Cheetahs
By Avery Benjamin
Cheetahs in the Wild
You may think you know a lot about a Cheetah's body, but there is still a lot you might not know. Have you ever seen black lines on a Cheetah's face? Those are called tear lines. They start at the inner corner of the eye, and end at the two corners of the mouth. Cheetahs have dark black spots on gold fur. Some people think their spots look like polka dots. Cheetahs also have great vision, hearing, and sense of smell. They also have hard pads at the bottom of their feet that help them run super fast when hunting.
Cheetah living
Do you ever wonder how cheetahs live? Well, first they are born, blind and helpless. In about 10 days, they will start to gain sight, and explore their living space. Once a cheetah is 3 months old, they can walk. Then. at about 6 months old, they can start to follow their mother when she hunts. Next, they start to grow hair called a mantle. Mantle helps them look bigger than they are, to protect them from predators. When a cheetah is 6-8 months old, their mantle starts to fall out. Then, when a cheetah is one year old, they start to hunt alone. Finally. cheetahs become independent. and can then produce young.
In order to find a living space, they will first need to sniff around for other animals. If they invade a territory, they might get in trouble. Then, a cheetah marks it's territory with urine. A cheetah will try to find a grassy part of the African Savannahs to live in, so they can eat without harm. Finally, they can produce young there.
When a Cheetah is hunting for food, they will first need to find an animal. It usually takes a long time to find one. Then, they hide. This will be easy though, because they can camouflage. If the animal sees them, they sprint away. If a cheetah catches n animal, they block it's breathing by biting it's neck for 10 minutes. Next, they bring the animal back to it's living space. But before they eat, they need 30 minutes to catch their breath. If a cheetah has babies, they always share their food!
Cheetahs, Leopards, and Jaguars
Cheetahs, Lepords, and Jaguars
Some people mistake cheetahs for leopards, and jaguars mostly because of their spots. If you look closely, you can see the difference. A cheetahs spots look more like polka dots, while leopards and jaguars a rosette pattern. Cheetahs are the only ones who have tear lines. Tear lines are black lines that start at their eye, then go down to their mouth. A cheetahs body is also longer and leaner than a leopard or a jaguars body.
Habitats
Like cheetah, leopards can adapt to any area very quickly. A cheetah lives in Africa, while leopards live in Africa, Asia, Sri, Lanka, and Java. Homes for jaguars range from Mexico, to Paraguay. Jaguars and leopards live in forests while a cheetah lives in an open grassy savannah.
Food
A cheetah has a different diet then a leopard or a jaguar. A cheetah's diet might include: gazelles, antelope, gnu, and occasionally zebras. A leopard's diet might include: deer, goats, rabbits, monkeys, jackals, rodents, birds, snakes, fish, and bugs. A jaguars diet will include: capybaras, antelopes, armadillos, iguanas, and birds. A jaguar and a cheetah will eat in in their living space, while a leopard eat in a tree, so no other animals can see its catch .