cheetah
(also, less commonly, ‘chetah’; plural: ‘cheetahs‘ or the same spelling and pronunciation: ‘cheetah’)
a cheetah
an animal – mammal – belongs to the ‘big cat’ family; long thin body with rough short fur (hair/coat), tan in colour with round black sports on the body and tail, and relatively small head with black “tear marks” (= black lines) from inner corner of the eyes running down the sides of the nose and mouth; grows to about 2-3 feet tall at the shoulder, 4-5 feet long with a 2½ long tail, weighs up to 40-60 Kg.; feeds on (eats) (antelope) gazelle, young wildebeest & zebra, Guinea-fowl and even hares; lives for 6-11 years in the wild; formerly found from North Africa to India, but now limited to some parts of Africa – of the five subspecies (kinds), four are found in Africa, one is found in Iran and a few individual numbers in India and Pakistan.)
the tear marks
female ~~ female
baby ~~ cub; kitten
group ~~ adults: coalition (only the males); (less commonly) ‘pack’;
kittens: kindle
voice (call) ~~ { Cheetahs cannot roar like other ‘big cats’ – lion, tiger, leopard, etc.!} purr, bark; ‘chirping’ (mother and cubs); ‘churring’ or ‘stuttering’ (during meeting other cheetahs – social gatherings); ‘bleat’ – like a “meow” (when in need of help); growling (when angry, upset or threatened)
The ‘cheetah’ is the national animal of Kenya. The cheetah is the fastest four-legged land animal; every part of its body is made to help it run fast – the deep chest, narrow waist, long slim legs, the claws (which unlike other big cats cannot be folded into the paws completely), the nose with big openings, the lungs, the tail to keep balance and to take sharp turns when chasing a fast-running animal! Equipped with all these body (physical) features, a cheetah can run at 71 miles per hour (114 km/h) for short distances. The name ‘cheetah’ comes from the Sanskrit language of India, which means the “spotted one”. Cheetahs were so popular in India at one time that Akbar the Great was said to have 1,000 cheetahs in his possession. Cheetahs were kept as pets by the royal families of the past; and were trained to help hunt the big animals by the serious hunters, like a hunting dog we keep these days! In olden days, cheetahs’ fur was regarded as a status symbol. (And some animal lovers suspect that the same tradition is continued even to this day.) Articles made of cheetah’s skin are in great demand and are very expensive. The ‘King cheetah’ is different from other cheetahs because it has a slightly stout body, and the spots are large, blotchy and merged. BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language.
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the fattest four-legged animal on land
a cheetah skin bag
a king cheetah
About the Author:BC Kumar
