he World’s FASTEST land mammal
The World’s FASTEST land mammal
1. The genus name, Acinonyx, means "no-move-claw" in Greek, while the species name, jubatus, means "maned" in Latin, a reference to the mane found in cheetah cubs.
2. The name cheetah comes from an Indian word meaning "spotted one".
3. In c1700 BC the Egyptians were the first to tame the cheetahs and cheetahs have been kept in captivity for some 5,000 years.
4. Cheetahs thrive in areas with vast expanses of land where prey is abundant. Cheetahs have been found in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, savannahs, dense vegetation, and mountainous terrain.
5. Found in 23 of the 26 countries of Africa plus a small population lives in Iran,Namibia, Africa has the largest population of cheetahs.
6. The world’s fastest land mammal is also one of its most endangered.
7. The cheetah has a slender, long-legged body with blunt semi-retractable claws. Its coat is tan with small, round, black spots, and the fur is coarse and short. The cheetah has a small head with high-set eyes.
8. Black "tear marks," which run from the corner of its eyes down the sides of the nose to its mouth, keep the sun out of its eyes and aid in hunting.
9. Adult body length 112-135 cm; tail length 66-84 cm; shoulder height 73+ cm; weight 34-54 kg. The male is slightly larger then the female.
10. Cheetahs can reach up to speeds of 70 MPH.
11. Cheetahs can reach up to 45MPH in just TWO seconds.
12. A cheetah can cover up to 20 feet in just one stride with its powerful legs.
13. Cheetahs are built for speed with their lean bodies, long legs,and narrow heads.
14. Cheetahs have non-retractable claws with hard pads on the bottom of their paws that give them a strong grip on the ground for running.
16. The cheetahs black spots help them blend into the savannas. Cheetahs have 2000 to 3000 spots. That’s A LOT of spots!
17. Cheetahs have black lines known as "tears" near their eyes that run down the side of their nose that help to block the sun's bright glare. These black markings are also believed to enhance their snarl when defending their territory.
18. Cheetahs did not roar yet make chirping sounds to communicate with each other. This sounds somewhat like a bird chirp.
19. Cheetahs have good vision and can see up to three miles away.
20. Cheetahs can live seven to ten years in the wild and up to 16 years in captivity.
21. The first release of Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X was code-named "Cheetah", which set the pattern for the subsequent releases being named after big cats.
22. The animated series ThunderCats had a main character who was an anthropomorphic cheetah named Cheetara.
23. To avoid lions and leopards, cheetahs usually hunt in the middle of the day.
24. Cheetahs eat small antelope - Springbok, Steenbok, Duikers, Impala and Gazelle. They also eat the young of larger animals - Warthog, Kudu, Hartebeest, Oryx, Roan and Sable; as well as game birds and rabbits. They can even mimic some bird sounds,perhaps to attract them.
King cheetah
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