make sharp and sudden turns to get their prey. However, they can only sprint this fast for short distances and must sneak up on their prey to get close enough to catch it with their short burst of speed. Their chases are over in less than one minute.
Their beautiful spotted coat serves to permit them to blend into the grasses, making them hard to see. They also have excellent eye sight enabling them to find their prey which is often well camouflaged by the grasslands, requiring them to hunt solely during the daylight hours.
After making a kill cheetahs need to drag their prey into a hiding place or risk it being stolen by hyenas, lions, leopards or several other creatures. Cheetahs are pretty tough and can survive without water for up to four days.
Cheetahs usually have litters of 2 or 3 cubs, and raise them for about 2 years, during which they learn how to hunt for themselves. They have a life span of 10 tom 12 years in the wild. Males live alone or in small groups, often with their brothers.
Cheetahs are found in central and southeastern Africa, but only less than 10,000 are estimated to be left today. These numbers continue to decrease as more and more land is devastated by humans.
My latest cheetah painting (on the right) can be seen at my website. Click to View.
