Run Cheetah Run

We know cheetahs to be the best runners in the world. But have we wondered why! The science behind the running of cheetah and many other facts about that big cat are before you now.

FROM THE CAT FAMILY!

- Cheetahs belong to an animal family called Felidae. Felidae is a big family that includes all sorts of cats. From domestic cats to tigers, Felidae consists of huge variety of cats.
- From Africa to Asia- Cheetahs love to live in the grasslands that would hide them from the predators. The yellow fur and dark spots on their body would act as a camouflage among the grass.
- In fact the word 'Cheetah' comes from a Sanskrit word 'Chitrakaya' which means body with varied colors.

RUN AND WIN!

- The strength of a cheetah lies in its speed. The body of cheetah is designed by the nature in such a way that it can run at its best. It can run at the speed of 110 km per hour!
- The lungs and heart of a cheetah are bigger in size. They pump more air and blood to facilitate the running of a cheetah.
- A cheetah also has "semi non-retractable" claws. These claws give a better grip to the cheetah while on a run.
- The tail of a cheetah would act like a rudder. It lets the cheetah to make sharp turns. It also maintains the balance of the cheetah while on a run.

GREAT HUNTER!

- Cheetahs are carnivores which mean that they live purely on meat. They love to hunt the smaller antelope species like the Gazelle.
- Unlike the other predators cheetahs would knock down their prey before they clamp their throat.
- While the other cats such as lions hunt at night, cheetahs prefer either dawn or dusk. Because such a time would be cool, but would have enough light to hunt.
- Cheetahs also have special 'tear marks' that run from the corner of their eyes to the mouth. Scientists think that these tear marks would help them to reflect the glare of the sun while they hunt during the day.

STATISTICS

- Though cheetah belongs to the family of big cats, it is not as height as a tiger or a lion. Cheetah measures around 3 feet in height from the ground.
- On an average, a cheetah would weight around 60 kgs.
- A female cheetah would give birth to 2-8 cubs. But most of the cubs fall prey to predators like the tigers. Some times more than 90 percent of the cubs get killed before they grow up.
- The lifespan of cheetahs is about 10-12 years in the wild. But in cases they can live up to 20 years.
- Due to continuous deforestation and wild hunting... the number of cheetahs is no more than 10000 around the world.