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The SelectWare System Volume 5 #4
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The SelectWare System Volume 5 #4.iso
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mammals
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cheetah
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pub18.dat
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1991-09-17
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CHEETAH
Fastest %F,10,..\h\mammal%mammal on land, the
cheetah can reach speeds of 60 or
perhaps even 70 miles (97-113 km) an
hour over short distances. It usually
chases its %F,10,..\h\prey%prey at only about half
that speed, however. The cheetah can
make sudden, sharp turns. With its
long, muscular legs and flexible
spine, it is the champion %F,10,..\h\sprint%sprinter
among land mammals.
Like other wild cats, the cheetah
hunts to survive. Its excellent eye-
sight helps it find such prey as
hares and antelopes during daylight
hours. Though it rarely climbs trees,
it sometimes perches on high places
--a fallen tree, a hilltop, or a
termite mound--and watches for prey.
When it sights prey, the cheetah
usually begins to stalk. It creeps as
close as possible before the attack.
It may lift its head high to keep the
prey in sight. But it keeps its body
hidden. The cheetah is hard to see
because its spotted coat blends with
the tall, dry grass of the %F,10,..\h\plain%plains.
Suddenly, the cheetah makes a
lightning dash. With a paw, it knocks
its prey to the ground and then bites
its throat. Usually, the cheetah drags
the kill off to a shady spot. There
it eats its meal.
Because it tires quickly, the
cheetah does not always catch its
victim. The cheetah can run at top
speed for only about 300 yards (274
m)--the length of three football
fields. An antelope may be able to
zigzag and get away from a cheetah.
A cheetah has claws on all four
feet. Unlike other cats, the cheetah
has no protective coverings for its
claws. Only one claw on each front
foot is sharp. This dewclaw is higher
than the other claws and never
touches the ground. Cheetahs use
their dewclaws to knock down prey.
Cheetahs usually live alone. But
females are often seen with their
cubs. Males occasionally travel in
small groups of two or three animals.
The cats communicate by %F,10,..\h\scentmar%marking tree
trunks, bushes, and termite mounds
with their urine. By the smell, other
cheetahs know that an animal has
passed by.
Female cheetahs usually bear three
cubs in a %F,10,..\g\litter%litter. Cubs have blue-gray
fur on their heads and backs until
they are about three months old. To
clean their fur, they lick themselves
and each other. Often after eating,
the cubs and mother %F,10,..\g\groom%groom each other
with their long, pink tongues. They
close their eyes, lick each other,
and purr loudly.
Cheetahs do not roar as lions or
tigers do. When alarmed, a cheetah
may whine or growl. A cub makes
chirping sounds to call its mother.
For thousands of years, cheetahs
were kept by royalty as hunting
companions. In the 16th century,
emperors of India used trained
cheetahs to bring down antelopes.
But today cheetahs are %F,10,..\g\extinct%extinct in
India. A few are left in the Middle
East, and some remain in Africa. They
have little land to roam because the
%F,10,..\g\grassland%grasslands on which they live have
been broken up for farms and ranches.
People still hunt the animals for
their spotted skins. To help protect
cheetahs from hunters, many countries
now have laws against importing their
fur.