Cheetahs evolved into "running machines".
The evolutionary route of cats is basically the same, all in the direction of sharper claws and explosive power, only cheetahs are different. It went further and further down the path of speed evolution, eventually forming a "running machine". In order to achieve faster speed, the cheetah's body and limbs became more slender and the bones became lighter. At the same time, in order to maintain stability when running at high speeds, the cheetah's claws have also evolved into a rough shape. The long tail kept balance during running and sharp turns, and a running machine comparable to a V8 engine was born.
However, in order to pursue extreme speed, cheetahs also paid a huge price. Its bones and body became too light, and its weight did not match its body length, and the cheetah, which averaged nearly 2 meters in length, weighed only about 45 kilograms. The claws and canine teeth that felines pride themselves on have also become less applicable in cheetahs. Its bite force is only about 150 kilograms, which is much lower than that of large individual wolves. The claws have become very dull due to prolonged friction with the ground, which makes cheetahs only kill some small mammals. The most common prey is the antelope, which is also known for its running speed. While extreme speed brings benefits to the cheetah, it also makes it more challenging when hunting and escaping. In the cheetah's native environment, only predators such as lions, leopards and spotted hyenas threaten its survival. These animals are larger than cheetahs and are all social animals, but cheetahs rely on extremely fast acceleration and can usually overcome danger.
However, although the cheetah is an endangered species in the feline family, its endangerment is not due to being hunted by humans like other big cats. So, what is the endangerment mystery of cheetahs? Cheetahs have four subspecies, and their names represent their distribution area. South African cheetah, Central African cheetah, Saharan cheetah and Asian cheetah. However, Asian cheetahs are not only distributed in Asia, but mainly in South and Southeast Asia. However, today, the Asian cheetah population is only 40-70, which is a critically endangered species. Another critically endangered species is the Saharan cheetah, which is mainly found in northwest Africa near the Sahara Desert. Today, there are only about 250 mature individuals, which also meets the criteria of critically endangered.
