Cheetahs

1. Cheetahs are the fastest land animal on Earth.

Cheetahs can reach speeds of up to 75 mph. They usually only get up to these
speeds in short sprints as they attack their prey, with a cheetah's average speed
being around 40 mph. They also have an incredibly high acceleration, with the ability
to go from 0 to 60 mph in only 3 seconds! The fastest run was recorded by a cheetah
named Sarah who lives at Cincinnati Zoo, as she ran the 100-meter dash in 5.95
seconds.

2. Cheetahs have around 2000 spots.

One of the first animals that come to mind when we think of spotted animals is the
cheetah. Cheetahs have approximately 2000 spots, and it is possible to identify
cheetahs in wildlife management according to their unique spots and patterns.

3. Cheetahs use their spotted coat as a disguise.

Cheetahs' spots cover nearly all their bodies and are thought to reinforce camouflage
by supplying contrast to gray-hued grasses. Cheetah cubs need camouflage not only
to stalk prey, but also to protect themselves from predators. Each cheetah has their
own unique spots and ring pattern around its tail, much like a human fingerprint.
4. The word “cheetah” comes from Hindi.
The cheetah gets its name from the Hindi word “Chita,” which means “spotted one.”

5. Only male cheetahs are social.

Male cheetahs have been known to form coalitions of 2-3 so that they can defend as
much land as possible. 70% of these coalitions are made up of brothers, but
occasionally they include outsiders. Males are generally not territorial towards each
other but can be towards other coalitions or solitary males.
Female cheetahs on the other hand are solitary animals except when raising a litter,
and only come in contact with others to mate. Mothers with cubs tend to stay within a
short distance of one another.

6. Cheetahs can give birth to 2-8 cubs at a time.

A cheetah’s gestation period is only 90-95 days, and a mother can give birth to
anywhere from 2 to 8 cubs at a time! This is unfortunately due to a high cub mortality
rate, both in the wild and in captivity. Cheetah cubs have a dusty-gray coloring with
long hair running down their backs, which is called a mantle. On average, they are
about 12 inches long and weigh just 0.75lbs at birth. After six weeks, the young are
strong enough to join the hunt and at six months, they are able to practice killing live
prey.
7. Cheetahs don’t roar.
Unlike most other big cats such as lions and tigers, cheetahs don’t have the ability to
roar.
The bones of the cheetah’s voice box are structured the same as that of “small” cats,
which means they meow. Although this design allows the cats to purr continuously, it
limits the range of other sounds they can make, and also prevents them from
roaring.
Despite not being able to roar, cheetahs can make a variety of different sounds.
Researchers have found that male cheetahs have been known to make a “stuttering
sound” when trying to impress a female. They will also growl and hiss when feeling
threatened and will let out a loud yelp when wanting to signal a warning.

8. There are 5 types of Cheetahs.

There are 5 different subspecies of cheetah, these include:
 Asiatic cheetah
 Northwest African cheetah
 South African cheetah
 Sudan cheetah
 Tanzanian cheetah
The Asiatic and Northwest African cheetahs are listed as critically endangered.
Although the number of cheetahs in Sudan and Tanzania is higher, the population
has declined in recent years.

9. Cheetahs have excellent eyesight.

As well as speed, cheetahs have an excellent sense of vision, which enables them to
spot and chase prey from 3 miles away. Cheetahs also have black tear marks called
‘Malar’ stripes that run from their eyes down the sides of their face. This feature
attracts the sun away from the eyes and stops the glaring sun from obstructing their
view. You can see the same strategy used when football players put black smudges
under their eyes.

10. Cheetahs only hunt during the day.

Cheetahs are crepuscular hunters, which means they hunt at dusk and dawn. It’s
believed that cheetahs have adapted to hunt during the day, unlike most other big
cats, so as not to compete with the likes of lions, hyenas, and leopards. An additional
risk of night hunting is kleptoparasiting, in which another animal steals the catch.

11. The cheetah's body has adapted for speed.

We all know now that cheetahs are fast, but did you know the number of ways their
bodies have evolved in order for them to become the world’s fastest animal?
Cheetahs generally weigh around 125 pounds, making them lightweight and easy to
accelerate. They have a small head, lean legs, and a flat rib cage to make them
more aerodynamic by minimizing air resistance. Their semi-retractable claws and
hard foot pads help their feet maintain traction, while their long tail is used to stabilize
and steer the body. A cheetah’s skeleton acts as a spring, with its unusually flexible
spine and hips, and free-moving shoulder blades. Because running as fast as this
requires lots of oxygen, their nasal passages and lungs are enlarged to help intake
more air. Cheetahs can breathe up to 150 times per minute while running, up from
sixty breaths per minute at rest.
12. Cheetahs live up to 10 years in the wild.
A cheetah’s lifespan is around 10 to 12 years in the wild, but it can reach up to 20
years or longer in captivity. A female cheetah in Birmingham Zoo named Dolly held
the record for the oldest cheetah raised in captivity. She died in 2009 after reaching
the grand old age of 18 years old. There are also some unverified sources claiming
the oldest cheetah lived to be 27 years old!

13. Can survive up to 10 days without water.

The average cheetah consumes 6-8 pounds of food per day. In some cases, they
can go as long as 4-10 days without water. This is because they hydrate from the
moisture from the bodies of their prey. The cheetah’s diet consists of a wide range of
prey from rabbits, wildebeest calves, birds, warthogs, and many more.

14. It is illegal to keep a cheetah as a pet in the USA.

Cheetahs are incredibly rare in the U.S. and aren’t quite common even in zoos since
they are difficult to breed or import. Additionally, keeping them as pets is illegal in the
United States.

15. Cheetahs are not natural climbers.

Although a member of the big cat family, it’s quite uncommon to see a cheetah up in
a tree. Cheetahs have non-retractable claws like a dog, which gives them an
advantage when it comes to speed but limits their tree-climbing abilities. Despite this,
they will occasionally venture up a tree to gain height to see the surrounding area,
since most of their habitat is thick bush.
16. Cheetahs used to be sacred in Ancient Egypt.
In Ancient Egypt, Cheetahs were often kept as pets and hunting companions by
pharaohs, as we have found depicted in paintings and statues. Not only that but they
would often be buried with their owners after their death, as it was thought that the
cheetah’s speed would take the pharaoh’s soul to the afterlife. There was even
believed to be an Egyptian Goddess named Mafdet, who was often pictured with a
cheetah’s head.

17. The population of cheetahs is only around seven thousand.

The population of cheetahs has severely declined over recent decades due to
habitat conversion for agriculture, as well as illegal hunting and loss of prey species.
It is estimated that there are only 7,100 cheetahs left in the wild, and their future is
uncertain throughout their range.
 All About Cheetahs

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