Cheetahs are, without a doubt, the fastest
creatures in the world on land. (There's probably some
wickedly fast creatures in the ocean that we still don't even
know about). Why would a cheetah need to be able to run so fast?
The only animal that comes in a close second to the Cheetah's
amazing speed is its favorite prey, the gazelle. In order to catch
up with a meal that's as swift as the wind, the cheetah had to
develop the ability to run as fast, or faster than the gazelle,
or face the alternative - starvation. Pretty strong motivation
for practicing their wind sprints.
Cheetahs are Specialized
Cats
Cheetahs are an excellent
example of the effects of natural selection on
creating a super fast, aerodynamic hunting cat. There are several
species of large cats in the world, including leopards, lions, jaguars,
mountain lions, ocelots, and tigers, but none of them can match
the speed of the cheetah. Natural selection works when those creatures
having the best physical ability, body design, and behaviors to
adapt to their environment and survive, where other creatures without
those "cool features" will not survive to pass on their genes to
another generation. There are many other large wild cats who look
and behave very differently from the cheetah, but have adapted to
survive in their environments in other ways. Look at the cool features
on the cheetah that help to make it such an awesome speed demon:
·
it has a long, super streamlined body with long, powerful legs
- longer legs mean fewer strides from point A to point B
·
the cheetah's head is small in proportion to its body (compare it
to other large cats) - part of its aerodynamic styling for less
resistance for greater speed
·
the long, powerful tail helps the cheetah to maintain balance when
changing direction at extremely high speeds
Although
the Cheetah is one fast runner, he can only maintain that incredible
velocity for about 200 to 300 yards/274 meters. These high speeds
only allow the cat to overtake its prey within short distances, so
cheetahs must still rely on stealth, sneaking, and the element of
surprise to get close enough to the gazelle before giving chase.
Cheetahs have characteristic dark lines that look like "tears".
It is believed this coloration helps to absorb glaring sunlight
for better vision during the day.
Location:The open
plains of East Africa. They're also found in some places
in the Middle East, in Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and once
upon a time in India.
Facts: These cats can run
70mph/112kph. Try to picture one running alongside your car the
next time you're driving down the freeway!
The Scientists Who Study this Cool
Stuff?
Wildlife Biologists, Biologists, Zoologists.
