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Previous Issues > October 2006 > Wildville! > Cheetah!
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 Wildville!
Cheetah!
 Cheetah
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Acinonychinae
Genus: Acinonyx
Species: Acinonyx jubatus
The Cheetah is one of the worlds most recognizable cats their spots give them away! They are covered in tiny black spots on a base of pale yellow. Their bellies are white fur. The cheetah has a black outline on the face, from the corner of each eye and curving around to the mouth.
Although they have a distinctive (special) look, what really sets them apart is their speed! Cheetahs can run as fast as 71 miles per hour! Thats how fast your parents probably drive on the highway! Cheetahs have a long slender body that is about four feet long, and a very long tail that adds another two to three feet. They weigh between 75 and 119 pounds.
What makes a cheetah so fast? Their legs are longer than those of other big cats, and they have an elongated spine. This longer spine increases stride length at high speeds, which means they take bigger steps. Cheetahs have unretractable claws (they cant pull them in like other cats), special paw pads for extra traction, and a long tail for balance. Internally, they have large organs (heart, lungs, liver) that help with the physical activity. Their speedy sprints are usually short distances because running that fast makes the body create heat faster than it can be released through sweating through their paws and panting.
Cheetahs are carnivorous, meaning they eat meat. Unlike most carnivores, cheetahs are active mainly during the day. They do their hunting in the early morning and late afternoon. Most cheetahs in the wild live in Africa.
Sources: Encyclopedia Brittanica; Wikipedia, cheetah.
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