What do cheetahs eat?
Cheetahs are medium-sized cats that focus on prey that can be taken by their magical speed. Typical cheetah diet consists mainly of gazelles, especially Thomson's gazelles. A Cheetah can eat about 10 kg of meat per day.
Like all other cats they are carnivores i.e. eat meat but there are some specific animals which form part of their usual diet.
Below is a list of some animals on cheetah's usual diet list.
Thomson’s Gazelle
Grant’s Gazelle
Sable Antelope
Roan Antelope
Kirk’s Dik Dik
Steenbok
Springbok
Gemsbok
Reedbuck
Waterbuck
Bushbuck
Duiker
Oribi
Kudu
Impalas
Hartebeest
Wildebeest Calves
Nyala
African buffalo
Rabbits & Hares
Birds
Ostrich
Guinea Fowls
Warthogs
Caracals
Bat-eared fox
Cape foxes
Baboons
Jackals
Cane rats
Mole rats
Young Zebra
Other smaller hoofed animals that live in their habitat
How fast can a Cheetah run?
Cheetahs are well known for being the fastest animal on earth. They have a special body structure which helps them in attaining a speed upto 120 km/h.
Londolozi’s Electric Landrover can go from 0 to 60km/h in just over 10 seconds. A Ferrari Enzo can go about 8.1 meters per second, which takes it from zero to 95 kph in about 3.3 seconds. A Cheetah picks up speed faster than both this electric land rover and sports car! It’s body accelerates at 10 meters per second and gets up to 65 kph in just three strides. It reaches a maximum of about 115 kph. Any animal that can go from zero to 40 mph in three strides must have a very specialized body. The Cheetah is the perfect example of an animal that was built for speed.
More Interesting Cheetah Facts
As the only big cat in the feline family that cannot roar, cheetahs vocalize through a loud purr similar to a household domesticated cat. In addition, they make a unique bird-like sound called a “chirrup” when they are excited or calling their young cubs.
Females can mate with several males in the span of a few days and have different fathers for the offspring in the same litter.
While running after its prey, the cheetah is normally panting heavily from the intense chase and its body temperature can reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, they can only keep up their top speed for a few minutes before tiring rather quickly.
