The Animal Kingdom's Speedster

Cheetahs are exotic animals that have been kept as pets for over five thousand years. Their history as pets can be dated back to the Ancient Egyptian civilization. Scientifically classified as Acinonyx Jubatus, they were initially used for hunting, since they are fastest of the wild cats and all the animals within the animal kingdom. Unlike other cats they aren't good at climbing trees. They can accelerate from zero mph to seventy mph within a mere three seconds. The cheetah's body length ranges from forty five to fifty five inches and they usually weigh between ninety to one hundred and forty pounds.

Contemporary scientific studies show that they originated in Africa, but can be found in other parts of the world such as Central Asia and Iran. Their bodies are elongated with a small head and narrow waist, which facilitates the aerodynamics for their great speed. Cheetahs have semi-retractable, blunt claws that help them to get good grip during fast pursuits. The color of their coarse fur is tan and has small black spots. A rare cheetah, referred to as the King Cheetah is larger in size than other cheetahs and has big merging spots. Its thirty three inch long tail that is encircled with five to six black circles helps the King Cheetah to take sharp turns, since the tail acts like a rudder. The black lines which start from their eyes and run along the sides of the nose towards the mouth are called tear marks. These black lines enable King Cheetahs to see long distances and minimize the glare of the sun.

Cheetahs are usually trained very easily and they can also be very affectionate animals. They can make noises like a chirp, yowl, yip, growl and hiss. When they purr it can be deafening. Though they can make many sounds, they do not have the ability to roar like other big cats and they are also diurnal, where as other wild big cats are nocturnal. They are carnivorous animals that hunt for small mammals and young ones of larger mammals. Cheetahs typically hunt when it isnt hot, during dawn or dusk. They also do not go after animals which they cannot get hold of easily and they dont hunt by smell, but by vision. Nearly fifty percent of their hunting attempts end in failure since they give up fast. Scientists think one of the reasons they do give up the hunt quickly is the immense heat which they generate while running, which can be serious health problem for the animal. They rest for at least one half hour after an intense chase. They also have the ability to make the sounds of some birds, in order to lure and catch them.

Cheetahs always search for an animal which has strayed from the herd. It chases the animal and then trips it. After the animal falls, the cheetah suffocates the animal by biting underneath the throat, since it does not have the strength to break the neck. For reasons unknown they do not hunt weak and old animals. During high speed chases, cheetahs get adequate oxygen with the help of their big nostrils. They also have enlarged hearts and lungs which utilize the oxygen they intake, at maximum efficiency, by increasing their respiratory rate while running.

Cheetahs are also an endangered species. Many organizations and acts have been established to conserve them. One of the reasons for their endangerment is that they are environmentally sensitive and are most vulnerable when held in captivity; they should be provided with their natural habitat. Studies have proven that there is a lack of genetic diversity in cheetahs that are held in captivity. They don't reproduce regularly like other felines and their lifespan decreases, so their rate of survival is low. In residential areas, they have been killed by farmers on a large scale to protect cattle. Such farmers are now being provided with dogs that can guard the livestock and scare away the wild cheetah. It has also being hunted for its fur.

To obtain a permit to keep cheetahs as pets is very difficult for individual owners and also for big zoos. People who have a love for cheetahs but cannot get permission to own them can always donate generously to conserve the species.