• Its common habitat is open grassland but it can also be found in dense woodland.

 

• Unlike other big cats such as lions and tigers, this cat never roars. It rather purrs and often make chirping-like sound to communicate with each other.

 

• Its fur is of tan color that allows it to blend easily in tall grasses of savannah. Its entire body is covered with black spots. The pattern of spots in every cheetah is different, making each one of them uniquely identifiable.

• They have characteristic ‘tear stripes’ that stretch all the way down to their nose starting from the corner of their eyes.

• There are 36 different species of cheetahs and irrespective of the species, they need to drink water once every 3-4 days. They can draw fluid from the food they eat. They live by the day and are known as diurnal creatures.

 

• Cheetah’s can run at a speed of 70 miles per hour and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3 seconds. Though this cat is the fastest land mammal it cannot run at top speed for a long time. It can sprint at that speed for 100 yards, beyond which its body gets over heated.

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• While chasing a prey, cheetah’s body temperature can reach up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit or 41 degrees Celsius.

• Its entire body is designed for speed. Muscular, slim and long legs with non-retractable claws, deep chest, and flexible spine, small rounded head on long neck, special traction pads on feet – all add to its aerodynamic structure.

• This cat uses its tail for balancing and steering when it runs to hunt. The tail actually helps it to take sharp turns in any direction while running at its top speed.

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• Cheetahs generally hunt smaller animals like impalas, Thompson’s gazelles, birds, hares etc.

• They can also hunt down zebras and wildebeest if they hunt in a group They don’t stalk their prey. They creep up close and then chase their prey for around 20 to 30 seconds.

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