Dapple Grey
Tartan of the Day
Jul 11
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Cheetah
A "Coalition" of Cheetahs ...
Cheetahs have been honored with a day of their own and a tartan too! International Cheetah Day is held on the birthday of Khayam, a cheetah involved in early rewilding research that inspired the founding of modern cheetah-conservation efforts. Her birthday was selected to remind the world of the species’ fragility and the importance of protecting it. This tribute tartan brings to mind both the cheetah's mottled spotty fur and a streak of blurred motion, appropriate for its reputation as the fastest land animal on earth!
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), can sprint up to 120 km/h (75 mph) and accelerate to 97 km/h (60 mph) in just three seconds—faster than most sports cars! Today, cheetahs survive primarily in eastern and southern Africa, with a very small and critically endangered population in Iran, living in open grasslands, savannas, and dry woodland habitats where their speed becomes their greatest asset.
Male cheetahs often form small “coalitions” of two or three, usually brothers, which helps them expand and defend shared territory. Females, by contrast, are mostly solitary except when raising their cubs.
And unlike the deep-voiced “roaring cats” such as lions, tigers, jaguars, and leopards, cheetahs belong to the “purring cats.” Their vocal range is surprisingly broad and includes chirrs, pr-prs, gargles, churtlings, gurgles, and growls, as well as tonal calls like chirping, howling, and yelping, plus sharp hisses when alarmed.
Their most distinctive sound is a bright, birdlike “chirrup,” often used by mothers calling to their cubs—or simply when a cheetah is excited. Chirrup! Chirrup! 💛 🖤 🤎 🐆
International Cheetah Day is December 4th, a day for education and awareness about the world's fastest land animal.
Cheetahs once ranged across the entire African continent, except for the Congo Basin, and into Asia from the Arabian Peninsula to eastern India. Today, cheetahs are found in only 23% of their historic African range and are extinct in their Asian range except for a small population in Iran of about 100 individuals.
With its long legs and very slender body, the cheetah is often referred to as "the greyhound of cats" and is capable of reaching speeds greater than 110 kilometers per hour in just over 3 seconds and at top speed has a stride of 7 meters long.
Adult cheetahs are easy distinguished from other cats by their solid black spots which are a form of camouflage which helps cheetahs hunt prey and hide form other predators. Until about three months of age, cheetah cubs have a thick silvery-grey mantle down their back. The mantle helps camouflage the cubs by imitating the look of an aggressive animal called a honey badger. This form of mimicry may help deter predators such as lions, hyenas, and eagles.
By designer Carol A.L. Martin, this tartan uses the various colours of the cheetah's coat and is "almost all teeth."
For more on this endangered animal, click the cheetah and her cub.