YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Wow! 11-Year-Old Cheetah Breaks Land Speed Record

    By Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer | LiveScience.com – Thu, Aug 2, 2012

    The fastest cheetah on Earth has done it again, breaking her previous world record for the 100-meter dash and setting a new best time of 5.95 seconds.

    This feat surpasses the fastest of all human 100-meter sprinters by almost four seconds. Usain Bolt, a Jamaican sprinter now competing at the 2012 London Olympics, holds the human world record at 9.58 seconds in the 100-meter dash.

    Cheetahs, of course, are built to run faster than humans, regularly clocking speeds of up to around 60 miles per hour (96.5 kilometers per hour). During a photo shoot with National Geographic Magazine, a cheetah from the Cincinnati Zoo named Sarah covered 100 meters at 61 mph (98 kph).

    The sprint broke Sarah's previous world record, set in 2009 when she ran the same distance in 6.13 seconds. That sprint broke the previous record set in 2001, when a male South African cheetah named Nyana ran 100 meters in 6.19 seconds. [See Photos of Sarah the Cheetah]

    Sarah is 11 years old and is part of the zoo's Cat Ambassador Program. Her sprint was documented with funding from the National Geographic's cat conservation effort the Big Cats Initiative.

    The record-breaking run took place on a course designed by the Road Running Technical Council of USA Track & Field. Sarah chased a fluffy toy lure around the course, breaking the record on her very first run.

    The secret to cheetah speed is in its long, flexible spine, which allows the animal to cover up to 22 feet (6.7 meters) on every stride. Cheetahs also vary their strides per second as they speed up, taking more strides per second as they run faster. That seems to be a special talent, researchers reported in June in the Journal of Experimental Biology. Other speedy creatures such as greyhounds keep a steady number of strides per second no matter how fast they run.  

    Cheetahs' sharp claws also act like cleats when they run, giving the big cats traction.

    Cheetahs are endangered in the wild, with an estimated 9,000 to 12,000 living outside of zoos today.

    Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas or LiveScience @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+. 

    Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
    Loading...

    More Science News

     

    News for You »

    • Fired for word: 'Negro' in Spanish class

      One of the first lessons one learns in English class is that context is everything. The same holds true in Spanish.

    • No Wonder Republican Criticism of Obama Isn’t Working

      Henny Youngman, the late borscht belt comedian, told hundreds of politically incorrect jokes. One of them was his response when asked, “How’s your wife?” “Compared to what?” he’d say.

    • Cycling-Road-Giro d'Italia classification after stage 20

      May 25 (Infostrada Sports) - Classification from Giro d'Italia after Stage 20 on Saturday 1. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / Astana) 79:23:19" 2. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Team Sky) +4:43" 3. Cadel Evans (Australia / BMC Racing) +5:52" 4. Michele Scarponi (Italy / Lampre) +6:48" 5. Carlos Betancur (Colombia / AG2R) +7:28" 6. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Poland / Lampre) +7:43" 7. Rafal Majka (Poland / Saxo - Tinkoff) +8:09" 8. Benat Intxausti (Spain / Movistar) +10:26" 9. Mauro Santambrogio (Italy / Vini Fantini) +10:32" 10. Domenico Pozzovivo (Italy / AG2R) +10:59" 11. ...

    • Automaker Tesla takes fight to North Carolina

      RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tesla Motors is fighting a bill in North Carolina that would effectively ban the company from selling its electric cars in the state, pitting it against auto dealers who say the car maker has an unfair advantage selling directly to consumers online.

    • 'Horrified' trucker watches I-5 bridge collapse

      A truck hauling an oversized load of drilling equipment hit an overhead bridge girder on the major route between Seattle and Canada, sending a section of the interstate into the river below as the driver ...

    • 5 climbers missing on world's 3rd highest mountain

      KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A Nepalese official says five climbers are missing and feared dead on the world's third highest mountain.

    • Damage reported from magnitude-5.7 quake in Calif.

      GREENVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Residents in rural northeastern California assessed damage to their homes and businesses Friday from a magnitude-5.7 earthquake, one of the strongest temblors to hit the densely forested region in decades.

    • Jimmy Fallon's Wonderful 'Game of Thrones' Parody Previews Late Night's New King

      Jimmy Fallon released a brilliant Game of Thrones parody on Friday's episode of Late Night and, really, the whole thing is fantastic. But it really served as an introduction for the next king of the remote control throne. No, seriously, look closer: they made a spot-on reproduction of the iron throne, but with television remotes. It turns out the world of late night television, especially at NBC, is a lot like Game of Thrones. There are arguments, back room dealings and a murky line of succession often corrupted by ego. ...

    Show More
    Loading...

    Follow Yahoo! News