The cheetah is known as the "king of the grasslands" because of its ability to run very well on the grasslands.
The cheetah is one of nature's fastest runners, reaching a maximum speed of 112 kilometers per hour, second only to birds that can fly through the air but move slowly on the ground.
In an open grassland, the cheetah's speed can catch up with its prey, such as wild boar, oryx, zebra, antelope, etc.
The cheetah's speed is so impressive because it has many physical and morphological characteristics that are adapted to running. The cheetah's body is long and extremely agile, and it is built especially for running.
Long, strong legs can propel the cheetah to run, and contracted muscles can help it achieve sudden acceleration and violent changes of direction, allowing the cheetah to make full use of its speed during the run.
However, the cheetah's running speed is not as we usually think can always be maintained. According to scientists, the maximum speed of a cheetah can only be maintained for 20 seconds, after which it must stop and rest.
Like people, cheetahs produce a lot of lactic acid in their bodies, leading to muscle soreness and fatigue, and need short breaks to adjust their body condition.
Advertisements
If the cheetah does not stop in time to rest, the lactic acid will continue to accumulate in the body, leading to a decline in body function and eventually unable to chase prey again.
In addition, cheetahs need to process a lot of complex information when chasing prey, such as the speed, direction, and location of the prey.
This requires a fast reaction and processing ability of the cheetah's brain, so long-running will consume a lot of energy and make it exhausted quickly. Therefore, it is quite crucial for cheetahs to capture their prey quickly in a short period.
Although the cheetah can only maintain a maximum speed of 20 seconds, this is more than enough.
The prey options within the cheetah's field of vision are vast, which makes it more agile and advantageous in hunting.
In vast wildernesses such as the grasslands and the Sahara desert, few prey can escape the cheetah's pursuit.
The reason why the cheetah's top speed is so impressive is due to both its unique physical build and its outstanding athleticism and fast-reacting brain.
Although the short 20-second run doesn't last long, it is enough to put the cheetah at the top of the natural food chain when it comes to capturing prey.
