THE AFRICAN CHEETAH

The Cheetah are confined to parts of Eastern and Southwestern Africa. They are well adapted to dry habitats such as savanna grasslands and semi-deserts.

CHARACTERISTICS:

The Cheetah is the fastest land mammal in the worl and can reach speeds of 80-100 km/h. However, it's only able to keep up this speed for a short period of time. The Ceetah has a slender body, a small head, a long legs, which allows the claws to always be explosed. The tail is also adapted to help maintain balance at high speeds and during quick turns. The Cheetah has a background color of light golden yellow/tan, covered with small, round, black spots on the cheeks, forehead, crown, neck, and limbs. They have a distinctive black tear-shaped from the corner of the eye to corner of the mouth and a mane-like black stripe running the length of their back.

Instead, they make birdlike chirping sounds for commnication with other members of the family and they hiss when angered or threatened and purr loudly when they are content. Chetah has a good sense of smell and communicates by scenting tree trunks, bushes and termite mound with their waste.

REPRODUCTION AND PREDATORS:

Cheetahs are 95 cm tall and males weigh about 55 kg and females about 40 kg. On overage the Cheetah for 12 years in the wild. The gestation period is usually 3 months and a female gives birth to between 2 and 6 cubs.They breed throughout the year and it's the female who raises the cubs. Cubs are smoky grey in colour with long woolly hair, called a mantle, running along their backs. Cheetahs are often killed by lions and hyenas, specially their cubs. Up to 80% of the cubs don't survive.

LINA MARIA MORALES BOHORQUEZ

MEDICINA

200711247

GRUPO 10