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MATING SYSTEM

Cheetahs are a promiscuous species (Bertram 1979). Promiscuity is defined into three categories: overlap, hierarchical, and lek promiscuity. Cheetahs fall under the category of Overlap Promiscuity. Sixty percent of all mammals are classified into this category of promiscuity. Male cheetahs do not care for the offspring at all, so there is no need for a bond to from between the male and female. This entitles the male to leave and search for more females to mate with. For an animal to be defined as overlap promiscuity the female of the species must be solitary and live on a large home range. The female cheetah fits this perfectly. A female cheetah's home range can overlap up to four territories of male coalitions and also overlaps the home ranges of other females (Marker 1996). One other specification of overlap promiscuity is that the movement of the female is not predictable. This statement also holds true for the cheetah.
Since there is no paternal care for the offspring, the mother most raise the young by herself. Young stay under the care of their mother until the age of 14-18 months. At this time they are released on their own (Caro 1986).

Kin Selection

Kin selection only appears in the male cheetah. Male siblings leave their mother and form coalions. Two to Four male brothers will make up a coalition and keep that bond until death. The bond formed helps to access territories essential for mating. Cheetahs are found to be in better physical condition and maintain larger tracts of land if they are in a coalion (Caro 1989).