It’s so fast that even Nezha can’t catch up. Why is the cheetah so fast?

Review expert: Wang Lei, National Park and Nature Reserve Researcher, PhD in Ecology

In the recent hit movie "Nezha: The Devil Boy Conquers the Dragon King", there is a scene where the protagonist Nezha competes with Shen Zhengdao, but cannot match Shen Zhengdao's speed. This scene not only impressed many viewers, but also aroused people's curiosity: Why is Shen Zhengdao so fast? Is his prototype a cheetah?

0 1Why is the cheetah so fast?

There are many kinds of leopards in reality, but the fastest one is the cheetah, which has the title of "sprint champion". When running at full speed, the cheetah can reach a maximum speed of 110 kilometers per hour in 3 seconds.

The cheetah is also known as the Indian cheetah, but is now better known as the African cheetah. There are two subspecies of cheetahs, the Asian cheetah and the African cheetah. Historically, they were widely distributed and once existed in large numbers in Asia, including India, but now the Asian cheetah is very rare.

Its speed is mainly due to its unique body structure and physiological characteristics.

The cheetah has a slender body and light weight, which greatly reduces the burden and resistance when running. It also has slender and muscular limbs, which can generate strong power in a short period of time. The most important point is the cheetah's special spinal structure, which is like a very elastic spring. It can bend and stretch during running, releasing huge energy instantly. In addition, the cheetah's heart and lungs are relatively large, and the heart rate can reach 240 beats per minute when running, which can ensure that the muscles get enough oxygen to support high-intensity exercise. These structural and physiological advantages together create the cheetah's amazing speed.

0 2Why is it the “sprint champion”?

Although the cheetah is the undisputed "speed king" on land, this speed cannot be maintained for a long time. Its speed of 110 kilometers per hour can only last for 3 to 5 minutes at most. For this reason, the cheetah is called a short-distance running champion, not a long-distance running champion.

The reason why cheetahs cannot maintain high-speed running for a long time is that their explosive running has disadvantages. Due to their high speed, their body temperature will soar to over 40 degrees in 20 seconds, and their entire body is covered with hair, making it difficult to dissipate heat in a short period of time. In this case, if the cheetah continues to run for a long time, it may die from overheating.

0 3 There are also differences between leopards and leopards

Cheetahs, leopards and jaguars are often confused. Even though they all have the word "leopard" in their names, they look different.

The cheetah is the smallest of the three, with black spots all over its body. Its most notable feature is the black "tear line" from the corner of the eye to the corner of the mouth. The spots on its body are solid black, and are distributed in a relatively regular and dense manner. There are black rings in the last third of the tail.

The leopard is between the size of a cheetah and a jaguar, and the black spots on its body are relatively even, in the shape of a hollow plum blossom, similar to ancient Chinese coins, so it is also called the golden leopard. The hair on the leopard's abdomen and the inside of its legs is mainly white, without spots.

The jaguar is the largest of the three. The black markings on its body are "rose-shaped", that is, several spots form a circle with spots inside the circle. The markings are larger, more irregular, and darker than those of the leopard. The spots on the head are mostly connected together, in blocks or strips.