Anatomical Adaptations:
* Lightweight and slender body: This reduces air resistance and allows for greater agility.
* Long legs: This increases stride length, enabling them to cover more ground with each step.
* Flexible spine: Their spine can flex and extend during running, increasing stride length.
* Large paws with non-retractable claws: These act like cleats, providing grip and traction on the ground.
* Deep chest cavity: This accommodates a larger heart and lungs, allowing for increased oxygen intake.
Physiological Adaptations:
* Powerful heart and lungs: These enable efficient oxygen delivery to muscles.
* Fast-twitch muscle fibers: These are specialized muscles that contract quickly and powerfully, allowing for explosive bursts of speed.
* Highly efficient metabolism: This allows cheetahs to utilize energy efficiently and sustain high speeds for short periods.
* Unique respiratory system: They have a higher lung capacity and a faster breathing rate, allowing them to take in more oxygen.
No extra objects! Cheetahs are incredibly fast due to their carefully designed bodies and efficient systems.