Cheetah

Sizes Length: head and body up to 5 ft. ; tail up to 2 ft. Weight: 75-150 lbs. Lifestyle Habit: female is solitary; males live in small groups Diet: gazelles, other antelope; also hares, rodents, gamebirds, and sometimes larger prey such as zebra Lifespan: up to 12 years in the wild, more in captivity

Breeding Sexual Maturity: 20-24 months Mating Season: throughout the year Gestation: 90-95 days Litter size: up to 8 cubs but usually 2-5 Birth Interval: 17-20 months Related Species There are five subspecies of cheetah, four in Africa, and one in Iran

From a standstill, the cheetah can reach its top speed in approximately 3 seconds. Cheetahs bare its teeth as a sign of warning. Cheetahs sniff the air for their prey's scent. Mothers carry their babies in thier mouths when moving to a new den. Cheetahs are the fastest land mammals, running over 60 miles an hour after its prey.

The cheetah follows its prey and usually catches up within a minute. The cheetah is found mainly in South and East Africa, the Middle East ans southern Asia in Masai Mara, Kenya. The cheetah is a vulnerable species. Once widely shot for its fur, the cheetah now suffers more from loss of both habitat and prey. The cheetah became extint in India in the 1950's. Less than 30,000 remain in Africa.

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