Bu.lt to·Hunt
cheetah looks out over the
So, a cheetah is a big cat that can't
V\ride grasslands in Africa. It seems
climb \veil or roar. It sees poorly at
like a strong hunter. It is, but not in
night. It can,t run fast for a long time.
the ways you may think.
Yet the cheetah is one of the world's
The cheetah:~s legs aren,t good for
climbing. [ts c~al.YS are .d ull and not
m.ost successful predators.
Every part of a cheetah)s body is
made for grabb'in.g or holding prey.
A cheetah has poor night vision, too.
an adaptation for its life as a hunter
So it can't hunt well at night.
behavior or body part that helps an
A cheetah can)t roar to scare prey.
Instead) it chirps like a large bird.
in the grasslands. An adaptation is a
animal survive.
A cheetah has many characteristics
A.. cheetah can run fast) but only for
about 30 seconds. After that, it runs
that help it to find and catch prey4
out of breath .
so111ething different from oth~ers.
A characteristic is a trait that makes
On the Lookout
The cheetah climbs a small termite
mound to look around. Thin black
markings run down from its eyes
to its mouth. These marks are an
adaptation. Th~ey help cut down glare
from the bright sun so th~e ~ch~eetah
can s~ee b~ett~er.
Th~e
cheetah's sharp eyes spot a h~erd
of gazelles. The cheetah moves slowly
through th·e grass. Its tan, spotted
fur is an adaptation, too. It helps the
cheetah blend in with the grass. This
is called ca.mouflage. Now,. it's harder
Cor ·the· gazelles to se~e 'the cheetah.
Ready, Set, Gal
..
t
Al1 the Right Mqves ·
The cheetah watch·es its prey It waits
Many animals that ·cheetahs hunt
for the b~es·t 'time to strike. Th~en it
leaps fo~r\vard and runs fast!
Gazelles can ru11 as fast as 80 lq'h
(SO mph). Cheetahs catl run faster; for
make a dash to escap~e. They dodge
a short time. TI1ey are the fastest,, Iand
th~ese_ moves.
animal .in tl1e '\t\rorld. A cbe·etal1's body
.cheetab)s feet.h~elp* A ~cheetab,s c)a,vs
is built for speed. Its body is Iean, and
are blunt Most cats have clavvs that
even its bones have· adaptations to
retract. Th~ey disappear insid·e layers
and leap from sid·e-to-side. They t"ist
and turn to sta}r ahead of the cl1eetah.
To keep up, tl1e cl1eetah mtlSt copy
Adaptations in the
help it run fast across the grasslands.. · of skin on 'the feet Th.is keeps the
claws sharp~
A cheetah)s clalvs dor1t retract all
Fast on Its Feet
A cheetah has a long, flexible spine.
It acts like a spring~ Wher1 a cl1eetah
runs,, its spin~e arches up·, tl1~en it
the way> though. During a chase,.
tl}eSe claws dig into the ground*
The cheetah,s feet have adaptations,
I
t
l
•
..
,.
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stretches. out At th:e same time, the
cheetah's legs fold under its bo.dy.
too. They'"re hard. The·y have tough
A ch·eetah's hip bones Cf:tD pivpt;.
or tlltrn arotln·d. So v\rhen the che.etah
runs,. its leg,s can stretch far in fro11t
a11d in back. In tl1e middle of a stride,
all fo·u r of the cheetah,s feet are o·f r the
che·e'tah runs, its toes grip 'the ground .
chase as ,-v,ell. Otl1er big cats have
ground. This. ·Cat looks like it's tl ying'!
round, fluffy tails.
To run so fast takes a lot of o:Arygen.
A cheetah~s. lungs are larger than those
(
,.
of o'tl1er big cats. TI1at way) it can take
• · in plenty of air.
A cheetal1 can ru11 at top speed for
about 30 S·econds~ It must catch its
pr~ey "rithin that time. If it does.n t, it
~
inust find other prey, or go hungry~
.·
ridges that pr·e vent skidding. When a
In the Right Dire<tion
A cl1eetal1"s tail helps it duting the
Not the ch~eetah . Its tail is flat.
Ifs like .a boafs rudder* It helps the
~che·e ·tah
keep its balance ,.,rhen it rt1ns.
When th~e cheetah turns, its 'tail
111oves in tlte dir~ection of the turtl.
TI1is balan.ces the body to keep it on
~cours.e. A ~che~etab,s tail and feet help
the cat .change direction with ~eas.e .
· Cheeta s in the·Wild
.
<ietting (loser
~
The .cheetah in 'the grass has spotted
tl1e gazelles .. Nolv, it creeps closer. A
young gazelle moves away frorn tl1:e
Adaptations make ·the cheetal1 almost
a p~erfect hunter for this plac~e . Its
sharp eyes see gr~eat distanc~es. Its £ur
herd~
blends in with
grass. Its bo~dy and
Jh,e ch~eetah slips. through the grass, illeg.s giv·e it lightning spe·ed.
closer an~ closer. Its eyes narro\\r into
The: che.et.ah~s feet and long tail are
two slits~ Stldden~y, the gaz.elle senses adapta:tions, too. They he.lp a cheetah
sometl1ing~ It lifts its head. In a flash;
run fast. All tl1ese adapatations 1nake
tl1e cheetah leaps forward.
the cl1eetah an a\\reso1ne predator.
It nibbles on grass.
Moment of Truth
the gazelle ~dashes away. The .che·etah
chases it. lt speeds along so quickly
that its black spots are a blur. Its siDnall
head stays steady,. keeping its eyes on
.
•
the prey.
TI1<e gazelle zigs and zags, and the
ch~eetah folJO"\rVS ·~tS ev~ery move. TI~e
.
.
ch~eetal1
gets closer. It reacl1es out a11d
S\~ats its prey~ The gazelle .goes do\vn~
The cbas~e is over. The cheetah bites
its prey)s throat. The gazelle c.an no
.
Jl
longer breathe~ It dies.
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The cheetah is exhausted., It lies
down with its kjJL It rests before
eating. Th. e ch. eetah m.us·t eat ~quickly,.
· though. Lions and leopards may be
hiding in the grass~ '1bey;re looking
for an easy meaL StroQger animals
like tbes~e will try to steal this meal
from the ~cheetah ..
..
t~e