Cheetah

The fastest animal on earth

The cheetah is the strangest of all the felines. Standing high off the ground, it has a narrow body and long tail. Its claws do not retract as do those of its cousins. It does not roar but emits an odd cry like a mewing hiss. Like a cat, it purrs to show pleasure. The cheetah is one of the rare diurnal felines. In fact it hunts by day, pursuing the antelope which it locates by means of its keen eyesight. The cheetah lives in the open savannah and is never found in forests. It spends a large part of its time crouched on hillocks or large anthills, visually searching its territory for some kind of prey. Unlike the other big cats, which rely on surprise to take their victims, the cheetah overcomes gazelle and other antelope by running them down. Faster even than the greyhound the cheetah can reach speeds of 90-98 km/hr (56-63 mph)

which allow it to outstrip any other animal on earth. Against this extraordinary performance must be set the fact that the cheetah has no endurance; it is exhausted after a run of 300-400 meters and has to rest for some time to get its breath back. It is a sprinter not a distance runner. The habits of the cheetah have remained mysterious until recent years. It steadfastly refused to breed in captivity until 1967, since zoologists did not know that the presence of several males is necessary before the female will mate. It is the female who selects her partner, always teh strongest member of the group. Long ago the cheetah was used as a hunting animal in Asia and Arabia.

Gestation: 90 to 95 days Number of young: 2 to 5 Weight at birth: about 275 g (9 oz)	Adult weight: 30 to 65 kg (66 to 143 lbs) Sexual maturity: from 17 to 24 months	Longevity: 16 years Running speed: can cover 300 m (330 yds) at 70 to 90 km/hr (43 to 56 mph)
Phylum: Vertebrata	Class: Mammalia	Order: Carnivora	Family: Felidae	Genus and species: Acinonyx jubatus

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