The cheetah is the [I 013 / fastest land animal in the world]. It can accelerate up to 65 miles per hour in seconds but is only able to sustain a sprint for about 500 yards. Its highly flexible spine enables the cheetah to take long, rapid strides. Partially retractable, curved claws provide additional traction during acceleration on the hard surface of the plains.
The cheetah has a unique arrangement of black spots on a yellow background and has a distinctive pattern of black and white bands on the lower portion of the tail. Because of the spotted coat, it is often confused with the leopard. The cheetah's head is smaller than the leopard's and its face is marked by a "tear stripe" which extends from the corner of the eyes down the side of the nose.
The plains are the cheetah's preferred habitat; although, they can be found throughout the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Their movements are largely influenced by the presence of their principle prey, the Thomson's gazelle. Cheetahs typically prey on small [G 45 / ungulates], usually less than 100 pounds, such as gazelles, impalas and young wildebeest calves on the plains during the wet season and follow the Thomson's gazelles west when they migrate during the dry season.
The cheetah usually hunts alone and preys on animals on the periphery of a herd because they are easier to chase down. It relies on speed but because of low endurance, it must get as close as possible to the prey before the chase begins. The chase rarely lasts longer than a minute. As with all the large cats, the prey is killed by a suffocating bite to the throat.
Cheetahs are less nocturnal than other cats and usually hunt during the morning and early afternoon while others are resting thus reducing direct competition with hyenas and wild dogs. However, vultures sometimes drive cheetahs way from their kills. To minimize the scavenging of its prey, cheetahs often drag their kill to a hiding place before eating. Despite their hiding strategy, they lose kill to lions, hyenas and wild dogs which all travel in groups.
Unlike the lionesses' communal caring for cubs within the pride, the solitary, female cheetah bears [P 008 / sole responsibility for providing for her young]. Cubs are hidden well in tall grass and moved every couple days. The cheetah cub has a natural camouflage in its distinctive long grayish mane, covering its head back and tail. By the fifth or sixth week, they are capable of following their mother and eat from her kills. The average [L3 504 / size] of a litter is three.
