What is the fastest animal on the planet? If you are talking about a land animal the answer would be the cheetah. These amazing cats have been known to reach speeds of over 70 mph. However, they can only maintain this speed for an extremely short distance.

Cheetahs are members of the cat family. They can live for up to twenty years and can weigh up to 140 pounds. Another interesting fact about the cheetah is that it is the only cat which cannot retract its claws.

If you wanted to see a cheetah in its natural habitat, you would have to travel to Africa. The cheetah prefers to live on the open plains and savannahs. Here the cheetah can hunt down its favourite food, the antelope. Cheetahs prefer to do their hunting during the daylight. Although, they are a large cat, they do have natural predators. These include hyenas, lions and, of course, man.

Unfortunately, these wonderful animals are listed as being vulnerable. Sadly much of their range is being destroyed and if they are going to survive, man will have to take special care to protect them.