Cheetah

Streamlined and designed to run, the cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world, reaching speeds up to 70 miles (113 km) per hour for short distances.

The cheetah’s legs are long and its shoulders high, giving its back a sweeping look. Black spots cover its body, and two distinct dark lines stripe either side of its face. Unlike other large cats, the cheetah cannot retract its claws. The females are generally smaller than the males.

Cheetahs usually hunt at dusk and dawn, resting during the day. Gazelles are their favorite prey, although they will hunt other hoofed animals. Cheetahs approach their prey by stealth and then surprise them by bursting into a sprint and intercepting quickly. When they hunt in groups, cheetahs can bring down prey larger than themselves.

The cheetah’s habitat is in savannas and arid, open grasslands in Arabia, Iran, Turkistan, and south of the Sahara in Africa.

The gestation period of the cheetah is 90 to 95 days. A litter consists of four to five cubs which are 12 inches long (30 cm) at birth and, like other cats, born blind. Their den is located in long grasses or bushes. Cubs are dusty white and begin to develop adult coloration at three months, though their backs and neck will remain white until approximately eight months. They will not be mature enough to raise their own families until they are two or three years old. However, they will go hunting with their mother as early as six weeks.

Cheetahs can be and have been domesticated for about 4,000 years. They are easily tamed and have been used by man as a hunting aid.

It is interesting to note that scientists now claim all cats can be traced back to one (three at most) different cat kinds. Science is catching up with God’s Word. In Genesis it says that God created the kinds.

Cheetah

Carnivora • Felidae • Acinonyx Jubatus

Height: 2.3’ – 2.8’ (70–85 cm)
Weight: 120 to 128 pounds (50 to 59 kg)
Length: body - 4.6 to 5 feet (1.4 to 1.5 m),tail - 24 to 28 inches (60 to 70 cm)
Life Span: up to 12 years
Special Design Feature: The cheetah is designed to run. Its legs are long and its body streamlined.
Did You Know? The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world.