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Overlap Promiscuity

Cheetahs exhibit overlapping promiscuous behavior, and can reproduce year round. This type of mating classification is characterized by females with large home ranges and fairly unpredictable daily movements. Males who exhibit this type of mating behavior normally have ranges or territories that overlap the ranges of several females. Cheetah males' territories are found in areas through which females frequently travel. As in any promiscuous mating system, males mate with many females, and visa versa.

Females and their Cubs

Females are polyestrous and cycle approximately every 12 days. Once females reach 13 to 16 months of age, they are sexually mature. Breeding partners will remain together for 2 to 3 days, and gestation is 90 to 95 days. A typical litter size is one to six cubs that remain dependent on their mother for over a year. Unfortunately for the cheetahs' sake, young cheetahs experience a high mortality rate (Laurenson 1994). Born blind and relying almost exclusively on hiding from predators as protection, only about 5 percent of cubs live to be independent cats. Most of the cheetah cubs that die are victims of predation, and fall to Serengeti carnivores, such as the lion and hyena. Due to the high cub mortality rate, cheetahs reach maturity and have larger litter sizes than other felids. Offspring are of low birth weight and litters are relatively light. It is suggested that mothers produce light litters so they do not waste energy on offspring that have a low chance of survival (Caro 1994).

Picture Courtesy Mkmsweet. Permission Requested.

Female cheetahs become solitary animals around 1.5 years of age, when they first estrus. A female will wean her cubs when they are 3 months old, but they will not become independent until they are about 15 months of age (Caro 1994). Cubs remain in the lair for eight weeks. After coming out of the lair, cubs are introduced to solid food, and will follow their mother to her kills to feed. Mothers must remain vigilant for predators and avoid them whenever possible.

Male Cheetahs

As with all species in the animal kingdom, the social structure of the cheetah influences the mating behavior, and visa versa. Males become sexually mature around 15 to 26 months of age. Adolescent and adult male cheetahs usually form coalitions of two or three members, and usually the members of the coalition are brothers. These coalitions wait for females to enter their territories. Males detect estrus females by smelling urine markings within their territory. All members of a group will attempt to mate with an ovulating female once she has entered the territory. A male or group of males attempting to mate will stay close to a single female. This association could last up to two days, during which the participants may hunt together (Caro 1994). Males also vocalize when attempting to mate with a female. These vocalizations include yipping, stutter calls, and even growling (Sylvie 1997). Roaming males who do not succeed in acquiring a territory may also attempt to mate, but experience reduced mating success compared to territorial males (Caro 1994 and Estes).