The Cheetah is a wonderful animal and is mainly known for its incredible speeds. This beautiful cat has inspired many with its super fast speed, its elegant grace and beautiful form. For those that grew up seeing the cheetah at the zoo, it is hard to imagine how this incredible cat conducts itself in the wild. While the cheetah is an endangered cat, much research and conservation is being done to not only help the cheetah raise its population, but to free more of its population into the wild. For those interested in cheetah facts, the Smithsonian magazine has dedicated an article to this amazing cat.
The Cheetah: Super Sleek, Super Fast
One of the key cheetah facts is that this gorgeous cat is the fastest land animal. How fast is the cheetah? Well most researchers agree that the cheetah can reach speeds in bursts of energy that approach 70 to 75 miles per hour. What is even more amazing is that the cheetah can accelerate incredibly fast- at a rate of about 68 mph in less than 3 seconds beating most exotic sports cars. While the cheetah fact that this cat is fast is widely known, what isn’t well known is exactly how this cat can reach these incredible speeds.
The Cheetah is Built for Speed
A cheetah fact that you may not be aware of is that the cheetah is not your typical big cat. In fact, over time, the cheetah has evolved quite a few adaptations that make it incredibly fast and quite proficient at catching prey. First off, the cheetah has very large nostrils and an enlarged heart and lungs. When the cheetah runs, it requires more oxygen and blood flowing to its muscles. During a typical acceleration, the cheetah can increase its heart rate from about 60 breaths per minute to over 150 breaths per minute.
Another incredible cheetah facts is that the cheetah has retractable claws. While claws are necessary to catch prey, they can be a hindrance when running as they would scrape against the ground and slow the cheetah down. When the cheetah runs, the claws retract helping the cheetah reach incredibly quick speeds. In addition, the cheetah is very sleek and aerodynamic. Both the male and female cheetahs are very similar in body form to enhance their ability to cut through the air. And the tail of the cheetah is used as a rudder to help steer the cheetah and help it make incredibly quick and sharp turns. To read more about cheetah facts, visit the Smithsonian Magazine’s main site at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/
Cheetah Facts, Daredevil, National Archives, Diane Arbus, Quincy Jones
1 comment:
Very informative blog. The strange but true fact about cheetah is that it is not classified as a true cat.
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