Mammal Monday: Speed of the cheetah, cheetah, cheetah....

As Namibia has the largest population of cheetahs not contained in National Parks in Southern Africa I thought it was only right that we focus on these lovely kitties this week.

Image from here

The best thing about cheetahs is how fast they move. They can reach the fastest land speed of any living any living animal - between 112 and 120 km/h in short bursts covering distances up to 500 m. Its paws are also pretty cool, it is one of the only felids with semi-retractable claws (the other three in the cat species are: the fishing cat, the flat-headed cat and the Iriomote cat), and with pads that, by their scope, disallow gripping. Unfortunately this means they can't climb trees but when you move as fast as them, does that really matter?

Image from here. Taken from a story in the Telegraph about a cheetah escaping a Zoo in New Zealand. 

Along with the semi-retracable claws, other adaptations that allow it to reach such speeds include large nostrils that allow for increased oxygen intake, and an enlarged heart and lungs that work together to circulate oxygen efficiently. During a typical chase, its respiratory rate increases from 60 to 150 breaths per minute. Cheetahs also use their tail as a rudder-like means of steering to allow it to make sharp turns, necessary to outflank prey animals that often make such turns to escape.

All in all, cheetahs are awesome. And unlike other big cats they purr!

They've also been extinct in India since the 1940s but there are all sorts of plans afoot to export (is that the right word) African cheetahs out to India. For some reason I find this bizarre...maybe because I always thought cheetahs were only African things. You learn something new every day. Thanks wiki!

Image from wiki. No lie.