| Cheetah | |||
| Genus | Acinonyx | ||
| Species | jubatus | ||
| Status | Endangered | ||
| Habitat | Grasslands | ||
| Distribution | Africa to India | ||
| Height | 32 inches (81 cm) | ||
| Length | (with tail) 70-86 inches (178-218 cm) | ||
| Weight | 86-140 pounds (39-64 kg) | ||
| Behavior | The cheetah's streamlined body and powerful legs make it the perfect running machine. Its long tail helps it to make rapid turns without losing balance. The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world, running up to 70 miles (110 km) per hour. | ||
| Feeding | Cheetahs only eat meat from animals they have hunted. Cheetahs have thin bones that break easily, so they cannot risk stealing meat, or scavenging, from other animals. It would not be able to win a fight with a lion or a hyena, so it usually hunts its own prey. | ||
| Breeding | When a mother cheetah goes hunting, she leaves her babies behind. Sometimes these babies fall prey to other predators. When they are old enough, the young cheetahs are taken hunting with their mother. But because they are so playful, they usually spoil the hunt by moving around and making so much noise. | ||
| No. of young | 5 | ||
| Conservation |
All cheetahs of the world are very similar, and they become more alike the more they breed. Scientists fear that if its habitat undergoes major changes, it will not be able to change with it.
Cheetahs have been historically hunted for their beautiful spotted fur, which was made into coats. Today they are no longer legally hunted, but they are losing their habitats to farms and cities. And they do not breed well in zoos, a fact that furthers their danger of extinction. | ||
| Interesting Facts | Though the cheetah is a member of the cat family, it cannot retract, or pull in, its claws. Its long legs also prevent it from climbing trees. The black-spotted, gold-colored coats help the cheetah camouflage against the grasses and plants of the grasslands. | ||
| Images and Video Clips | |||
| |||
| Sound Snippet | |||
|
1) Hear the purring, spitting and snarling | |||
| Animal Communication Panel | |||
 Back
|
|