Meet the Cheetah

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Cheetah is a fine looking large cat. He is a fast runner. Because he cannot roar, Cheetah is not a member of the 'big cat' family. It is very sad that there are so few alive today.

Cheetah has been around for four million years. Fossils have been found all over Earth from Texas to China. About 10,000 years ago, following the last ice age, most Cheetahs were destroyed.

Some zoologists, or scientists who study animals, think that a few members of only one Cheetah family survived, the A. jubatus. Today he is called the "true" Cheetah.

Anatomy –Head-to-Toe Cheetah

This fine large cat has a body built for speed. He is long and lean, with a long tail. His tail helps with balance. His back legs are powerful and claws that grip the ground help him go faster.

Black spots are sprinkled over his prickly yellow fur, like pepper on your scrambled eggs. Spots help him blend with the environment, so that he can't be seen when hunting for food. His stomach and throat is white. He has black rings around his tail, except the tip, which is white and fluffy.

Cheetah has a small head and small teeth. A fascinating feature is the black "tear marks". Each tear mark runs from the inner corner of his eye, down the nose to the corner of his mouth. Tear marks help Cheetah see a really long way and keep the sun from blinding him.
Adults reach about 32 inches in height; weigh from 80-140 pounds; are about 4-5 feet long and his tail is around 28-32 inches long.

Gender – About Males and Females

The She-Cheetah is just a little smaller than the male. If you could visit their home land, the female would be the one with wee cubs trailing behind her.

Baby Cheetahs – We Meet the Wee Cubs

A She-Cheetah has from two to five baby cubs. They can't see,...

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...Hindu word chita meaning "spotted one".

Movies –

Are you ready to "take a Cheetos break"? As you might know, Chester is the cartoon Cheetah and official mascot for Cheetos. He also starred in two video games, "Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to Fool" and "Chester Cheetah: Wild, Wild Quest".

In 1989, a Disney movie starred a Cheetah, along with teens, Ted (played by Keith Coogan) and Susan (Lucy Deakins). It takes place in Kenya. Ted and sister Susan become friends with Morogo, a native boy.

They go adventuring and see elephants, giraffes and rhinos. One day they find a Cheetah cub alone in the wild. They adopt "Duma". When it is time to go home, they plan to return the grown-up Duma to her natural home. But gamblers kidnap Duma! Can Ted and Susan save their beloved Cheetah?

Your mom will probably rent this neat movie, if you promise not to beg for a pet Cheetah!

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