Stalking through the tall, sun burnt grass of the plains a predator is stalking the unsuspecting wildlife. That predator is the agile cheetah. This essay will be giving you as much information on the big cat as it can. It will tell you about its amazing running ability and hunting habits. Also, it will explain how it socializes and breeds. Then it will brush on it past as well as comment on his endangered present and how we can make it so that it does not have an endangered future.This essay will start off by giving you some general information on the cheetah. The scientific name of the cheetah is Acinonyx Jubatus (http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/ 7-5-01). The name cheetah comes from the word for "Spotted one" in Hindi (Amann 38). The life span of the cheetah is 12-14 years (http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/7-5-01). Another fact you should know is that they are an endangered species on the brink of extinction (www.cheetahspot.com 7-5-01).This essay is now going to describe the appearance of the cheetah for you. The cheetah's is most recognized by its tan fur and black spots. This pattern allows him to camouflage well in the tall grass so he can stalk his prey. The cheetah weighs about 45-65 kg and is about 1100 mm " 1600 mm long (http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/ / 7-5-01). Male and female cheetahs look about the same, but the male is a little bit larger than the female (www.cheetahspot.com 7-5-01).Cheetahs live in the grasslands, steppes and plains Africa. The habitat of a cheetah is usually an open and grassy environment (www.cheetahspot.com 7-5-01). They need the open area for running after their prey. The cheetah is known to have had a large population in the Middle East, but this was many years ago. The oldest fossil of the cheetah was found in Texas, USA, and is dated as 4 million years old (www.cheetahspot.com 7-5-01).One of the reasons the cheetah is so famous is because of its amazing speed. The cheetah is known to be the worlds fastest land animal. It can travel at 70 miles per hour for up to 300 yards (www.cheetahspot.com 7-5-01). The cheetah has paw pads and un-retractable claws that it uses for traction when it is running. It has a large liver, heart and lung and that helps him run faster (www.cheetahspot.com 7-5-01).The cheetah lives as a predator, which makes it a carnivore. That means it hunts other animal for its food. It uses sight, not smell, to find food because it has extremely good eyesight. First, the cheetah stalks its prey, and then when it is at the right distance it runs after the animal in a swift chase (www.cheetahspot.com 7-5-01). This chase will go on for up to 3.4 miles, but the cheetah will not start it unless the animal runs. The cheetah does all of its hunting and chasing in the day, unlike most wild cats who hunt at night (www.cheetahspot.com 7-5-01).The cheetah has a more or less solitary lifestyle. A male will usually live in a...
