Monday, November 3, 2008

Totally Amazing Cheetah Facts

Cheetahs are some of the most amazing cats in the world. While they are known for their incredible bursts of speed, they also look quite different from most big cats. For those that are interested in these amazing creatures, there is a lot to learn since most cheetah facts are not widely known. The Smithsonian Magazine has recently offered an article on these beautiful cats which is now available on their main website. However, for those extremely fascinated with cheetahs, here are just a few totally amazing cheetah facts.


The Incredibly Fast Speed of the Cheetah
One of the most widely known cheetah fact is its speed. The Cheetah is usually categorized as the fastest land animal in the world. This cat can reach burst of speeds that approach 70 to 75 mph. Besides this incredible top speed, it should be noted that the acceleration of a cheetah rivals even the fastest super exotic sports cars. It is a cheetah fact that this cat can accelerate to about 68 mph in about 3 seconds- which is about twice as fast as normal high performance cars and just as quick as million dollar supercars.


The Beauty of the Cheetah
Besides the basic cheetah fact that this cat is fast, the cheetah is exceptionally beautiful. Over thousands of years, the cheetah as evolved into a super fast killing machine. In order to be quicker than any land mammal, its body has some specialized features that enable it to run and accelerate at super speeds. First, the body of the cheetah is very sleek. Whether the cheetah is male or female, its body type is pretty much similar. Thin and having a small, sleek head it is a cheetah fact that this cat cuts through the wind. In addition, the cheetah also has large lungs and a large heart to pump air and oxygen into the body for energy. The tail of the cheetah is also important as it is able to assist in steering. Like a rudder, the cheetah using its tail can turn on a dime. As for the cheetah’s paws, as the cheetah runs, the claws retract as to not cause friction with the ground. And its coat, while very exotic and beautiful is not smooth and silky like a pet cat, but wiry and very coarse.


Read More About Amazing Cheetahs
To read more cheetah facts, the Smithsonian Magazine is offering a fantastic article on the subject. To read it, please visit our main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/


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