is now classed as an Endangered Species! Check out more info here / Cheetah Conservation Fund / / / / / / / / / / / / /
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. / My 2008 Calendar is now on sale – Click Here / . Unlike the other big cats, Cheetah’s cannot roar, but they do purr. Like most of the other animals I have photographed, Cheetah’s are a vulnerable species due to habitat loss and hunting by man. Despite being the oldest of the big cats (appearing millions of years ago) they may be the first to go. Sadly, this photograph may last longer than the species, if we continue to kill them. 50% of my profits from my Cheetah photos will go to the Cheetah Conservation Fund. . / . . / Click to see more of my photographic artwork / Click to visit me! / / . / .
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Cheetah portrait, endangered in the wild, genetically in trouble even if population numbers are bolstered. The fastest animal on dry land, without question, is not going to outrun extinction in the wild without our help! For more information, and learn about the cheetah visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund and Here 100% of proceeds from all sales of this image and the companion t-shirt found “Here” will be donated to the Cheetah Conservation Fund Also, another one of the finest wildlife photographers here at Redbubble is donating proceeds from her cheetah work to the Cheetah Conservation Fund So please be sure to visit Natalie Manuel’s cheetah worke here and here / Thank you for your help in saving this magnificent animal from extinction! Portfolio Areas / Tigers / Wildlife / Macro / Landscape / Birds / Abstracts / Cats~wild and domestic
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WILD & FREE / / These three cubs are keen to be just like mum! / / (Masai Mara – Kenya) / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
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Honey (the cheetah) on a termite mound. / / (Masai Mara – Kenya) / / / >< / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
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Cheetah – original photograph, digitally accented. Taken at the National Zoo, Washington, DC. / / Name: Acinonyx jubatus (Cheetah) Distribution and population / Once found throughout Asia and Africa, the species is now only scattered in Iran and various countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Home ranges in Namibia for males can be up to 1500 square km and for females, 1200-1500 square km. Only 12,500 cheetahs remain in 25 African countries, and 200 cats survive in Iran. Namibia has the world’s largest number of cheetahs, yet over + 3,000 remain the wild. Conservation status / Protected species in Namibia. Endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act. Listed on CITES Appendix I. (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species.) Ecology: habitat and diet / Cheetahs thrive in areas with vast expanses of land where prey is abundant. Cheetahs have been found in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, savannahs, dense vegetation, and mountainous terrain. In Namibia 95 percent of cheetahs live on commercial farms. A cheetah’s diet consists of small antelope, young of large antelope, warthog, hare, and game birds. Physical characteristics / The cheetah has a slender, long-legged body with blunt semi-retractable claws. Its coat is tan with small, round, black spots, and the fur is coarse and short. The cheetah has a small head with high-set eyes. Black “tear marks,” which run from the corner of its eyes down the sides of the nose to its mouth, keep the sun out of its eyes and aid in hunting. Adult body length 112-135 cm;tail length 66-84 cm; shoulder height 73+ cm; weight 34-54 kg. The male is slightly larger then the female. Adaptations and specializations / The cheetah’s flexible spine, oversized liver, enlarged heart, wide nostrils, increased lung capacity, and thin muscular body make this cat the swiftest hunter in Africa. Covering 7-8 meters in a stride, with only one foot touching the ground at a time, the cheetah can reach a speed of 110 km/h in seconds. At two points in the stride, no feet touch the ground. Social behaviour / Cheetahs have a unique, well-structured social order. Females live alone except when they are raising cubs. The females raise the cubs on their own. The first 18 months of a cub’s life cubs learn survival lessons on knowing how to hunt wild prey species and avoid other predators such as the leopards, lions, hyenas, and baboons. At 18 months, the mother leaves the cubs, which then form a sibling group, staying together for another 6 months. At about 2 years, the female siblings leave the group, and the young males remain together for life. Males live alone or in coalitions made up of brothers from the same litter. Some coalitions maintain territories in order to find females with which they will mate. Fierce fights between male coalitions, resulting in serious injury or death, can occur when defending territories. Cheetahs hunt in the late morning and early evening. They capture their prey by stalking – until the prey is within 10-30 meters – before chasing. The prey is suffocated when a cheetah bites the underside of the throat. Chases last about 20 seconds, and rarely longer then 1 minute. About half of the chases are successful. In Namibia, cheetahs use play-trees (trees with sloping trunks and large horizontal limbs, usually camelthorns) to observe their surroundings and mark the area. Cheetahs make chirping sounds, and hiss or spit when angered or threatened. They purr very loudly when content. Cheetahs do not pose a threat to humans. Sexual reproduction / Sexual maturity occurs at 20-23 months. The gestation period is about 95 days, and the average litter size is 4-5 cubs. Cubs are smoky-grey in colour with long hair, called a mantle, running along their backs; they are up to 30 cm long and weigh 250-300 grams at birth. The mantle has several purposes: it is thought to camouflage the cub in dead grass, hiding it from predators, and to work as a mimicry defence, causing the cub to resemble a honey badger. Life span / Studies have not been conducted in the wild on longevity; 8-12 years is average in captivity. Cub mortality is high for the species in both the wild and captivity. On average 30 percent of all cubs born in captivity die within one month of birth, and in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, about 90 percent die before reaching 3 months of age. Ecology: natural history / Cheetah relatives had worldwide distribution until about 20,000 years ago, but the world’s environment underwent drastic changes in the Great Ice Age. Throughout North America, Europe and Asia, about 75 percent of the mammal species vanished. Only a handful of the modern cheetah remained, having gone through a “bottleneck”, and inbreeding occurred for the species’ survival. In c1700 BC the Egyptians were the first to tame the cheetahs and cheetahs have been kept in captivity for some 5,000 years. However, they breed poorly in captivity. The many parks and reserves of Africa offer protection for only a small amount of cheetahs. In these parks, lion and hyena numbers increase, and the cheetahs cannot compete with these large predators which kill cheetah cubs and steal their prey. Evolution has favoured speed and not strength for this species. Therefore, most of the cheetah population is found outside of protected reserves. Threats to survival / Decline in prey, loss of habitat, poaching, and indiscriminate trapping and shooting threaten the survival of the cheetah throughout its range. Conservation efforts / To help this sleek hunter of the African wild win its race against extinction, we must (1) help protect its habitat and insure a place for it on Namibian farmlands, (2) aid in the conservation of the wild prey base, (3) halt the indiscriminate capture and removal of the cheetah, (4) improve livestock and game management, and (5) educate everyone about the need to conserve biological diversity, and the predators’ unique role in a healthy ecosystem. Cheetahs in captivity / Cheetahs are wild animals. Capture of wild cheetahs threaten the survival of the species in two ways. First, the removal of individuals reduces the species’ genetic diversity in the wild. And secondly, cheetahs do not breed well in captivity. The Asian cheetah is nearly extinct because of its capture for private use. Special dietary requirements, special needs, and unpredictable behaviour make this a poor pet. Wild instincts remain intact even with tamed and captive raised animals. This information was excerpted from THE CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND For more information, and to learn even more about the cheetah and efforts to ensure its survival visit the THE CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND and THE NATIONAL ZOO Taken with Nikon D70, Nikkor 500/4 AFI
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A Jaguar getting some rest / /
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Taken at the national Zoo Canberra. Photoshoped the background.
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Cheetah cub on the lookout from a termite mound. / / (Masai Mara – Kenya) / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
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The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are declining. Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation. While international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited, the cat is still regularly killed by humans, particularly in conflicts with ranchers and farmers in South America. Although reduced, its range remains large; given its historical distribution, the jaguar has featured prominently in the mythology of numerous indigenous American cultures, including that of the Maya and Aztec. / (from Wikipedia) /
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“Survivors” is an oil painting showing two orphaned cheetah cubs from Namibia who were rescued soon after their mother was trapped by a farmer. Their little faces depict the sadness, fear and uncertainty the future holds for them. Original oil painting on canvas: 20×30 inches Cheetahs are the fastest land animals on earth, reaching speeds of up to 100 kph (70mph). Beautiful and sleek, they are the smallest of the big cats and their prey is often stolen by other predators. Highly threatened, these animals are in great need of protection. They need plenty of space for hunting and that space is steadily being reduced by human expansion. Out of all the big cats, the cheetah is the least able to adapt to new environments. It has always proved difficult to breed in captivity, although recently a few zoos have managed to succeed at this. Once widely hunted for its fur, the cheetah now suffers more from the loss of both habitat and prey. For more facts about cheetahs, please visit http://www.cheetah.org and http://www.dewildt.org.za/index.htm Wildlife, landscapes and Irish Life paintings by Avril Brand Clare Art Blog
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Found this cheetah just as he was busy waking up for the day. Love the light in this image. Taken in the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa. 25% of all my Red Bubble profts will go to the Endangered Wildlife Trust
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WILD AND FREE / / Cheetah on the lookout for something to eat. / / (Masai Mara – Kenya) / / >< / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
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I love these boys..:)
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In 1900 there were approximately 100,000 of these beautiful cats. The population numbers have now dropped to between 10 and 15 thousand which includes those that are kept in captivity. / The cause of the decline in numbers includes the fur, fashion trade and loss of habitat. / I took this photograph at a local zoo. The Cheetah’s at this zoo were housed in at least a couple of acres of land which although some may think, is not ideal. In my opinion, Wild life parks and zoo’s that have spacious enclosures may hold the key to saving some of our most endangered animals, at least until the world becomes a safer place for them.
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Cheetah at Sunrise, Serengeti
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WILD AND FREE / / Two cheetah cub brothers sitting on a termite mound. Taken early one morning about half an hour after sunrise. (Masai Mara – Kenya) / / The world’s fastest land animal, the cheetah, is a unique and the most specialized member of the cat family and can reach speeds of 70 mph. Unlike other cats, the cheetah has a leaner body, longer legs, and has been referred to as the greyhound of the cats. It is not an aggressive animal, using flight versus fight. With its weak jaws and small teeth, the price it paid for speed, it cannot fight larger predators to protect its kill or young. The cheetah was once a common animal found on five continents, but is slowly losing its race for survival and is now classed as an Endangered Species! Check out more info here / Cheetah Conservation Fund / / / /
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His Eyes are like this—- / /
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10×14 watercolor enhanced colored pencil. Original is still available / Double portrait of the African Cheetah, a beautiful and swift animal. The cheetah has a slender, long-legged body with blunt semi-retractable claws. Its 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 (¾ to 1¼ inches) 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. The adult animal weighs from 40 to 65 kg (90 to 140 lb). Its total body length is from 115 to 135 cm (45 in to 55 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 tiger, the cheetah is generally shorter-bodied, but is longer tailed and taller (it averages about 90 cm or 36 in tall) and so it appears more streamlined. 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 cheetah’s paws have semi-retractable claws (1986). “The Cheetah in Genetic Peril”. Scientific American 254: 68-76. (known only in three other cat species – the Fishing Cat, the Flat-headed Cat and the Iriomote Cat) offering the cat 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. Unlike “true” big cats, the cheetah can purr as it inhales, but cannot roar. By contrast, the big cats can roar but cannot purr, except while exhaling. However, the cheetah is still considered by some to be the smallest of the big cats. While it is often mistaken for the leopard, the cheetah does have distinguishing features, such as the aforementioned long “tear-streak” lines that run from the corners of its eyes to its mouth. The body frame of the cheetah is also very different from that of the leopard, most notably so in its thinner and longer tail, and unlike the leopard, its spots are not arranged into rosettes. The cheetah is a vulnerable species. Out of all the big cats, it is the least able to adapt to new environments. It has always proved difficult to breed in captivity, although recently a few zoos have been successful. Once widely hunted for its fur, the cheetah now suffers more from the loss of both habitat and prey. The cheetah was formerly considered to be particularly primitive among the cats and to have evolved approximately 18 million years ago. New research, however puts the last common ancestor of all 40 existing species of feline more recently, at 11 million years. The same research indicates that the cheetah, while highly derived morphologically, is not a particularly ancient lineage, having separated from its closest living relatives (the cougar Puma concolor and the jaguarundi Puma yaguarondi) around 5 million years ago. (information from Wikipedia) Completed 2007
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