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Very fast! In fact, the Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest land mammal on earth. Featuring long legs, slender bodies, and small heads, these spotted racers are built for speed. Their claws (kept blunt from wear because they don’t retract like most cats’ claws) provide increased traction, and their muscular tails serve as high-speed stabilizers. Even their flexible spines are devoted to generating speed, acting as springs to propel their rear legs.
Cheetahs are capable of running up to 60-70 miles per hour, though only in short bursts. If a cheetah doesn’t land its prey within the span of a few hundred yards, it usually abandons the chase. One claim states that these big cats can accelerate from 0-45 miles per hour in about two seconds flat. In comparison, the fastest humans can only run about 18 miles per hour.
When a cheetah catches its prey (which can range from small creatures like hares, game birds, and gazelle, to bigger ones like antelope, wildebeest, and zebras), it knocks the animal down and quickly applies a suffocating bite to the jugular vein. But the cheetah is usually so exhausted from the chase that it must rest and cool down before it can eat.
Cheetahs’ bodies are approximately 4' long, with another 2' of tail length. They stand just over 3' high and usually weigh more than 100 pounds. Once widespread across most of Africa and parts of Asia, these big cats are now mainly found only in East Africa. They live 10-15 years in the wild, but unfortunately are now extremely endangered because of habitat loss and over-hunting due to their valuable pelts. Sometimes confused with the leopard, the cheetah’s yellowish-brown coat features black spots that merge into rings on the tail. The belly and undersides are white. Cheetahs also have distinct black stripes on their faces that run from eyes to mouth. Unlike some big cats that roar loudly, the cheetah utters a barking howl that sounds more like a purr.
Copyright © 2001 by John W. Schlim Jr.
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Mammal |
Christina’s Big Cats of the World
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