Speed and Grace of the Cheetah

All children are sure to know about the cheetah. You would know that fastest land animal on Earth with the ability to run at speeds of 112 to 120 km/h (70 to 75 mph), accelerating from 0 to over 100 km/h (62 mph) in just three seconds. The speed and grace of this member of cat family have astonished humans and the sight of a stop us in our tracks.

                             Scientists think that about 10,000-12,000 years ago, at least 99 percent of the world king cheetah population may have died within a short period, resulting in the population getting as low as one pregnant female. The main difference between the king cheetah and the normal spotted cheetah is in the cat pattern. The standard cheetah’s fur coat is usually yellow, tawny or golden in color with a circular spotted pattern of small black markings, 0.75 to 1.5 inches in diameter, distributed fairly evenly across its body. The animal also displays the famous black ‘tear streaks’ down either cheek.

How Cruel the man on earth..?

              According to a wild life magazine, the total number of insects so far is in between one and two million.

               And….about ten thousand new species are identified annually.

     It could take another of that magazine, who is a conservationist, birdwatcher and active and dedicated supporter of wildlife conservation organizations… insects are the most abundant and successful animals on earth.

              Do you know the total number of other species living in this world today…?

                               The same wildlife magazine reveals that also …., But…, the total number of species living in this world today…, is staggering.

             These species are broadly categorized into Mammals, reptiles, Fish, Crustaceans, (shellfish like crabs and lobsters) amphibians, birds, insects and plants.

               Accordingly, there are nearly 4,600 species of mammals, 6400 species of amphibians, 8250 species of reptiles, 9700 species of birds, 26000 species of crustaceans, 20000 species of fish, 310000 species  of plants, and estimated four to six million insects living today.

       The variety of species in the forests of the world tigers, wolves, elephants, serpents, eagles, painted storks, caterpillars, luminous beetles. Insects, plants with leaves that close upon touch and pitches trap insects, was amazing. Don’t you think so…?

                                     The world’s largest mammal is the Blue whale, which can grow over 33 metres, long, and the smallest is the tiny bat from Thailand. Its size is about the size of a bumblebee and weighs just two grams.

                    The highest number of amphibians of any country on the earth is reported from Brazil. That is 751 species.

                           The largest living bird is, without doubt – the Ostrich. That magnificent bird stands a 2.7 metres high and weighs as much a 160 kg.  

                  The smallest bird in the world, is the ‘Hummingbird’ from Cuba, which weighs a mere 1.6 grams.

               However large number of animal species may be, many are under the threat of extinction, owing to poaching of wildlife, over fishing of the oceans, destruction of wildlife habit and climate change. 

          All of which have been brought by the most successful species on this earth-‘The man’. The number of species under threat is alarming..!

                              One fifth (1/5) of the mammalian species, one tenth(1/10) of birds, one third(1/3) of fish, one half(1/2) of plants, are under the threat of extinction, unless… immediate action is taken, to save them.