Tropes

Livescience_2013 02786.txt

#Fun Facts About Cheetahs Cheetahs the fastest land mammals in the world are built for speed. They can reach running speeds of up to 70 mph (113 kph) and they can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in three seconds faster than most cars. A single bound can cover 22 feet (7 meters) thanks to a flexible spine that lets their front legs extend extra far. Their deep chests and enlarged hearts lungs and nostrils help cheetahs take in more oxygen during intense chases. Their high-set eyes have a 210-degree field of view. Nonretractable claws help them gain traction when running on soft ground and their tails help them balance as they make sharp high-speed turns while chasing their prey. Full-grown cheetahs are about 4 feet (1. 2 m) long not including a 30-inch (76-centimeter) tail. They weigh about 75 to 145 pounds (34 to 66 kilograms) and are 2 to 3 feet (0. 6 to 0. 9 m) tall at the shoulder. Cheetahs'golden coats are embellished with many small black spots which helps them blend in with their grassy habitat. Cheetahs prey on warthogs gazelles antelopes rabbits porcupines and even ostriches and they catch their prey by chasing it down. These chases cost the cheetah an enormous amount of energy and they're usually all over in less than a minute. Once a cheetah catches its prey it holds it with a strangling bite to the neck. The cheetah is usually panting heavily due to the intense chase and its body temperature can reach 105 degrees F (41 degrees C). After about 20 minutes the cheetah's breathing and temperature return to normal and by then its prey has suffocated. Lions and leopards can attack a cheetah and steal its kill so cheetahs try to avoid them by hunting in the middle of the day. Cheetahs usually eat their prey right away since they're not strong enough to hide it or fend off other predators. Female cheetahs are solitary but males live in small permanent groups called coalitions which are made usually up of brothers. Both males and females hunt alone. Usually only one male in a coalition mates with any particular female Cheetahs can breed at any time of year but they tend to mate in the dry season. Baby cheetahs are born about three months later at the start of the wet season. There are usually three to five cubs in a litter and each newborn cheetah cub weighs only 5 to 10 ounces (142 to 284 grams). The mother cheetah hides her cubs until they're five or six weeks old; after that the cubs follow their mom and share her kills. They wean when they're around three months old and live with their mother for about 18 months. The female cubs then head off on their own while the males remain together for life in a coalition. Cheetahs live to be about 12 years old in the wild and as long as 17 years in zoos. Â Most cheetahs live in southwestern and eastern Africa but the Asiatic cheetah (A. jubatusvenaticus) is found only in Iran. Cheetahs roam grasslands savannas and semiarid prairies any area with open land and plenty of prey is good cheetah habitat. The Wild Cats of Kruger National park Vulnerable to Critically Endangered Overall the species is vulnerable but two subspecies (A. jubatusvenaticus and A. jubatushecki) are endangered both critically. Fewer than 100 Asiatic cheetahs and 250 Northwest African cheetahs remain. There are about 7500 adult cheetahs living in the wild. Scientists think the species has declined by about 30 percent over the last three generations or about 18 years. Their biggest threats are habitat loss and hunting by humans either for trade or to protect livestock. Cheetahs are nearly twice as fast as racehorses: The fastest racehorse runs 43 mph (69 kph) but cheetahs can run up to 70 mph (113 kph). A cheetah's feet don't touch the ground for more than half of the time it's running. Look Quick: Gallery of the Fastest Beasts On land Cheetahs can turn in midair while sprinting after their prey. King cheetahs have lengthwise stripes and are very rare. Their distinct markings are due to a recessive gene. The name cheetah in English is derived from the Hindi word chita which means spotted one. Emperors and other royalty hunted gazelles with trained cheetahs in the 16th century. Cheetahs are very vocal. They make a unique bird-like sound called a chirrup when they're excited or calling their cubs. They can't roar like lions or tigers but they do growl hiss snarl moan bleat and purr. They get the moisture they need from the bodies of their prey so cheetahs rarely need to drink water. Cheetahs are the only cats with black tear marks on their faces. Scientists think these might act as sun protection like football players painting black marks under their eyes. Vision Quiz: What Can Animals See? Other resources s

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