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 Let
me ask you a question. What is the fastest running land animal? Yes, the answer
is the cheetah. So, how fast does a cheetah run? Don't be surprised. It can reach speeds of up to 97
kilometers per hour in just 4 seconds!
The cheetah has a golden or yellowish coat covered with many small black
spots. "Cheetah"
is a Hindi word that means "spotted one."
Cheetahs grow to between 1 and 1.4
meters long, not including their 76-centimeter tails. They weigh between 34 and 66 kilograms.
They stand 61 to 91 centimeters
tall at the shoulder. Males weigh about 5 kilograms
more than females.
Cheetahs live in sub-Saharan Africa. You can
find them in Savannas. But they are not
found in forest areas or wetlands. Cheetahs eat mammals weighing less than
40 kilograms. They also eat smaller animals such as hares and birds. But surprisingly, a cheetah can
go up to 10 days without food! In zoos, cheetahs may live up to 17
years. In the wild, they may live 8 to
10 years.
Female cheetahs reach breeding age by 21 or 22
months of age. They can breed at any time of year. On average, three babies
are born about three months after mating takes place. The babies
feed on their mother's milk
for about three months.
Cheetahs used to live throughout Africa, Middle
East and India. But today, they can be found only in Africa. Some
scientists believe a few may live in Iran. Over the last century, people hunted them
for their spotted coats. People also killed many cheetahs because
they sometimes attacked livestock. Today, only about
8,000 to 10,000 wild cheetahs survive. |
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