Species: Acinonyx jubatus
Diet: Carnivore
Length: Between 3 1/2 to 5 feet
Height: Around 2-3 feet at the shoulder
Weight: Around 100-160 pounds
Origin: Africa
Personality: Speedy and solitary
Life Span: 10+ years
Hi, I'm Charlotte and I am a Cheetah.
Cheetahs are fast, beautiful and one of the 3 big cats of Africa. If you have a moment I can tell you all about Cheetahs.
Cheetahs are rather solitary creatures, we usually live alone. If a mother Cheetah has cubs then she lives with them for quite some time. Sometimes brothers will stay together in a group. Other than those times we usually live alone.
Cheetahs are around 2-3 feet tall at our shoulders and we can weigh over 100 pounds.
Cheetahs are a tan like color with black spots. Our spots make us able to hide in the grass quite well. We also have black marks that go from our inner eyes down near our nose, which you can see well in the first photo above. This helps keep sun out of our eyes so we can see better.
We are not as large as Lions and Leopards are. So of the 3 African Big Cats, we are the smallest. We are also the fastest!
We can run up to 70 miles per hour, but only for short periods or time or bursts. We do this when hunting. We usually hunt other animals that can run about half the speed we can. Sometimes they still get away though. Can't catch them all.
Most people recognize Cheetahs for their spots, but did you know that our spotted coat is also a means to stay hidden among the Savanna grasses? This works well for us when it's time to find dinner.
We are not as large as Lions and Leopards are. So of the 3 African Big Cats, we are the smallest. We are also the fastest!
We can run up to 70 miles per hour, but only for short periods or time or bursts. We do this when hunting. We usually hunt other animals that can run about half the speed we can. Sometimes they still get away though. Can't catch them all.
Most people recognize Cheetahs for their spots, but did you know that our spotted coat is also a means to stay hidden among the Savanna grasses? This works well for us when it's time to find dinner.
When we are searching for food, a lot of times we sit in a high spot or hide in among the grasses and watch our prey until we can get a good opportunity to make a run for it. We need to make sure it's a good time to start the chase, because we can only run at our top speed for around one minute. Then we overheat and have to take a break. We have extra big lungs and nostrils so we can breath very fast for running. We also have an extra big heart, adrenal glands and liver to be able to make enough energy quickly for those high speeds.
Our long tails help us "steer" when running so fast and helps us balance ourselves, much like house Cats do. We also have claws that only go back into our paws a little bit. They do not go all the way in like other Cats claws do. This helps us to really grab the Earth while we're running so we have good traction too.
Our heads are small and our bodies are long and slender. We are built for speed.