Top 10 Fastest Animals In The World
5. Cheetah, 70.21 mph
As you know cheetah is the fastest running animal on land, can gain a top speed of 70.21 mph. The strong long legs helps cheetahs to gain this speed within no time. Unlike other members of bi cats family cheetahs are small in size and have height of 3 feet.
Cheetahs are native to Africa and Asia, found in open areas. Interestingly the chases for preys by cheetahs meet success within 40 to 60 seconds. Cheetahs make use of their tails to steer right direction of run. Unfortunately number of cheetahs becomes decreases year by year, need to protect this amazing animal group.
Advertisements
Advertisements
The cheetah is a large felid of the subfamily Felinae that occurs mainly in eastern and southern Africa and a few parts of Iran. The only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, the cheetah was first described by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1775. The cheetah is characterised by a slender body, deep chest, spotted coat, a small rounded head, black tear-like streaks on the face, long thin legs and a long spotted tail.
Its lightly built, slender form is in sharp contrast with the robust build of the big cats, making it more similar to the cougar. The cheetah reaches nearly 70 to 90 cm at the shoulder, and weighs 21–72 kg. Though taller than the leopard, it is notably smaller than the lion. Basically yellowish tan or rufous to greyish white, the coat is uniformly covered with nearly 2,000 solid black spots.
Cheetahs are active mainly during the day, with hunting their major activity. Adult males are sociable despite their territoriality, forming groups called «coalitions». Females are not territorial; they may be solitary or live with their offspring in home ranges. Carnivores, cheetah mainly prey upon antelopes and gazelles. They will stalk their prey to within 100–300 metres (330–980 ft), charge towards it and kill it by tripping it during the chase and biting its throat to suffocate it to death.
The cheetah’s body is specialised for speed; it is the fastest land animal. The speed of a hunting cheetah averages 64 km/h (40 mph) during a sprint; the chase is interspersed with a few short bursts of speed, when the animal can attain 112 km/h (70 mph), although this is disputed by more recent measurements. Cheetahs are induced ovulators, breeding throughout the year. Gestation is nearly three months long, resulting in a litter of typically three to five cubs.
Weaning occurs at six months; siblings tend to stay together for some time. Cheetah cubs face higher mortality than most other mammals, especially in the Serengeti region. Cheetahs inhabit a variety of habitats – dry forests, scrub forests and savannahs.