The fastest animal on land can run approximately 70 mph (or 110 km/hour), and can reach its top speed in just 3 seconds! This animal is, of course, the cheetah!
- The cheetah has a long, muscular tail that has a flat shape. The tail almost functions like a rudder on a boat because they use it to help control their steering and keep their balance when running very fast.
- Cheetahs have “tear marks” that run from the inside corners of their eyes down to the outside edges of their mouth. These marks help reflect the glare of the sun when they are hunting during the day.
- The cheetah’s fur is covered in solid black spots, and so is their skin! The black fur actually grows out of the black spots on their skin.
- Cheetahs are carnivores, and feed mostly on smaller antelope.
- A mother cheetah usually cares for anywhere from 2 to 8 cubs per litter.
- There are less than 8,000 cheetahs left in the wild, making the cheetah Africa’s most endangered big cat.
Source: cheetah.org