Current:Home > MarketsCheetahs change hunting habits on hot days, increasing odds of "unfriendly encounters" with other big cats, study finds-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Cheetahs change hunting habits on hot days, increasing odds of "unfriendly encounters" with other big cats, study finds
View Date:2024-12-24 07:22:08
Cheetahs are usually daytime hunters, but the speedy big cats will shift their activity toward dawn and dusk hours during warmer weather, a new study finds.
Unfortunately for endangered cheetahs, that sets them up for more potential conflicts with mostly nocturnal competing predators such as lions and leopards, say the authors of research published Wednesday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
"Changing temperatures can impact the behavior patterns of large carnivore species and also the dynamics among species," said University of Washington biologist Briana Abrahms, a study co-author.
While cheetahs only eat fresh meat, lions and leopards will sometimes opportunistically scavenge from smaller predators.
"Lions and leopards normally kill prey themselves, but if they come across a cheetah's kill, they will try to take it," said Bettina Wachter, a behavioral biologist who leads the Cheetah Research Project at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research.
"The cheetahs will not fight the larger cats, they will just leave," said Wachter, who is based in Namibia and was not involved in the study.
According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, cubs start hunting with their mother at about one year of age and then separate from their mothers about six months later after they have mastered their skills. Male siblings end up forming groups known as a coalition, which increases hunting success and acts as a defense against other predators, the group says.
Hunting at different times of the day is one long-evolved strategy to reduce encounters between the multiple predator species that share northern Botswana's mixed savannah and forest landscape.
But the new study found that on the hottest days, when maximum daily temperatures soared to nearly 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), cheetahs became more nocturnal — increasing their overlapping hunting hours with rival big cats by 16%.
"There's a greater chance for more unfriendly encounters and less food for the cheetahs," said co-author Kasim Rafiq, a biologist at the University of Washington and the nonprofit Botswana Predator Conservation Trust.
How the study was done
For the current study, researchers placed GPS tracking collars on 53 large carnivores — including cheetahs, lions, leopards and African wild dogs — and recorded their locations and hours of activity over eight years. They compared this data with maximum daily temperature records.
While seasonal cycles explain most temperature fluctuations in the study window of 2011 to 2018, the scientists say the observed behavior changes offer a peek into the future of a warming world.
In the next phase of research, the scientists plan to use audio-recording devices and accelerometers — "like a Fitbit for big cats," said Rafiq — to document the frequency of encounters between large carnivores.
In addition to competition with lions and leopards, cheetahs already face severe pressure from habitat fragmentation and conflict with humans.
"These climate changes could become really critical if we look into the future — it's predicted to become much warmer in this part of Africa where cheetahs live, in Botswana, Namibia and Zambia," said Wachter of the Cheetah Research Project.
Cheetahs are considered to be Africa's most endangered big cat with only about 7,000 remaining in the wild, CBS Miami reported. Found in isolated pockets of Eastern and Southern Africa as well as a very small population in Asia, cheetahs are not considered a danger to humans. However, their biggest threat is human conflict as they are often shot by farmers who consider them a threat to their livestock.
Unless they are sick or injured, cheetahs generally prefer to prey upon wild species and avoid hunting domestic livestock, according to the Cheetah Conservation Fund.
The animal is the world's fastest land animal, capable of reaching speeds of 70 mph in just over three seconds.
- In:
- Africa
- cheetah
veryGood! (7697)
Related
- Gavin Rossdale Makes Rare Public Appearance With Girlfriend Xhoana Xheneti
- My Holy Grail Smashbox Primer Is 50% Off Today Only: Here's Why You Need to Stock Up
- The Long And Winding Journey Of The James Webb Space Telescope
- Queens Court's Evelyn Lozada Engaged to Contestant LaVon Lewis
- Maryland man wanted after 'extensive collection' of 3D-printed ghost guns found at his home
- Gala Marija Vrbanic: How a fashion designer creates clothes for our digital selves
- Facebook is making radical changes to keep up with TikTok
- Burnout turned Twitch streamers' dreams of playing games full time into nightmares
- Oklahoma school district adding anti-harassment policies after nonbinary teen’s death
- Only 31 new emojis will be introduced this year as approvals slow to a trickle
Ranking
- Kentucky woman seeking abortion files lawsuit over state bans
- How the polarizing effect of social media is speeding up
- 4 steps you can take right now to improve your Instagram feed
- A new system to flag racist incidents and acts of hate is named after Emmett Till
- Oklahoma school district adding anti-harassment policies after nonbinary teen’s death
- Sephora 24-Hour Flash Sale: Take 50% Off Smashbox, Nudestix, and More
- In Chile's desert lie vast reserves of lithium — key for electric car batteries
- Police crack down on 'Ndrangheta mafia in sweeping bust across Europe
Recommendation
-
Kevin Costner Shares His Honest Reaction to John Dutton's Controversial Fate on Yellowstone
-
Social media firms are prepping for the midterms. Experts say it may not be enough
-
Apple CEO Tim Cook's fix for those pesky green text bubbles? 'Buy your mom an iPhone'
-
Elon Musk wants out of the Twitter deal. It could end up costing at least $1 billion
-
Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
-
Gun applicants in New York will have to submit their social accounts for review
-
Who was behind the explosions in Crimea? Ukraine and Russia aren't saying
-
Kim and Khloe Kardashian Share Rare Photos With Beautifully Brave Brother Rob Kardashian