Cheetah
Status
Vulnerable
Classification
Mammal
Speed
70 mph
Fastest Mammal on Land
The cheetah is capable of speed bursts of up to 70 mph. Cheetahs can reach 45 mph in two seconds or two strides. These animals can sustain their top speed for short bursts. The cheetah is the fourth fastest of all animals. The only faster animals are birds: the golden eagle, the peregrine falcon and the Indian swift.
Social Cats
Except for lions, cheetahs are more social than any other big cat. Although females are solitary, males often live in groups. Cats from the same litter tend to remain together with unrelated males sometimes joining the group.
When cheetahs hunt, they use their speed to catch their prey. Cheetahs have small upper canine teeth with small roots on the side of their nasal passages. This enables them to breath while maintaining a suffocating bite. However, due to its small size,
cheetahs usually surrender their kills to larger predators like lions and hyenas.
Cheetahs are found in the continent of Africa, south of the Sahara—with the largest concentration in Namibia.
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