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Acinonyx jubatus (cheetah )

Cheetah atau citah (dari Sanskerta: Chitraka berarti "berbintik")


(Acinonyx jubatus) adalah anggota keluarga kucing (Felidae) yang berburu
mangsa dengan menggunakan kecepatan dan bukan taktik mengendap-endap
atau bergerombol. Hewan ini adalah hewan yang tercepat di antara hewan darat
dan dapat mencapai kecepatan 110 km/jam dalam waktu singkat sampai 460 m,
dengan akselerasi 0 - 100 km/jam dalam waktu 3,5 detik, lebih cepat dari beberapa
supercar.

Chetah, adalah mamalia pelari tercepat di dunia. Cheetah dapat berlari dengan
kecepatan 96km/jam dalam waktu 3 detik sejak mulai berlari. Chetah hidup di
daerah afrika, dimana daerah tersebut sebagian besar adalah savvana. Habitat
sempit, berkurangnya makanan, tingginya angka kematian anak cheetah,
membuat hewan ini terancam punah. Sekitar 50-75 persen anak cheetah mati
sebelum berumur 3 bulan.

Karasteristik Tubuh
panjang tubuh cheetah berkisar antara 180cm hingga 240cm. Berat tubuhnya
mencapai 43 kg sampai 67 kg. Warna tubuh cheetah bervariasi dari kekuningan
hingga kecoklatan dengan totol di sekujur tubuh.
Cheetah memiliki kepala kecil, leher panjang punggung yang fleksibel, dada
dalam, dan kaki yang kuat. Bentuk tubuh yang aerodinamis tersebut
memungkinkan cheetah untuk melompat dan berlari dengan kecepatan tinggi.
Namun, stamina cheetah tidak bertahan lama. Tidak seperti jenis kucing lainya,
cakar cheetah tidak dapat di tarik masuk.

Makanan Cheetah
Cheetah berburu makanan di siang hari, baik secara kelompok maupun individu.

Makanannya terdiri dari mamalia antara lain burung, unta, kijang, antelop, dan
binatang lainya. Cheetah mengintai mangsanya sedekat mungkin dari balik
pepohonan dan semak. Lalu cheetah secara tiba tiba menyerang dan menggigit
mangsanya dengan rahang dan gigi yang tajam. Setelah mangsa di lumpuhkanm
cheetah akan membawanya ke tempat yang sepi untuk di mangsa secara cepat.
Serta tetap waspada dari predator lain yang akan merebut mangsa hasil
buruanya. Cheetah minum sekitar 3-4 hari sekali.

Kehidupan Cheetah
Cheetah betina mengandung anaknya hingga waktu 3 bulan. Induk cheetah dapat
melahirkan hingga 4 ekor anak. Cheetah berumur sekitar 10 - 12 tahun. Pada
dasarnya, cheetah merupakan hewan penyendiri, sesaat setelah kawin. Cheetah
jangan menemani betina. Namun, induk cheetah lebih sering ditemukan sendiri
dan bersama anak anaknya.
Cheetah melahirkan anaknya di tempat yang terpencil. Anak yang baru lahir tidak
membuka matanya selama seminggu atau 2 minggu. Ketika induk cheetah
berburu, anak anaknya di sembuntikan di tempat yang aman. Sekitar 6 minggu,
anak anaknya sudah dapat mengikuti induk induknya. Anak cheetah menyusu
pada induknya sekitar 2 sampai 3 bulan. Namun mereka sudah makan daging di
usia 3 minggu.
Menginjak usia 4 bulan. Tubuh anak cheetah bewarna kuning kecoklatan dan
hampir seluruh tubuhnya di penuhi oleh totol. Cheetah tidak mengaum seperti
singa. Mereka mendesis, mendengking, dan menggeram. Kelompok cheetah
memiliki bahasa isyarat. Yang paling umum adalah suara kicauan burung.

Citah
Dari Wikipedia bahasa Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas
?
Citah

Status konservasi
Rentan
Klasifikasi ilmiah
Kerajaan: Animalia
Filum:

Chordata

Kelas:

Mammalia

Ordo:

Karnivora

Famili:

Felidae

Genus:

Acinonyx
Brookes, 1828

Spesies: A. jubatus
Nama binomial
Acinonyx jubatus
(Schreber, 1775)

Citah (bahasa Sanskerta: chitraka, berarti "berbintik", bahasa Inggris: cheetah, bahasa Latin:
Acinonyx jubatus) adalah anggota keluarga kucing (Felidae) yang berburu mangsa dengan
menggunakan kecepatan dan bukan taktik mengendap-endap atau bergerombol. Hewan ini
adalah hewan yang tercepat di antara hewan darat dan dapat mencapai kecepatan 110 km/jam
dalam waktu singkat sampai 460 m, dengan akselerasi 0 - 100 km/jam dalam waktu 3,5 detik,
lebih cepat dari beberapa mobil balap. Konon, selama bertahun-tahun citah hanya dikenal
sebagai cerita hantu. Menurut cerita, binatang pemangsa besar dengan garis-garis mirip harimau
pada tubuhnya ini sering membawa kabur orang-orang yang berada di perbatasan Mozambik.
Penduduk di sana sering memberi julukan citah dengan "magwa".
Citah juga dikenal sebagai pemangsa paling efisien di bumi. Mengejar dan menerkam mangsa
hanya ketika mangsa itu ada dalam jangkauannya. Hewan ini tergolong pintar dengan
kemampuannya mendeteksi hewan yang paling lemah. Ia menjatuhkan korban bukan dengan
menerkam seperti singa atau harimau. Tapi pada sentuhan kecil di kaki belakang korban yang

sedang berlari kencang. Saat korban jatuh, citah kemudian menerkam tengkuk korban untuk
kemudian selanjutnya dicengkram hingga kehabisan darah.
Meski terkenal sebagai pemburu menakutkan di padang Afrika, namun faktanya hanya 40%
hingga 50% aktivitas berburunya yang membuahkan hasil. Pernah berkembang mitos bahwa
kepanasan adalah penyebab mengapa citah gagal dalam berburu. Namun penelitian terbaru
menunjukkan bahwa citah yang mulai memakan mangsanya sesaat setelah berhasil berburu
mengalami kenaikan temperatur tubuh dua kali lipat dibandingkan dengan citah yang
menghentikan aktivitas berburunya.[1]

Acinonyx jubatuscheetah

By Erin R. Lehnert

Geographic Range
Habitat
Physical Description
Reproduction
Lifespan/Longevity
Behavior

Communication and Perception


Food Habits
Predation
Ecosystem Roles
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Conservation Status
Other Comments
Contributors
References

Geographic Range

The historic distribution of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) is very wide. It ranged from Palestine
and the Arabian Peninsula to Tajikistan and central India, as well as throughout the continent of
Africa excluding the zones of tropical forest and central Sahara. This range might include the
arid and semiarid habitats of the regions of south, east, and north Africa and less arid areas of
India, Turkmenistan, Syria, Palestine, and Arabia. In regions of Africa and Asia, European settlers treated cheetahs as vermin to be eradicated. The range of cheetahs was greatly reduced by
the 1970s, and surveys conducted before 2005 indicate that the cheetah is present in 25 countries
on the African continent. (Caro, 1994; Eaton, 1982; Kitchener, 1991; Krausman and Morales,
2005; Myers, 1975; Nowak, 1999; Roosevelt, 1910; Turner, 1997)

Biogeographic Regions
palearctic
o native
oriental
o native
ethiopian
o native

Habitat

Habitats that are favored by cheetahs include grasslands and deserts. Cheetahs are terrestrial, but
have been known to climb trees on occasion. (Caro, 1994; Ortolani, et al., 1996)

Habitat Regions
temperate
tropical
terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes
desert or dune
savanna or grassland

Physical Description

Cheetahs are slim and have relatively long legs in relation to their body size when compared with
other cats, with a small, rounded head and short ears. Their monomorphic pelage is pale yellow,
gray, or fawn on dorsal surfaces, and is speckled with small, round, unarranged black spots
throughout the body and set closely together. The ventral surfaces are paler than the dorsal, often
white or a light tan. The fur is coarse to the touch with a slight mane of longer hair on the nape.
Their faces are distinctly marked with a black lachrymal stripe from the anterior corner of the
eye alongside the length of the muzzle. The eyes of adults and cubs have circular pupils when
contracted and relaxed. The ears are small and rounded, with lightly colored inner fur in contrast
to the posterior side, which has a black patch within the main dorsal color of the individual.
Their tails are spotted above with a background the main dorsal color of the individual, and the

ventral surface is the same paler color as the main ventral color. The posterior third of the tail has
a series of dark or black rings terminating in a white tip. The paws of cheetahs are narrow in
comparison to other cats. The front paws have four toes and a dewclaw, and the hind paws have
four toes. The claws are slightly curved and blunted from contact with the ground, as cheetahs
have weakly retractile claws with no protective skin folds. (Caro, 1994; Cuvier, et al., 1978;
Eaton, 1982; Kitchener, 1991; Krausman and Morales, 2005; Lydekker, 1895; Nowak, 1999)
Body lengths of cheetahs range from 112 to 150 cm. Tail lengths are between 60 and 80 cm and
the height at the shoulder is 67 to 94 cm. The weights of cheetahs range from 21 to 72 kg, with
the average male larger than the average female. Cheetah skulls are short and broad, above the
muzzle and cranium they are highly raised and vaulted. Nasal openings are dorsally broad and
enlarged, with the bony plate extending well behind the molars. Nasal passages are large in comparison with other cats. Young cubs have a pronounced mane that extends over the head, neck,
and back, and is distinctly lighter shade, often looking gray, white or bluish-gray. The long,
woolly mane of cubs is thought to make them less conspicuous to predators. Despite the long fur
of cubs, spots are consistently visible on the underfur. Cubs gradually lose their mane until they
are adolescent. (Caro, 1994; Cuvier, et al., 1978; Eaton, 1982; Kitchener, 1991; Krausman and
Morales, 2005; Lydekker, 1895; Nowak, 1999)
In 1927, an additional species of cheetahs was described as king cheetahs (Acinonyx rex). The
specimens differed from other cheetahs having longer and softer fur and deviations from the typical spotted pattern. King cheetahs had dark bars in addition to spots on the typical yellow
pelage. Fourteen skins were recorded from the wild in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso. It is now accepted that these individuals are an atypical phenotype of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) with a
slight melanistic trend. Individuals with king cheetah markings have been bred from captive
cheetahs with otherwise typical litters. Little information is available for other phenotypic variations. Albanism and melanism have been well documented in other species of cat, including the
tiger, the African lion, the leopard, and the jaguar. (Caro, 1994; Cuvier, et al., 1978; Eaton, 1982;
Kitchener, 1991; Krausman and Morales, 2005; Lydekker, 1895; Nowak, 1999)

Other Physical Features


endothermic
bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism
male larger

Range mass
21 to 72 kg
46.26 to 158.59 lb

Range length
112 to 150 cm
44.09 to 59.06 in

Average basal metabolic rate


61.77 W
AnAge

Reproduction

Cheetahs are promiscuous in nature, with the limiting factor for males being accessibility to females. The factor limiting reproductive success for females is access to resources. Males associate with females only at mating, provide no parental care, and will mate with as many females as
possible. Females are essentially solitary and will breed throughout the year, though the majority
of copulations on the Serengeti occur during the wet season. Females will mate with different
males over successive attempts, and if encounters with male coalitions occur, they may mate
with more than one individual. Females have territories that will overlap with the territories of
other females and males. Males, in or not in coalitions, will have territories in which they travel
in search of females and will also leave their territories in search of females in estrus. Non-territorial males will travel the territories of resident males in search of females while keeping a low
profile. (Caro, 1994)

Mating System
polygynous
polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Female cheetahs are polyestrus and in captivity cycle on average every 3 to 27 days, and may be
receptive from 1 to 14 days. Cheetahs must be induced to ovulate, and there is little evidence for
seasonal breeding. Females undergo their first cycle at the age of 13 to 16 months, and on average reach sexual maturity between the ages of 21 to 22 months. Females typically give birth to
their first litter at an average of 2.4 years of age, with intervals between litters of 20.1 months
and a mean litter size of 2.1 cubs. There is no evidence to suggest that females visit male territories in order to choose between different resident males. The average copulation frequency for
cheetahs is 3 to 5 times per day. (Broom, 1949; Caro and Collins, 1987a; Caro, 1994; Eaton,
1974; Kitchener, 1991; Krausman and Morales, 2005; Wack, et al., 1991; Wrogemann, 1975)
Gestation lasts between 90 and 95 days. Cheetah cubs are altricial at birth. They have closed
eyes, little locomotive skill, and will open their eyes 4 to 11 days after birth. Young cheetahs will
begin walking after 12 to 13 days when their eyes are open. At birth in the wild, cubs weigh between 250 and 300 grams, but in captivity can reach 460 grams. Litter sizes have been recorded
up to 8 cubs in captivity, but 6 is the maximum that has been recorded in the wild. The average
litter size in the wild is 2.6 cubs. Deciduous milk teeth in cubs erupt between 3 and 6 weeks of
age, and will not be replaced with permanent teeth until the cubs are around 8 months old. Cubs
are weaned from milk before their permanent teeth erupt, between 3 and 6 months of age. Cubs
will stay with their mother until they are 15 to 17 months old. (Broom, 1949; Caro and Collins,
1987a; Caro, 1994; Eaton, 1974; Kitchener, 1991; Krausman and Morales, 2005; Wack, et al.,
1991; Wrogemann, 1975)

Key Reproductive Features


iteroparous

year-round breeding
gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
sexual
induced ovulation
fertilization
viviparous

Breeding interval
The breading frequency of cheetahs is unknown.

Breeding season
Females enter estrus at any point during the year.

Range number of offspring


1 to 6

Average number of offspring


2.1

Average number of offspring


3
AnAge

Range gestation period


90 to 95 days

Range weaning age


3 to 6 months

Range time to independence


15 to 17 months

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)


13 to 16 months

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)


Sex: male
456 days
AnAge

The thick gray mane that young cubs have on the nape, shoulders, and back appears to function
as camouflage from predators. The infant hair disappears after 3 months of age after their mother
no longer hides them and they begin to follow her. A short mane is retained into adolescence or
longer for some individuals. Young cubs are hidden in a marsh, a rocky outcrop, or simply tall
vegetation for protection from predators for an average of eight weeks, and may be carried to
new hiding locations during the period as their mothers leave the cubs to hunt. Females with

cubs may have to hunt successfully every day, whereas lone adults can afford to make kills every
2 to 5 days. (Caro, 1994; Krausman and Morales, 2005; Laurenson, 1993; Nowak, 1999)

Parental Investment
altricial
female parental care
pre-weaning/fledging
o provisioning
female
o protecting
female
pre-independence
o provisioning
female
o protecting
female
extended period of juvenile learning
inherits maternal/paternal territory

Lifespan/Longevity

The lifespan of wild males is difficult to estimate due to the fact that they move to new areas
often. The estimated minimum age at death of males observed was between 6 to 8 years of age.
Territorial males tend to have better health conditions than nonresident males, and may be expected to live longer. There is no evidence suggesting that males in coalitions have a longer or
shorter lifespan than solitary males. Females that survive to independence have a longer lifespan
than males with an average age of 6.2 years. Males that reach independence have a minimum
longevity of 2.8 years (Caro, 1994; Krausman and Morales, 2005)

Range lifespan
Status: wild
8 (high) years

Typical lifespan
Status: wild
6 (high) years

Average lifespan
Status: captivity
19.0 years
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

Average lifespan
Status: captivity
17.0 years
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

Behavior

Territorial (resident) males mark the area that they defend with urine. In addition, males will also
mark territory by raking the ground with their hind paws, claw at trees, flatten grass by rolling, or
deposit feces on prominent land features. Territorial males are never classified in the adolescent
age range. Resident males do leave their territories for brief lengths of time (a matter of days),
presumably to seek out in-season females outside of their territory. Male coalitions commonly
defend their territory from other males to facilitate access to females and prey, and often persist
throughout the lifetime of the individuals in the coalition. While uncommon, unrelated males are
occasionally admitted into an existing group of related males. Coalition partners that are related
are extremely tolerant of close proximity, and spend much of their time within a few meters of
other members if not physically touching or grooming each other. Nonrelated coalition members
often endure aggression. Instances of play between the related members could turn violent if the
nonrelated member came to join in. Nonrelated members also forgo much of the physical contact
in which related members take part. After a period of time nonrelated members of a coalition
will not act as aggressively as they did in the beginning. In territorial skirmishes between male
coalitions, group size has the greatest influence in the outcome. This is reflected in the long
lengths of tenure for larger coalitions in areas of strong competition. Single males rarely hold territories in vicinity of coalitions. (Caro and Collins, 1987b; Caro, 1994; Nowak, 1999)
Nonterritorial males (nonresidents or floaters) cover ground at a fast rate and are defined as nomads, often remaining in a single area for no more than a few days. Floater males urinate and
defecate far less frequently than territorial males. These nonresident males typically consist of
adolescents, single adult males that do not belong to a coalition, and old males. Behavioral differences between nonresidential and resident males are apparent in the nonresident males.
Floaters showed sulking behavior, often moved after dark and rarely rest on land formations that
would make them visible to resident males. In addition, posturing suggests that the nonresident
males are not relaxed, as they spend a greater amount of time alert and sitting up when resident
males can be observed reclining. That the body weight of nonresident males in comparison to
residents is less aids these observations. (Caro and Collins, 1987b; Caro, 1994; Nowak, 1999)

Key Behaviors
cursorial
terricolous
diurnal
motile
solitary
territorial

Home Range

Population density of cheetahs varies from 1 individual per 20 sq. km. to 1 individual per 100 sq.
km. Some home ranges have been reported to be between 50 and 130 sq. km. Cheetahs can be
solitary or live in small groups, with the groups consisting either of a mother and her cubs, several related adult males, or male and female siblings shortly separated from their mother where
the female has not yet come into estrus. Females employ a variety of movement patterns within

their ranges, from traveling long distances in single stretches to remaining in a general area for
several days. While the ranges of individual females overlap, they do not socialize. If females
notice one another, they will sit and watch the other at distances of up to 2 km apart until one
eventually walks away. This behavior is common with other female cats, as well, with the exception of domestic cats and lions. Females do not defend their territory, though they do scent mark
by urinating or defecating. However, the presence of cubs will alter females movements depending the age of their cubs. (Caro, 1994; Nowak, 1999)
Communication and Perception

While uncommon, when members of a male coalition become separated, vocal calling (described
as yipps and churrs) occurs for up to 20 minutes continuously until reunited with his partners. Females will also call to their cubs to locate them, especially if young cubs have wandered
from their hidden lair. Scent marking, while not direct, is an important aspect of communication
with cheetahs since they are predominantly asocial and females only meet other individuals
when it is time to breed. (Caro, 1994)

Communication Channels
visual
acoustic
chemical

Other Communication Modes


scent marks

Perception Channels
visual
tactile
acoustic
chemical

Food Habits

Cheetahs have a carnivorous diet, of which a large portion includes gazelles, especially the
Thomsons gazelle. Their diet also includes impalas and other small- and medium-sized ungulates, as well as young large ungulates. Small animals, such as hares and birds, are also prey to
cheetahs, especially when other animals are hard to obtain. When cheetahs are able to overtake
their prey, the animal is usually knocked to the ground with the cheetahs forepaws, and the
cheetah proceeds to strangle the animal by seizing its throat with its jaws. Strangling is not
unique to cheetahs, as many other felids use this technique to kill their prey. Unlike other cats,
cheetahs do not ambush or stalk prey until it is well within springing distance. Instead, they
charges from a distance around 70 to 100 meters away from the subject. Success rates are often
more dismal if the charge begins from more than 200 m distance, and the chase can only be continued for a distance up to 500 m. The cheetah is one of the fastest terrestrial mammals, with reported maximum speeds ranging from 80 to 112 kilometers per hour. This velocity, however,
cannot be maintained for more than a few hundred meters before the individual overheats. The
majority of hunts end in failure. (Caro, 1994; Nowak, 1999)

Primary Diet
carnivore
o eats terrestrial vertebrates

Animal Foods
birds
mammals

Predation

Cheetah cub mortality is the highest for cats that are not hunted by humans. Lions, hyenas, and
leopards have been documented killing cheetah cubs. There have been no direct observations of
infanticide by cheetahs. Females have been observed in altercations with males within a short
time range of losing cubs. It is presumed that if infanticide occurs among cheetahs, it is done
with the purpose of ensuring that the mother will come into estrus. While other predators will kill
adult cheetahs if the chance arises, most adults will flee predators. Lions and hyenas have been
observed as kleptoparasites of cheetah kills, but the cheetah in question is usually unable to discourage parasitism and relents in favor of fighting for its meal. (Caro, 1994; Nowak, 1999)

Anti-predator Adaptations
cryptic

Known Predators
o lions (Panthera leo)
o spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta)
o leopards (Panthera pardus)

Ecosystem Roles

The role of cheetahs in their ecosystem is relatively unknown.


Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

The cheetah was semi-domesticated for the purposes of hunting in ancient Egypt, Sumeria, and
Assyria, and continued to be used for 4,300 years. More recently, cheetahs been used for hunting
by European and Indian royalty, usually taken hooded like a falcon and then released when game
was within sight. Cheetahs were favored over other hunting companions because if they tried to
escape, they could be caught within a few hundred yards by a person on horseback. (Nowak,
1999)

Positive Impacts
food
body parts are source of valuable material
ecotourism
research and education

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

In Namibia and other regions of southern Africa, cheetahs are considered a pest and a serious
danger to livestock, and are persecuted accordingly. (Nowak, 1999)

Negative Impacts
crop pest

Conservation Status

The IUCN database lists cheetahs as a vulnerable species. The United States Fish and Wildlife
Service lists the cheetah as endangered in all locations found, and has been on the endangered
species list since the 2nd of June, 1970. Despite this, yearly quotas are permitted in Zimbabwe,
Namibia, and Botswana of 50, 150, and 5 individuals, respectively. Genetic studies of cheetahs
have shown that there is very little genetic variation within the species, possibly due to a severe
bottleneck event during its evolutionary history. This leaves the cheetah extremely vulnerable to
environmental disruption and disease. Cheetahs, when compared to other African cats, have a
smaller success rate in hunting. Cheetahs seem to work harder (Nowak 1999) than other big
cats, and so might be more vulnerable to environmental change from human disturbance than the
other cats in the area. The people of Namibia and Zimbawe still persecute cheetahs today due to
livestock losses, and they are shot for sport in regions of the Sahel. However, most of the countries where cheetahs are found protect the species. (Caro, 1994; IUCN, 1996; Nowak, 1999; US
Fish and Wildlife Service, 1970)

IUCN Red List


Vulnerable
More information

US Federal List
Endangered

CITES
Appendix I

Other Comments

The subfamily Acionychinae was formerly included in a monophyletic group, but new molecular
evidence now clusters cheetahs (A. jubatus) with the cougar (Puma concolor) and jaguarundi (P.
jagouaroundi) in the tribe Acinonychini, with a divergence estimated to be some 6.9 million
years ago. (IUCN, 1996)
Contributors

Erin R. Lehnert (author), Michigan Technological University, Laura Podzikowski (editor), Special Projects.

Glossary
Ethiopian

living in sub-Saharan Africa (south of 30 degrees north) and Madagascar.

Palearctic

living in the northern part of the Old World. In otherwords, Europe and Asia and northern
Africa.

acoustic

uses sound to communicate


altricial

young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for
themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds,
naked and helpless after hatching.
bilateral symmetry

having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirrorimage halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as
anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
carnivore

an animal that mainly eats meat


chemical

uses smells or other chemicals to communicate


cryptic

having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be


camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect.
desert or dunes

in deserts low (less than 30 cm per year) and unpredictable rainfall results in landscapes
dominated by plants and animals adapted to aridity. Vegetation is typically sparse, though
spectacular blooms may occur following rain. Deserts can be cold or warm and daily
temperates typically fluctuate. In dune areas vegetation is also sparse and conditions are
dry. This is because sand does not hold water well so little is available to plants. In dunes
near seas and oceans this is compounded by the influence of salt in the air and soil. Salt
limits the ability of plants to take up water through their roots.
diurnal
1. active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
ecotourism

humans benefit economically by promoting tourism that focuses on the appreciation of


natural areas or animals. Ecotourism implies that there are existing programs that profit
from the appreciation of natural areas or animals.
endothermic

animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently
of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it
may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not
distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
female parental care

parental care is carried out by females


fertilization

union of egg and spermatozoan


food

A substance that provides both nutrients and energy to a living thing.


induced ovulation

ovulation is stimulated by the act of copulation (does not occur spontaneously)

iteroparous

offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple
seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by
definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
motile

having the capacity to move from one place to another.


native range

the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
oriental

found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.

polygynandrous

the kind of polygamy in which a female pairs with several males, each of which also
pairs with several different females.
polygynous

having more than one female as a mate at one time


scent marks

communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface
whether others can smell or taste them
sexual

reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male
and a female
solitary

lives alone
tactile

uses touch to communicate


temperate

that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the
Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees
South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
terrestrial

Living on the ground.


territorial

defends an area within the home range, occupied by a single animals or group of animals
of the same species and held through overt defense, display, or advertisement
tropical

the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees
south.
tropical savanna and grassland

A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not
form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical
Africa and South America, and in Australia.

savanna

A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community


intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland
biome.
temperate grassland

A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5 N or S latitude). Vegetation is


made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on
the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term
maintenance of grasslands.
visual

uses sight to communicate


viviparous

reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body
and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
year-round breeding

breeding takes place throughout the year


References

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id=14000006.
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