Cheetahs by Esme

 Cheetahs

I chose to research the cheetah. The Hindu word chita means “the spotted one.” I decided to report on the cheetah because I love all of the big cats. A cheetah is one of my favorite animals. I already knew a couple of things about these big cats. First, I know that they are really fast. Also, that they are one of the big cats. They live Africa, and have lots of spots. The worst part is that they are endangered!

Cheetahs can grow up to 6 to 8 feet tall. They also can be 77 to 143 in weight.  Cheetahs can live up to 15 years in captivity. In the wild, the average cheetah life span is only 5 years. Some of the special features of cheetahs are the black spots in their fur. This helps blend in with the tall dry grass. Also, the T.V show Wild Kratts report that “ a baby cheetah has fur like a badgers so that it will not be eaten.”

Cheetahs are carnivores. They like to eat animals like antelope and hares. Also, they like eating wildebeests and gazelles.

The only continents that the cheetah lives on are Africa and a little bit of Asia. Some of the countries that the live in are, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Angola. They are protected in Etosa National Park in Namibia, Africa. The habitat that cheetahs live in is grasslands.

Cheetahs travel a lot during the day. National Geographic website says “ a cheetah can go up to 60 miles per hour in only three seconds.” The cheetah can can not roar instead it growls and purrs. Cheetahs often live alone or sometimes with their littermates (brothers and sisters).

Cheetahs affect people in 3 different ways. First, they were captured and used in racing games against greyhound dogs. Their fur has been used for clothing. Tourists love to see them in zoos and out on the wild safaris. None of these things are good for Cheetahs.

Cheetahs are very interesting animals. They are the fastest land animal, they go up to 70 miles per hour. Cheetahs also have amazing eyesight in daylight.  They normally hunt  in the day light. They only have to drink once every 3 to 4 days. Cheetahs are not as powerful as the other big cats. They are almost like huge house cats. The book Cheetahs by Gloria Schaepher states, “ the cheetah’s body is built for speed. It has long, thin, muscular legs, a narrow waist, a deep chest with large lungs, wide nasal cavities, and blunt claws- all of which help the animal move fast.”

In conclusion, I  learned the cheetah is a carnivore. I also learned that cheetahs have different colors when they are babies. Cheetahs cannot roar but, they do purr. Lastly, they can live alone or with their littermates.