14 Amazing Photos of Cheetahs in the Wild
These big cats are ready for their close-ups! Here’s a glimpse of what life is like for cheetahs in their natural habitats.
Sprinting can mean overheating
Cheetahs can run at speeds up to 76 miles per hour, but only for 500 yards or so, says Sciencing.com. The body temperature of cheetahs rise quickly when they run, reaching 105 degrees Fahrenheit. At that point, cheetahs must rest or risk overheating. Because there’s nothing cuter than a sleeping animal, you really need to see these pictures of adorable animals that can fall asleep pretty much anywhere.
What cheetahs eat
The diet of a cheetah is almost exclusively meat. They frequently eat antelopes like gazelles, springbok, and impalas, according to Macroevolution.net. Thomson gazelles, like the one captured in this photo, are one of their favorites. Thomson gazelles can run about 40 miles per hour, easily outmatched by a cheetah at close range. When cheetahs aren’t successful at catching mammals, they eat birds and lizards. While you definitely wouldn’t want to get up close and personal with a cheetah, you might be surprised to learn that these 15 innocent-looking animals are a lot more dangerous than you think.
Yawn!
Animals yawn for different reasons. Science Focus reports that some animals, like penguins, yawn during courtship. Others, like baboons and guinea pigs, yawn as an indication of aggression. Animals like cats yawn as they transition between sleep and being alert, to help cool their bodies and brains and to stretch their jaw muscles, according to DocAndPhoebe.com. Humans yawn for all sorts of reasons, including because of this word that makes 55 percent of people yawn when they read it.
Kissing cats
In addition to yawning, cheetahs exhibit other behaviors that might seem human-like. An example is this photo, which looks like a cheetah giving his sister a kiss. More likely, though, she had a little bit of leftover dinner on her ear that he was helping her get rid of, or perhaps he was mimicking his mother, who cleans her cubs by licking them. Regardless, it makes for a pretty cute pic. Here are another 17 adorable pictures of baby animals you’ll love instantly.