Scovone Star Magazine 2014-2015 | Page 31

Cheetahs sometimes fail to catch their prey because they can only run fast for 3/10 of a mile. Another reason why cheetahs can’t chase their prey for very long is because its body temperature can can go up to 105°F and they are normally panting heavily. That shows that they are very tired. Also, if a cheetah gets distracted while chasing its prey, it c o u l d l o s e i t s p r e y. Cheetahs have to eat very fast because they can’t climb trees, so they can’t keep their prey in a tree. Sometimes cheetahs are forced to give up their prey to bigger animals such as lions, leopards, etc. Another reason why they can’t fight back at predators trying to steal their prey is because cheetahs can’t roar to scare away their predator s. Cheetahs can only purr. How bad do you think these limitations are? live and how they survive there. Cheetahs need certain things in the place where they live. For example, cheetahs need a habitat with tall grass, large plants, and bushes so cheetahs can hide from predators. Cheetahs need a point of elevation so they can look for prey from above then go chase the prey. Cheetahs even find their home by how much food there is in that spot. Another big part of a cheetah’s life is where they You might be wondering where these habitats are. Cheetah’s historically   lived in all of Africa and Asia all the way to South Africa and India. Cheetah’s now live in arts of Eastern Africa, Central Africa, and Southwester n Asia. Cheetahs now live in a small part of Iran.   Namibia, Africa is also home to a lot of Africa’s cheetahs. Namibia, Africa is a nice desert country like the those that cheetahs love. Sounds like a pretty good place to live, don’t you think so?   Cheetahs mostly live in some grassy savanna plains and some semi-arid deserts.Cheetahs don’t like forests because the trees get in their ways when they are trying to chase their prey. There is one problem though, cheetahs habitats have been d i s a p p e a r i n g. T h i s i s happening because the land that cheetahs live on is being taken over by people starting farms and ranches on the land that was a cheetahs home. “The key to saving the cheetah is to make this a valuable proposition for people who have to share their land with A cheetah the Cheetah” says Dr. Laurie Marker who is Where Cheetahs Live And How They Survive There ANIMALS the founder and executive director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. y chasing after it’s pre 26