Taukeh Yong
EOS5DIII_201905075261 Cheetah
The cheetah has a yellowish tan or rufous to greyish white skin, that is covered with nearly 2,000 solid black spots. The underbelly is completely white. It has a slender body, deep chest, a small rounded head, black tear-like streaks on the face, long thin legs and a long spotted tail. The head-and-body length ranges from 112–150 cm (44–59 in). Adult cheetahs average 70–90 cm (28–35 in) at the shoulder, and weigh 21–72 kg (46–159 lb). Its lightly built, slender form is in sharp contrast with the robust build of the big cats. It is taller than the leopard, which stands nearly 55–70 cm (22–28 in) at the shoulder. The weight range of the cheetah overlaps with that of the leopard, which weighs 28–65 kg (62–143 lb). On the other hand, the cheetah is significantly shorter than the lion, whose average height is nearly 120 cm (47 in). Moreover, it is much lighter than the lion, among which females weigh 126 kg (278 lb) and the much heavier males weigh 186 kg (410 lb). Based on measurements, the smallest cheetahs have been reported from the Sahara, northeastern Africa and Iran. A sexually dimorphic species, males are generally larger than females.
The head is small and rounded. Saharan cheetah have narrow canine faces. Small, short, and rounded, the ears are marked by black patches on the back; the edges and base of the ears are tawny. The high-set eyes have round pupils. The whiskers, shorter and fewer in number than those of other felids, are fine and inconspicuous. The pronounced tear streaks are unique to the cheetah. These streaks originate from the corner of the eyes and run down the nose to the mouth. Their role is obscure – they may be serving as a shield for the eyes against the sun's glare, a helpful feature as the cheetah hunts mainly during the day; another purpose could be to define facial expressions. The spots measures 3.2–5.1 cm (1.3–2.0 in). Every cheetah has a unique pattern of spots on its coat; hence, this serves as a distinct identity for each individual. Cheetah fur is short and often coarse. Fluffy fur covers the chest and the ventral side.
The cheetah is sometimes confused with the leopard, and can be distinguished by its small round spots in contrast to the leopard's rosettes in addition, the leopard lacks the tear streaks of the cheetah. The cougar possesses neither the tear streaks nor the spotted coat pattern of the cheetah.
EOS5DIII_201905075261 Cheetah
The cheetah has a yellowish tan or rufous to greyish white skin, that is covered with nearly 2,000 solid black spots. The underbelly is completely white. It has a slender body, deep chest, a small rounded head, black tear-like streaks on the face, long thin legs and a long spotted tail. The head-and-body length ranges from 112–150 cm (44–59 in). Adult cheetahs average 70–90 cm (28–35 in) at the shoulder, and weigh 21–72 kg (46–159 lb). Its lightly built, slender form is in sharp contrast with the robust build of the big cats. It is taller than the leopard, which stands nearly 55–70 cm (22–28 in) at the shoulder. The weight range of the cheetah overlaps with that of the leopard, which weighs 28–65 kg (62–143 lb). On the other hand, the cheetah is significantly shorter than the lion, whose average height is nearly 120 cm (47 in). Moreover, it is much lighter than the lion, among which females weigh 126 kg (278 lb) and the much heavier males weigh 186 kg (410 lb). Based on measurements, the smallest cheetahs have been reported from the Sahara, northeastern Africa and Iran. A sexually dimorphic species, males are generally larger than females.
The head is small and rounded. Saharan cheetah have narrow canine faces. Small, short, and rounded, the ears are marked by black patches on the back; the edges and base of the ears are tawny. The high-set eyes have round pupils. The whiskers, shorter and fewer in number than those of other felids, are fine and inconspicuous. The pronounced tear streaks are unique to the cheetah. These streaks originate from the corner of the eyes and run down the nose to the mouth. Their role is obscure – they may be serving as a shield for the eyes against the sun's glare, a helpful feature as the cheetah hunts mainly during the day; another purpose could be to define facial expressions. The spots measures 3.2–5.1 cm (1.3–2.0 in). Every cheetah has a unique pattern of spots on its coat; hence, this serves as a distinct identity for each individual. Cheetah fur is short and often coarse. Fluffy fur covers the chest and the ventral side.
The cheetah is sometimes confused with the leopard, and can be distinguished by its small round spots in contrast to the leopard's rosettes in addition, the leopard lacks the tear streaks of the cheetah. The cougar possesses neither the tear streaks nor the spotted coat pattern of the cheetah.