Posts Tagged ‘cheetah tail’

Jul
23

Cheetah Profile: Kito

Posted by in Cheetah Ambassador Program,Profiles

I was browsing a recent coworker’s blog entry and saw suggestions in several comments that we provide more in-depth info about our animals. Well, since this blog is devoted to 4 of the most popular animals at the Houston Zoo, I thought I better get started. First up, Kito the Cheetah:

Kito and Taji

Kito loves dogs, he even shares his training snacks with them!

Name: Kito (Swahili for “precious”)

Vital Stats: Kito is a male cheetah and he will be 2 years old in September. As you know from previous entries, he was born in Florida and came to the zoo at just a few days old. He has one brother here at the zoo and a sister in Florida.

Interests: Chasing stuff, napping, hanging out with his friends, teaching people about threats to wild cheetahs

Kito is self confident, with a ready-for-anything attitude and an eagerness to train, all of which makes him a great animal ambassador at the zoo.

kito's tail

BLOG ONLY INFO: you can tell Kito apart from Kiburi by his tail - Kito has a solid black tip with a spot, Kiburi has stripes

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Jul
10

Cool Cheetah Adaptation #9: Eyes

Posted by in Adaptations

cheetah eyes-featured

Cheetahs are unique among the cats in so many ways, both in their anatomy and behavior.

Cheetahs hunt during the day, which is not common it cats. Daytime hunting requires excellent eyesight and cheetahs have large, high set eyes that are amazingly acute. Our cheetahs here at the zoo often spot the smallest amount of movement far across the zoo way before we see it.

Dark stripes, resembling tear marks, run from the eye down to the muzzle. Many believe that the purpose of these stripes is to help them see better, similar to the black marks ball players will put under their eyes to reduce glare. This unique marking is the sure-fire way to tell a cheetah from another spotted cat like a leopard or jaguar.

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