Endangered Species: The cheetah By Gale, Cengage Learning, adapted by Newsela staff on 01.05.18 Word Count 626 Level MAX Image 1: Cheetahs are famous for their round, black spots, which help them to hide in the tall grass where they live. Photo from: Wikimedia Commons. The name cheetah comes from the Hindi word chita, meaning spotted one. Round black spots cover the cheetah's tawny fur, and a black streak runs down each cheek. An average cheetah measures 4.5 to 5 feet long and stands between 27 and 34 inches high at its shoulder. Its tail extends 24 to 32 inches. It weighs between 80 and 145 pounds. Cheetahs are the world's fastest land animal. They are capable of bursts of speed up to 70 miles per hour, but they usually cannot keep up this top speed for more than 1,500 feet. It was once believed that cheetahs could not run farther than this because of the possibility of fatal overheating. Evidence has been found, however, suggesting that this is not true. They do not just rely on raw speed. Instead, they use rapid acceleration, deceleration and agility to catch prey. Cheetahs can use their tails like a rotor in the middle of a chase to balance their weight. This allows them to quickly change direction. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
Unlike other cats, a cheetah cannot retract its claws. This physical feature allows the animal to dig into the ground as it runs, giving it more speed. Whereas leopards and tigers ambush their prey, cheetahs chase their prey down. Because they exert themselves so much when catching prey, cheetahs often have to rest for up to half an hour before they can eat their kill. They cannot wait too long after successfully hunting an animal, however. Other carnivores and scavengers, such as lions and hyenas, often try to steal their kills. Typical cheetah prey includes gazelles, wildebeests, antelope, warthogs, hares and ground birds. Male cheetahs often live with their male littermates in groups called coalitions. Female cheetahs are much more solitary. They join their male counterparts only to mate. After a gestation period of 90 to 95 days, a female cheetah gives birth to a litter of one to five cubs. She nurses them for two months. Once the cubs are about 6 months old, a mother will frequently bring small, live prey. This helps them develop hunting skills. Habitat Cheetahs prefer to inhabit savannas. The animals are now restricted to the continent of Africa, except for a small population of the Asiatic cheetah subspecies (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) still present in Iran. The largest number of cheetahs is found in southern Africa. Cheetahs are considered extinct in much of their previous range. Wildlife biologists estimate that the total population ranges from 7,000 to 10,000. The Iranian cheetah population numbers between 60 and 100. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
History And Conservation Cheetahs once ranged over Africa, Arabia, the Middle East and northern India. Because they can be tamed, cheetahs have been kept for centuries by kings and nobles as pets and hunting animals. In the mid-1950s the world cheetah population was estimated to be 28,000. Within 20 years, however, that number had been cut in half. Hunting and habitat destruction are the main causes for this drastic decline. Although cheetahs are legally protected in most countries, poachers still hunt them for their fur, which remains popular in Asia and Europe. Farmers also kill cheetahs. They believe the animals might harm their livestock. As grassland is converted into pasture and agricultural land, cheetahs are confined to smaller and smaller areas, limiting their hunting ability. Reserves have been set up in Africa, but in these protected areas cheetahs face fierce competition from other predators, such as lions and hyenas. Some African countries, such as Namibia, have tried to introduce cheetahs into areas where they would face few animal or human predators. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
Quiz 1 Read the list of sentences from the article. 1. They are capable of bursts of speed up to 70 miles per hour, but they usually cannot keep up this top speed for more than 1,500 feet. 2. It was once believed that cheetahs could not run farther than this because of the possibility of fatal overheating. 3. Cheetahs can use their tails like a rotor in the middle of a chase to balance their weight. 4. Because they exert themselves so much when catching prey, cheetahs often have to rest for up to half an hour before they can eat their kill. Which two sentences taken together provide the BEST evidence to support the idea that cheetahs use a lot of energy when they are in a chase? 1 and 3 1 and 4 2 and 3 2 and 4 2 Read the selection from the section History And Conservation. As grassland is converted into pasture and agricultural land, cheetahs are confined to smaller and smaller areas, limiting their hunting ability. What conclusion is BEST supported by the selection above? Cheetahs are seeing a decline in the population because of loss of land, not because they are getting hunted. Cheetahs are being killed by farmers who believe that the cheetahs are trying to hurt or eat their livestock. Cheetahs are doing well in smaller areas where they do not have to compete with other large predators. Cheetahs are having a hard time getting food because the grasslands are being replaced by farmlands. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
3 Which selection from the article is BEST illustrated by Image 2? The animals are now restricted to the continent of Africa, except for a small population of the Asiatic cheetah subspecies (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) still present in Iran. The largest number of cheetahs is found in southern Africa. Cheetahs once ranged over Africa, Arabia, the Middle East and northern India. Because they can be tamed, cheetahs have been kept for centuries by kings and nobles as pets and hunting animals. Although cheetahs are legally protected in most countries, poachers still hunt them for their fur, which remains popular in Asia and Europe. Farmers also kill cheetahs. Reserves have been set up in Africa, but in these protected areas cheetahs face fierce competition from other predators, such as lions and hyenas. Some African countries, such as Namibia, have tried to introduce cheetahs into areas where they would face few animal or human predators. 4 Examine Image 1. How does this image contribute to the reader's understanding of the cheetah? by illustrating how female cheetahs prefer to live alone, unlike male cheetahs that live in coalitions by illustrating that cheetahs and other big cats hunt in similar ways, by hiding and surprising their prey by illustrating that the purpose of the cheetah s spots is to help it blend in better with its surroundings by illustrating that the cheetah uses its tail and claws to help it achieve top speeds in the grasslands This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5