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The diet of Acinonyx jubatus
Related articles:
Where cheetahs live →
What lions eat →
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Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Image: Falense
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Cheetah's prey mainly on gazelles, especially Thomson's gazelles. They also attempt to take on impalas and other small to medium-sized antelope. Sometimes, too, they prey on the calves of larger animals. Cheetahs are not big animals, weighing only about 20–70 kg (about 45–155 lbs).
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Thompson's Gazelle
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Impala
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Typically, cheetahs go two or more days between kills, but females with young will try to take at least one gazelle a day. They differ from other cats in their method of hunting. They don't ambush or sneak within springing distance.
Instead, cheetahs approach their prey, typically in plain sight, to within about a hundred meters. Then, suddenly, they charge all out. If they overtake their victim, they bowl it over and strangle it with a bite to the neck. But their prey often escapes.
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