Cheetahs Essay

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Have you ever wondered what the fastest animal on land is? Well, it's the cheetah. The cheetah's scientific name is Acinonyx Jubatus. The cheetah has a very interesting appearance, behavior, and diet. It has a slim body and long legs that help it run up to 70 mph. A cheetah's appearance is unique. They have slim bodies and long legs. Cheetahs do not have retractable claws. Cheetahs have large lungs, strong arteries and a strong heart that help them run fast. A cheetah's jaw is weak, so they kill their prey by grasping it's throat. A cheetah has a yellowish coat with black or dark brown spots and a dark teardrop strip running from their eye to their mouth. Cheetah cubs have a main running down their back which disappear when they get older. Their unusual coat helps them to blend into the grassy plains to sneak up to their prey. The cheetah's favorite prey is the gazelle, though they will eat impala, antelope, deer, and other grazing animals. A small cheetah will often eat rabbits, birds, hares, and frogs. An unusual thing about the cheetah is that it will eat watermelon, and it does not feed on carrion. Although cheetahs are good at catching prey, they don’t always get to keep it. Lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, and even a brown hyena can drive a cheetah from its kill. A cheetahs behavior may be unique to people. Male cheetahs live in small groups, females live alone. When a cheetahs mating season comes a male will come out of their group and mate. Females usually give birth to: 2-4 cubs at a time. When the cubs are born the male will leave the female and go back to its group. The cubs grow fast and reach half the size of an adult within 6 months. When cubs are a year old their mother leaves them but the cubs still live together. Cheetahs can live up to 12 years in the wild. Over all the cheetah is the fastest, most unique, and

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