The Cheetah - The Fastest of the Big Cats

The cheetah is an animal of the family of felines, or cat-like. A long time ago the cheetah lived in very great number in Africa and India, but the man took it's toll on the population by hunting it, that it now extinct in India. There are still good numbers of the cheetah in Africa however.

The cheetah is the only feline whose claws are not retractable. It is not very large, its weight is from approximately 40 to 50 kilos. Its fur, of yellowish color and is marked round spots and of black color. Its profile has two black stripes which leave the internal corner of its eyes and goes down to the corner from its mouth.

It is very flexible and its legs are long, which makes it by far the fastest of the big cats. Its speed can reach more than 100 km/h.

The cheetah is primarily a solitary creature and does not live in large groups. It hunts during the day and sleeps at night. It hunts especially the antelope and if it does not capture its prey very quickly, it gives up because it really cannot tolerate extended chases. it eats young gazelles, zebras and rabbits. The cheetah can go up to ten days without drinking.

The cheetah's mating season lasts all year, however, the male cheetahs live in group with the of the same females on their side. Gestation lasts from 90 to 95 days. The female can give rise to 5 little cubs, but death rate is high and less than half of small will reach the one year age. Cheetah's do not reproduce well in captivity.

The lifespan of the cheetahs is 20 years. This species is threatened so the hunting of it or the trade of it's fur is prohibited.