WILD LIFE - CHEETAH, FEMALE (6.1CM TALL)

Cheetahs are excellent hunters. First of all they approach their prey very carefully until they are within a few metres then when the time is right they run at lightning speed. If the fleeing prey suddenly changes direction the Cheetah can simply turn its body mid-leap. Its flexible spine makes this possible. However if they have no success after a few hundred metres they have to give up. The high speed is so energy-sapping they can only keep it up for a short distance.