Cheetah Facts You Didn't Know

Cheetahs are amazing cats. While the most known cheetah facts are regarding their speed, cheetahs also fascinate many with other interesting aspects. Cheetahs are known for being the fastest land animals in the world with top speeds that can break the 70 mph mark. These cats, while incredibly beautiful are now endangered of becoming extinct.

Cheetah Facts About Speed
While it is common knowledge that cheetahs are extremely fast, one cheetah fact that is not know is just how quickly they can accelerate. In fact, cheetahs are faster than the top exotic sports cars when it comes to acceleration, reaching speeds of 45 mph in about 3 steps and 75 mph very shortly after. There entire bodies have evolved for speed and they have small heads, large nostrils to suck in air, huge lungs and a heart that is made for pumping blood filled with nutrients to muscles. In addition, to the biological advantages for speed, a cheetah’s tail is also important. It uses its tail as a rudder- making it easier to sharply turn left or right practically on a dime.

Read More About Cheetah Facts
If you are fascinated with cheetahs and would like to read about more cheetah facts, the Smithsonian Magazine offers an intriguing article on the subject. To read it, please visit our main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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Cheetahs: Incredible Speed Machines

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/

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Cheetah Facts that Will Blow Your Mind

For those that love wildlife, especially big cats, one of the most beautiful big cats are the cheetah. Cheetahs are not only incredibly fast, but are incredible predators. For those that are interested in learning about cheetah facts, the Smithsonian Magazine has an exceptional article on these incredible creatures.

Made for Speed
The obvious cheetah fact is that cheetahs are made for speed. Nature and their surrounding have made them evolve into the ultimate predators. There bodies are incredibly sophisticated, light and aerodynamic. In just a few seconds, they can reach speeds of 70 miles per hour – quicker than most exotic sports cars. In fact, they can reach 45 mph in about 3 steps.

Fly Like the Wind
Another cheetah fact is that these amazing cats come close to flying through the air. They touch the ground when running with only one paw and this one paw barely skims the ground. There lungs and heart are different than most cats, optimized for speed and the incredible strains that speed puts on these animals and their fur is not soft and cuddly like your house cat’s, but coarse and wiry. To learn more about cheetahs, visit the Smithsonian Magazine today at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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