How can a cheetah run so fast, and why can't it run for long?
Blur & Flop
How can a cheetah run so fast, and why can't it run for long?
Out on the golden grass, a cheetah crouches low, every muscle wound up like a spring. Then — gone. In about three seconds it goes from standing still to faster than a car on the highway. How does a cat turn into a blur? And why does the blur quit so soon?
The first secret is the spine. A cheetah's backbone isn't stiff — it bends and stretches like a coiled bow. When the cheetah reaches forward, its back curls; when it pushes off, the spine snaps straight and flings the body ahead. Each stride covers an enormous stretch of ground, like a slingshot firing the whole animal.
