How Long Can A Cheetah Run (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 60 to 70 Miles Per Hour

There are many animals in the world but only some are very popular. There are over millions of animal families, species, and genes, but only a very few are known to mankind. Some species are extinct, while some are still thriving in the wild. Many animals are adopted as pets, while some are left to run wild, while some can be tamed and taken care of at home. Just like many animal families branch out to have different varieties of species, cats do too. Among different species of cats are some of the most popular of them all, the tiger and the cheetah.

Some cats are domestic and tame, while some are wild. Cheetah is one of them. Cheetah, which is also biologically known as Acinonyx jubatus, is specifically native to central Iran and Africa. The cheetah is very popularly known to mankind because it is the fastest animal on land, with the capability of running about 80 to 120 kilometers per hour. This value can be converted into 58 to 61 miles per hour.

How Long Can A Cheetah Run?

It has been recorded that an average cheetah can run as fast as up to 70 to 80 mph when it is in full health and various factors determine how fast a cheetah can run. Yet, some factors calculate how long a cheetah can run without stopping.

The way a cheetah is built also contributes to how fast it can run, like it is lightly built, with a long tail and thin, long legs. The head and body length of the cheetah is body 11.1 to 1.5 m, which is around 3.8 to 4.10 inches. Normally a cheetah weighs about 21 to 72 kilograms, which is not much so that they can run as fast as they do. The head of a cheetah is very round, and it has a short snout with a face that has black facial streaks that arrear tear-like and their coat is normally creamy white, pale buff, or tawny, which is the most common color.

Normally, leopards and cheetahs are confused because of their spots and their coat color. Cheetahs normally live and move around in large groups and yet, the groups are differentiated into three types, the females and their cubs, the solitary males, and finally the coalitions.

Though cheetahs can run at top speed, they cannot keep up that speed for very long. Cheetahs are more sprinters than long-distance runners, and they can only keep up this speed for about 0.45 km, which is 0.28 miles. They can run for about 13 to 15 seconds at this high speed.

Why Does A Cheetah Run That Long?

Cheetahs walk around during the day, but especially during dusk and dawn, where they create camouflage with their environment and hunt for their prey. According to various surveys and tests, it had finally been noted that cheetahs can run for about 60 to 70 mph non-stop, but the speed can be sustained only for about 1500 feet. The average speed at which they start running is normally around 40 mph, which is 64 km.

There are many different reasons why cheetahs can run so fast. This is because they have a flat rib cage that helps them minimize the wind resistance they experience while they are running, and the long thin legs certainly play a very good part.

Conclusion

The long tails also help in increasing speed and stability by acting as a rudder which will also help the cheetahs steer and change the direction. Cheetahs have blunt, retractable claws along with hard footpads, which will help them stay on their feet.

The skeletal structure of the cheetah also contributes a lot to the speed, because they have a flexible spine, their shoulder plates are quite loose and their hips are also flexible. With these amazing features, cheetahs can store their energy and release them when needed. Their heart and lungs are enlarged and they also have large nasal passages.

References

1. https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1997.tb04840.x
2. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7139918/