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Cheetah Pair


Cheetah Pair
Photo Information
Copyright: Bill Houghton (poppygan59) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 89 W: 0 N: 189] (916)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2003-10-16
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon D60, Canon EF300mm 4/L IS, Microtech CF 256MB
Exposure: f/4, 1/400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Felidae of the world: Second series [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-10-02 4:09
Viewed: 1423
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A cheetah pair at rest.

Speedy hunter: The cheetah has the highest success rates among the big cats—60-70%. The cheetah is the fastest land animal and the only big cat to run down its prey. In as few as 3 seconds, it accelerates from nothing to 60km/hr and can reach 110km/hr. But the chase is brief, usually 20 seconds, rarely more than 1 minute. The distance covered is short, rarely further than 300m. This is because the cheetah’s muscles overheat and build up a huge oxygen debt. Unlike other running carnivores, a cheetah stores the heat built up during a run, and its body temperature can rise to 40.6C, dangerously close to causing brain damage. It has to cool off and pant quickly for half an hour before it can try for another run.

Before it begins hunting, a cheetah first scans for a suitable prey from a tree or termite mound, looking out for the weak, inattentive or those standing away from the herd. It also looks out for any scavengers and lions who may steal the cheetah's kill. It may then wait until the prey comes within range; openly approach the herd, galloping slowly first to test the herd, running flat out only after it has selected a target. Or it may stalk the selected prey to within 20-40m before it bursts into a chase. The cheetah trips the running prey with its sharp dew claw, then bites the neck, choking it to death, usually within 5 minutes.
Crypton, carper, Robbrown, gerhardt has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To kb10: Cheetah Pairpoppygan59 1 10-03 03:30
To gerhardt: Cheetah Pairpoppygan59 1 10-03 03:29
To Robbrown: Cheetah Pairpoppygan59 1 10-03 03:26
To Crypton: Cheetah Pairpoppygan59 1 10-02 17:34
To marhowie: Cheetah Pairpoppygan59 1 10-02 09:25
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • kb10 Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 16 W: 0 N: 29] (155)
  • [2004-10-02 5:05]
  • [+]

très belle photo, la lumière, les couleurs, les ombres, le regard de l'animal, tout est bon.

Bill, Magnificent pair & you handled this well even with the shadows. The one cheetahs concerned look helps make this one great! Like it alot..Great notes!

tres belle photo de ces 2 felins,
les couleur sont belles et natturelles, la lumiere est douce et la PDC est correcte.
le regard du felin de gauche est vraiment beau, les 2 lignes noires qui descende de ses yeux ressemble a des larmes se qui lui donne un aire de martire :)
merci d'avoir partagé ce beau clichet ;)

2 very nicley seen cheetahs Bill with good notes, nice one.

The pair looks striking, Bill. Very well seen and captured. Nice note too. TFS.

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