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Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) - ചീറ്റപ്പുലി 1

Shots were taken from my recent Masai Mara (Kenya) trip. Click here to view large on black

 

Exif : Nikon D300s, 300mm, 1/250 sec, f/7.1, ISO:200

 

Fastest mammal on land, the cheetah can reach speeds of 60 or perhaps even 70 miles (97 or 113 kilometers) an hour over short distances. It usually chases its prey at only about half that speed, The cheetah is hard to see because its spotted coat blends with the tall, dry grass of the plains. Suddenly, the cheetah makes a lightning dash.

It knocks its prey to the ground and then bites its throat. Once found throughout Asia and Africa, cheetahs today are racing toward extinction. Loss of habitat and declining numbers of their prey combine to threaten the future of these cats.

 

FAST FACTS

Adult cheetahs weigh from 86 to 143 pounds (39 to 65 kilograms).

Cheetahs eat small- to medium-size animals, such as hares, impalas, wildebeest calves, and gazelles.

After a chase, a cheetah needs half an hour to catch its breath before it can eat.

When a cheetah is running at top speed, it covers about 23 feet (7.3 meters) in only four footfalls.

cheetah's head and body grow to 44 to 53 inches (112 to 135 centimeters) long. Its tail, fully grown, measures 26 to 33 inches (66 to 84 centimeters) long.

 

 

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Uploaded on March 20, 2011
Taken on March 11, 2011