Saharan cheetah
The Northwest African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki)is a cheetah subspecies native to the Sahara and the Sahel. It was described by German zoologist Max Hilzheimer in 1913 under the scientific name Acinonyx hecki.
No
NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Vi
ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
Cu
CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
Pu
Pursuit predatorPursuit predation is a form of predation in which predators actively give chase to their prey, either solitarily or as a group. Pursuit predators r...
Am
Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
No
NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
Te
TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Po
PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
So
SocialSo
SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
N
starts withThe Northwest African cheetah is quite different in appearance from the other African cheetahs. Its coat is shorter and nearly white in color, with spots that fade from black over the spine to light brown on the legs. The face has few or even no spots, and the tear stripes (dark stripes running from the medial canthus of each eye down the side of the muzzle to the corner of the mouth) are often missing. The body shape is basically the same as that of the sub-Saharan cheetah, except that it is somewhat smaller.
Northwest African cheetahs are found in the western and central Sahara and the Sahel in small, fragmented populations. In Niger, populations occur in the northern parts of the country in the Ténéré desert and the southern savanna region of W National Park. In Africa, cheetahs live in a wide range of habitats including dry forests, thick scrub, grasslands, and deserts.
In the Sahara desert, day-time temperature exceeds 40 °C (104 °F), water is scarce and rainfall irregular. Two camera trapping surveys in the Ahaggar massif revealed that Northwest African cheetahs in this area exhibit several behavioral adaptations to this harsh climate: they are predominantly nocturnal and active between sunset and early mornings; they travel larger distances and occur at a lower density than cheetahs living in savannas. In general, cheetahs live in three main social groups: females and their cubs, male "coalitions", and solitary males. Females lead a nomadic life searching for prey in large home ranges, while males are more sedentary and instead establish much smaller territories in areas with plentiful prey and access to females. The home range of a cheetah can cover a large territory, sometimes overlapping with that of another cheetah or a lion. Hunting is the major activity of cheetahs throughout the day, with peaks during dawn and dusk. Groups rest in grassy clearings after dusk. Cheetahs often inspect their vicinity at observation points such as elevations to check for prey or larger carnivores; even while resting, they take turns keeping a lookout. When hunting cheetahs use their vision instead of their sense of smell; they keep a lookout for prey from resting sites or low branches. They will stalk their prey, trying to stay unnoticed in cover, and approach as close as possible, often within 60 to 70 m (200 to 230 ft) of the prey. They can also lie hidden in the cover and wait for the prey to come nearer. In areas of minimal cover, cheetahs will approach within 200 m (660 ft) of the prey and start the chase. Cheetahs are very vocal and have a broad repertoire of calls and sounds such as chirps (or a "stutter-barks"), churrs (or churtlings), purring, bleating, coughing, growling, hissing, meowing and moaning (or yowling). Other vocalizations include gurgling noise, "nyam nyam" sound "ihn ihn" sound to gather cubs, and a "prr prr" to guide them on a journey. A low-pitched alarm call is used to warn the cubs to stand still.
Northwest African cheetahs are carnivores. Their main prey are antelopes that have adapted to an arid environment, such as the addax, Dorcas gazelle, Rhim gazelle, and Dama gazelle. They also prey on smaller mammals such as hares. Cheetahs can survive without direct access to water because they obtain water indirectly from the blood of their prey.
Little is known about the reproductive behavior of Northwest African cheetahs. Generally, cheetahs have a polygynous mating system, where a male mates with multiple females. In addition, males associate with females only for mating and do not provide parental care. These animals breed all year round. The period of gestation lasts about 3 months, after which 2-5 cubs are born. Newborn babies are blind, being completely vulnerable. Over the following few months, the cubs are breastfed until they start eating meat. Soon the young start to accompany their mother during the hunt in order to watch and learn hunting skills. Also, they learn hunting techniques while playing with their siblings. The cubs live with their mother until they are able to hunt independently. Then, between the age of 18 months and 2 years, they leave to find their own territory. Female cheetahs reach reproductive maturity at 21-22 months old.
Cheetahs are threatened by several factors, like habitat loss and fragmentation of populations. Habitat loss is caused mainly by the introduction of commercial land use, such as agriculture and industry. Shortage of prey and conflict with other species such as humans and large carnivores are other major threats. The reduced genetic variability makes cheetahs more vulnerable to diseases; however, the threat posed by infectious diseases may be minor, given the low population densities and hence a reduced chance of infection.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Northwest African cheetah in western, central, and northern Africa is around 419 mature individuals. They are distributed across four populations: 218 mature individuals in Bahr/Salama landscape in Chad and CAR; 175 mature individuals in the Adrar des Ifhogas / Ahaggar / Tassili N’Ajjer landscape in Algeria and Mali; 23 mature individuals in the WAP complex in Benin, Niger, and Burkina Faso; 2 mature individuals in Air et Ténéré connected to another 1-2 mature individuals in the Termit Massif, both in Niger. The Northwest African cheetah is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List.
As predators, cheetahs control populations of prey species they feed upon. Otherwise, populations of these animals could become so large, that they would break down the whole food web, eating all the vegetation in the area and ruining the soil. On the other hand, cheetahs hunt on weak or sick animals, thus not allowing weaker genes to pass to the next generations and maintaining the health of prey species.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...