๐ฆ Animal world ๐ Mammals
The cheetah
๐ In short
The cheetah is the fastest land animal! It lives on the grassy plains of Africa, and has a long, slim body, long legs and yellow fur covered in small black spots.
๐คฉ Did you know?
- Cheetah cubs stay with their mother for about 15 months to learn to hunt.
- A cheetah can reach 100 kilometers an hour in a few seconds.
- A cheetah can't roar like a lion, but it purrs and makes a sound like birds chirping.
- The cheetah is endangered, and there are few left in the wild.
๐ Find out more
๐ Amazing speed
A cheetah can run at nearly 110 kilometers an hour, as fast as a car on a motorway! But it tires quickly, so it only runs that fast for a short distance.
๐ Built like a sports car
A cheetah's back is flexible, bending and stretching with every stride; its long tail helps it balance when turning, and its claws grip the ground like running shoes.
๐ก Tear lines
A cheetah has two black lines running from its eyes to its mouth like tears. Scientists say they cut down the sun's glare and help it see.
๐ฏ A daytime hunter
Most big cats hunt at night, but the cheetah hunts by day. It creeps quietly towards a gazelle, then suddenly sprints at full speed.
๐ธ More pictures
๐งฉ Test yourself
1 What is the fastest land animal?
2 When does the cheetah usually hunt?
3 Cheetah cubs stay with their mother for about ?? months to learn to hunt.
4 Which picture shows โThe cheetahโ?
๐ฆ Discover more
๐ท Picture sources: Wikimedia Commons
- AfricanConservation ยท CC BY-SA 4.0
- original by Lukas Kaffer (Super.lukas); picture improved and changes by Algos ยท CC BY-SA 3.0
- Steve Wilson - over 6 million views Thanks !! from Chester, UK ยท CC BY 2.0
- flowcomm ยท CC BY 2.0
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