 This
webpage is about a Cheebra. It is a very unique looking
animal, with very strange characteristics. A Cheebra is
a mix of a cheetah and a zebra, making it not only part
of the cat family, but also the horse family. These
unique animals can always be found in the plains of
Africa, and on occasion, you can find them in South
America. Cheebras can stretch out their bodies to a span
of 10 feet, making it easier for them to run. They can
quickly reach a speed of 110 miles per hour in seconds,
which makes it the fastest land animal yet. They have
extremely strong legs which allow them to kick harder
than most animals. A cheetah hunts gazelle for food, and
Zebras eat the prairie grasses. A Cheebra, however, is
an omnivore. That means it eats both meat and herbs. The
Cheebra can eat up to half its weight during a single
meal. A normal meal for any Cheebra is usually a gazelle
and a small pile of grass. This strange looking animal
stays together with a herd. They protect each other from
their predators; lions, hyenas, wild dogs, leopards,
eagles, baboons and humans. The Cheebra fears humans,
mainly because they want their valuable fur. It is the
only animal you can find, where the fur switches from
gold and black spots to black and white stripes. Other
than humans, lions are the biggest threat to Cheebras.
Lions are much bigger, and much stronger, and usually
hunt the Cheebra. A Cheebras life span ranges anywhere
from 15 to 28 years. During this time, a Cheebra may
give birth about 5 times. An average litter of baby
Cheebras is about 4, maybe 5 if that Cheebra is lucky.
After birth, the babies can not see for about a week,
and rely completely on their mother. By the time they
are 2 months old, they are walking, running, and
climbing. Once they are -1 1/2 years old, they are already surviving on their own.
Image from Switch Zoo |
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