Murphy a young cheetah at WHF Kent. Cheetah are the fastest land mammal. They are perfectly adapted to reach high speeds with relatively straight limbs, slight, light frame and flexible spine. Large blood vessels, enlarged heart and lungs, pump blood/fuel quickly through the body. Extremely flexible spine (most of the muscle mass is on the spine) and lack of collar bone allow the back legs to swing in front of the front legs during sprint. Semi retractable claws give traction and a relatively long tail acts as a rudder allowing the cheetah to turn at high speed (cheetah run very fast in a straight line, the defence mechanism of their prey is to "zig-zag". Black "mascara lines" keep the sun out of the cheetah's eyes allowing the cat to hunt during the day (avoiding conflict with other felids and giving the cheetah a better chance of keeping its kill). Cheetah do not have saggital crests on their skull unlike the true "big cats" and their slender canines allow for larger nasal passages which mean they can catch their breath back whilst suffocating their prey.
