The Cheetah

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Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
By Mr. Kibbe
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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 savannah grasslands and semi-arid deserts of
  Africa. They live in flat, open spaces to take
  advantage of their speed.

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World Distribution of Cheetahs
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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.

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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 very small.
  Over half of them die during their first year.

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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.

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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.

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Photo Gallery
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Photo Gallery
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Photo Gallery
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Photo Gallery
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Photo Gallery
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Photo Gallery
Moya, a 2-year-old cheetah from the Cincinnati
Zoo, chases after a stuffed toy and sets a new
world record for cheetahs in the 100-meter dash
with a time of 6.6 seconds.
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Photo Gallery
Lauryn Hill meets Chobe the Cheetah at the San
Diego Zoo
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Sources Used for Information

• Cheetah. Wildlife Explorer (information card),
  International Masters Publishers, 1998.
• Cheetah. The Kingfisher Illustrated
  Encyclopedia of Animals , Kingfisher Books, 1992.
• How fast can a cheetah run? Amazing Animals,
  Wishing Well Books, 1994.