Although it's most definitely a member of the Felidae cat family, the Cheetah in form more closely resembles a greyhound dog, with its slender body, high legs, small head, and even the proportion of tail to body. And strangely enough, while different species, the greyhound and Cheetah are both built that way for one thing - speed. Because the Cheetah is the fastest land mammal on Earth.
The Cheetah is a handsome animal, with yellow gold fur well sprinkled with black spots that run together and form rings on the tail, and a white belly. They are most often seen today in zoos, due to their endangered status, and the fact that even on a safari, you're unlikely to see them for their camouflage and the fact that they do not live in packs like other large cats. Male Cheetahs usually have very small colonies, consisting of related cats, while females live alone, except when raising cubs. A male may leave the group to mate with a female in season, but returns to his group afterwards.
Their bodies can stretch to more than four feet, and that's without a three foot tail. An average Cheetah can also weigh up to 140 lbs, which makes it a slender and efficient running machine. For their speed is their skill in bagging game. A Cheetah's claws, which are only partially retractable, their weight, teeth and overall size, would not be enough to make them a successful hunter. But the ability to run in short bursts of speed as high as 65mph, means they dine well on medium sized hoofed animals including gazelles and zebras, with smaller game such as hares filling the gaps in their diet.
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