The East African Cheetah or Tanzanian Cheetah can be found in
Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Somalia. However, the best places to see
them are the Serengeti and the Masai Mara, where the majority of the population lives.
It is obvious from the name of the Cheetah that they are quite plentiful in the Serengeti Biosphere Reserve in Tanzania.
Archaeologists found remains of a cheetah in the lower beds of the Oldupai Gorge in Northern Tanzania which date back to a few million years ago, making the Tanzanian cheetah the oldest of the subspecies.
The Tanzanian Cheetah is not only the oldest, but also the largest of the subspecies, average sizes range between 200 and 220 cm in length and a weight of 40 to 60 kilograms!
In terms of colour, the Tanzanian Cheetah, after the Northwest African Cheetah, has the palest colouration. The coat ranges from white-yellowish to a tawny coat. The many spots on the coat can be found all over the body, even on the tail. Towards the end of the tail these spots merge into rings and finally at the tip of the long tail is a white tuft.
One of the most iconic features of a Tanzanian Cheetah has to be the dark tear marks, which run from the corner of their eyes all the way down to their mouth. These tear marks play a vital role for the cheetah. They help to reflect the glare of the sun when they are hunting during the day. Some say that these marks also act like the sights of a rifle, to help the Cheetah aim and stay focused on the prey that they are hunting.
The Tanzanian Cheetahs main diet includes Thomson and Grant’s Gazelles.
Larger animals like impalas, wildebeests and topi antelopes are usually hunted by a coalition of males. Single females tend to prefer smaller antelopes. On occasion, cheetahs will also hunt rabbits and hares. Cheetahs are known as the fastest land animals in the world. In just a few seconds and a few strides they can reach speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour and more!
They also have manoeuvrability on their side, the long tail acts like a rudder which aids them to execute extremely quick turns when chasing prey and they also have semi retractable claws which give the cats traction at high speed. Tanzanian Cheetahs prefer to hunt early in the morning and if need be then during midday. After catching their prey, they usually eat as quick as possible to avoid conflict with other predators.
In terms of socialising, females tend to live solitary lives whereas the males form groups known as coalitions. These coalitions are not always made up of brothers from the same litter and on occasions males will join other coalitions. The territories of females can be huge and the males try to set their home range amongst other females to ensure high mating chances.
The Tanzania Cheetah is a truly beautiful creature, which has perfected its niche and it is always a great reward to see them in the wild.
Credits : Tanzania Experience
It is obvious from the name of the Cheetah that they are quite plentiful in the Serengeti Biosphere Reserve in Tanzania.
Archaeologists found remains of a cheetah in the lower beds of the Oldupai Gorge in Northern Tanzania which date back to a few million years ago, making the Tanzanian cheetah the oldest of the subspecies.
The Tanzanian Cheetah is not only the oldest, but also the largest of the subspecies, average sizes range between 200 and 220 cm in length and a weight of 40 to 60 kilograms!
In terms of colour, the Tanzanian Cheetah, after the Northwest African Cheetah, has the palest colouration. The coat ranges from white-yellowish to a tawny coat. The many spots on the coat can be found all over the body, even on the tail. Towards the end of the tail these spots merge into rings and finally at the tip of the long tail is a white tuft.
One of the most iconic features of a Tanzanian Cheetah has to be the dark tear marks, which run from the corner of their eyes all the way down to their mouth. These tear marks play a vital role for the cheetah. They help to reflect the glare of the sun when they are hunting during the day. Some say that these marks also act like the sights of a rifle, to help the Cheetah aim and stay focused on the prey that they are hunting.
The Tanzanian Cheetahs main diet includes Thomson and Grant’s Gazelles.
Larger animals like impalas, wildebeests and topi antelopes are usually hunted by a coalition of males. Single females tend to prefer smaller antelopes. On occasion, cheetahs will also hunt rabbits and hares. Cheetahs are known as the fastest land animals in the world. In just a few seconds and a few strides they can reach speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour and more!
They also have manoeuvrability on their side, the long tail acts like a rudder which aids them to execute extremely quick turns when chasing prey and they also have semi retractable claws which give the cats traction at high speed. Tanzanian Cheetahs prefer to hunt early in the morning and if need be then during midday. After catching their prey, they usually eat as quick as possible to avoid conflict with other predators.
In terms of socialising, females tend to live solitary lives whereas the males form groups known as coalitions. These coalitions are not always made up of brothers from the same litter and on occasions males will join other coalitions. The territories of females can be huge and the males try to set their home range amongst other females to ensure high mating chances.
The Tanzania Cheetah is a truly beautiful creature, which has perfected its niche and it is always a great reward to see them in the wild.
Credits : Tanzania Experience
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