The Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus By Mr. Kibbe

General Description The cheetah is the fastest land mammal and has a spotted coat, a small head, and claws that never fully retract. Cheetahs usually weigh 75-150 pounds, are 4.3-4.9 feet long, and live up to 12 years. Cheetahs, part of the cat family, are found in the savanna grasslands and semi-arid deserts of Africa. They live in flat, open spaces to take advantage of their speed.

Food & Feeding Cheetahs hunt a wide variety of prey, including hares and gamebirds, but prefer larger herbivores such as gazelles and impalas. If it can, the cheetah chooses a sick, young, or old animal, or one that has strayed from the herd. Sometimes 2 or 3 males hunt together. Cheetahs will sprint after their prey for a few seconds and will then give up. They are probably successful in 1 out of 10 hunts.

Reproduction Cheetahs are sexually mature between 20-24 months and can breed all year long. After mating, the male leaves, and the female is responsible for raising the young. The female is pregnant for 90-95 days and gives birth to 2 to 5 young. Females can have offspring every 17-20 months Cubs are born blind, helpless and unusually small.

Lifestyle Males live and hunt in all-male groups, usually with brothers from the same litter. Males are very territorial and will fight an intruder to the death. Females lead a solitary life, except for the 20 months that they spends looking after each litter of cubs. Females are not aggressive nor are they territorial.

Interesting Facts The cheetah can sprint up to 70 miles per hour for a few seconds. The cheetah can accelerate to top speed in about 3 seconds. At full stretch in pursuit of prey, it can cover almost 33 feet in a single stride. Female cheetahs catch live prey for their cubs to use as hunting practice. Its 2-2.5 foot-long tail gives it balance while running and turning at high speeds.