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Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers logo
Conference Western Conference
Division Pacific Division
Founded 1946 (Joined NBA in 1948)
History Detroit Gems
1946–1947
Minneapolis Lakers
1947–1960
Los Angeles Lakers
1960–present
Arena Staples Center
City Los Angeles, California
Team colors Purple, Gold and White

Owner(s) Jerry Buss
General manager Mitch Kupchak
Head coach Phil Jackson
D-League affiliate Los Angeles D-Fenders
Championships 16 NBL: 1 (1948)
BAA/NBA: 15 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009)
Conference titles 30 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009)
Division titles 31 NBL: 1 (1948)
NBA: 30 (1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2009)
Retired numbers 7 (13, 22, 25, 32, 33, 42, 44, MIC)
Official website lakers.com

Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan, 2006
Position(s):
Shooting Guard Jersey #(s):
23, 45, 9
Height:
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Weight:
215 lb (98 kg)
Born: February 17, 1963 (1963-02-17) (age 46)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Career information
Year(s): 1984–2003
NBA Draft: 1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3 Selected by Chicago Bulls
College: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Professional team(s)

* Chicago Bulls (1984-1993, 1995-1998)
* Washington Wizards (2001-2003)

Career stats
Points 32,292
Rebounds 6,672
Assists 5,633
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Career highlights and awards

* 6× NBA Champion (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
* 5× NBA MVP (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)
* 14× NBA All-Star (1985-1993, 1996-1998, 2002-2003)
* 6× NBA Finals MVP (1991-1993, 1996-1998)
* 1× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988)
* 10× All-NBA First Team Selection (1987-1993, 1996-1998)
* 1× All-NBA Second Team Selection (1985)
* 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (1988-1993, 1996-1998)
* 1985 NBA Rookie of the Year
* 1985 NBA All-Rookie Team
* 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998)
* 2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner (1987, 1988)
* NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
* 1× NCAA Men's Basketball Champion (1982)
* 1982 ACC Freshman of the Year
* 1× ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year (1984)
* 1× USBWA College Player of the Year (1984)
* 1× Naismith College Player of the Year (1984)
* 1× John R. Wooden Award (1984)
* 1× Adolph Rupp Trophy (1984)
* 1991 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
* 2000 ESPY Athlete of the Century
* 1990s ESPY Male Athlete Decade Award
* 1990s ESPY Pro Basketballer Decade Award

Kobe Bryant
Los Angeles Lakers – No. 24
Shooting guard
Born: August 23, 1978 (1978-08-23) (age 30)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nationality American
Height 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg)
League NBA
Salary $21,262,500[1]
High school Lower Merion HS,
Lower Merion, Pennsylvania
Draft 13th overall, 1996
Charlotte Hornets
Pro career 1996–present
Awards 4× NBA Champion
(2000, 2001, 2002, 2009)
NBA Finals MVP
(2009)
NBA Most Valuable Player
(2008)
11× NBA All-Star
(1998, 2000–2009)
2× NBA Scoring Champion
(2006–2007)
7× All-NBA First Team
(2002–2004, 2006–2009)
2× All-NBA Second Team
(2000–2001)
2× All-NBA Third Team
(1999, 2005)
7× All-Defensive First Team
(2000, 2003–2004, 2006–2009)
2× All-Defensive Second Team
(2001–2002)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team
(1997)
3× NBA All-Star Game MVP
(2002, 2007, 2009)
NBA Slam Dunk Champion
(1997)
Naismith Prep Player of the Year
(1996)

NBA Top 10 Career Dunks LeBron James
Uploaded by Grdgez. - More professional, college and classic sports videos.

NBA Top 10 Windmill Dunks.
Uploaded by Grdgez. - More professional, college and classic sports videos.

DIET OF BASKETBALL PLAYERS

In order to truly achieve your potential on the court, it is imperative that you develop healthy eating habits. The following info serves as a "nutritional guide" for putting you on the right path. This guide is very basic in nature. For an in depth look at your eating habits you should contact a Registered Dietician (RD). It is important to understand that there are no "bad" foods - any food can be incorporated into your diet in moderation. You should try and reduce your intake of refined sugars (cookies, etc.) and saturated fat (butter, etc.) and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Optimum basketball performance requires sound nutritional habits. You can get your daily requirements of nutrients through whole food, so don’t rely too heavily on the use of supplements (the only exception to that is the addition of a "weight gain" shake for those of you trying to really increase bodyweight). Steer clear of "performance" enhancing supplements; Cretin, ephedrine, etc. because of the possible side effects.
It is very important not to overlook the role nutrition plays in acquiring maximum physical development. What you eat on a daily basis helps determine your body fat levels as well as how much energy you have for intense, rigorous workouts, practices and games. Whether you are trying to gain muscle, reduce body fat, or maintain your current stature - it is very important you follow these basic dietary recommendations:
• A balanced diet consists of approximately 60-65% carbohydrates, 15-20% fat and 10-15% protein.
• Eat a variety of healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.).
• LIMIT your intake of fat, sugar, and sodium.
• Drink plenty of WATER!
• Eat 5-7 "smaller" meals throughout the day (size of meal depends on actual goal: weight loss vs. weight gain).
Food Choices
• Protein: fish, chicken, tuna, lean beef, turkey, low fat dairy products, Muscle Milk
• Crabs: oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat pasta and breads, sweet potatoes, beans, fruits and veggies
• Fat: fish, nuts, peanut butter
Sample Menu:
o Breakfast: Orange juice, large bowl of Raisin Bran, and a banana.
o Snack: 1 cup of yogurt, and two granola bars.
o Lunch: 2 turkey sandwiches, apple, milk, and 4 oatmeal cookies.
o Snack: 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and milk.
o Dinner: 2 chicken breasts, potatoes, steamed vegetables, and a roll.
o Snack: 2 English muffins with peanut butter.
Fluid Goals
It is extremely important to be well hydrated, especially during the summer heat. Your performance on the court can decrease dramatically when your body is low on water. You should aim to drink water all day long, don't wait until you are thirsty.
• Drink 16 oz. of fluid 2 hours before a workout, practice, or game.
• Drink 8 oz. 15 minutes prior to a workout, practice, or game.
• Drink during the workout, practice, or game.
• Drink 24 oz. per pound of bodyweight lost.
Nutritional Tips
• Consume enough calories to add 1lb. of bodyweight per week. If you aren’t gaining weight with what you are currently eating… EAT MORE!
• Try and get most of your calories from regular food and don't look for supplements as a cure all.
• Adopt health eating habits that will last you a lifetime. Don't bother with a quick fix or a temporary diet. If you are on a diet temporarily, you will lose the results once you stop.
• Plan your day, pack snacks, wake up early enough to eat breakfast, etc.
• Eat a diet rich in complex carbohydrates to provide the energy source to fuel your intense training, practices, and games.
Pre-Game Rules:
• Eat lightly before you play. You don’t want a full stomach to weigh you down.
• Limit eating fatty foods before you play.
• Drink sufficient amounts of water (see above for fluid requirements).
Post-Game Rules:
• Consume carbohydrate rich foods and beverages (Gatorade) as soon as possible after you play. This will replenish your muscle’s energy stores.
• Replace fluids that have been lost (see above for fluid requirements).
• Replace any potassium or sodium that has been lost during competition or training. Fruits, vegetables, and salty foods are excellent for this.
• Super Shake:
1 cup of frozen fruit (strawberries and/or blueberries work well)
1 cup of either low fat milk or orange/apple juice
1 cup of low fat yogurt
1 to 2 scoops of Muscle Milk
________________________________________
Alan Stein is the former co-owner of Elite Athlete Training Systems, Inc. and is now the president of Stronger Team. He is also the Head Strength & Conditioning coach for the nationally renowned Mont rose Christian Mustangs boy’s basketball program. Alan brings a wealth of valuable experience to his training arsenal after years of extensive work with elite high school, college, and NBA players.
His passion, enthusiasm, and innovative training techniques make him one of the nation’s leading experts on productive training for basketball players. Alan is a performance consultant for Nike basketball as well as the head conditioning coach for the annual McDonald’s All American game, the Jordan All American Classic, the NBA Player’s Association’s Top 100 Camp, and Five Star basketball camps. He is a sought after lecturer at basketball camps across the country and is regularly featured in publications such as Winning Hoops, Time Out, Dime, American Basketball Quarterly, Stack, and Men’s Health.

Description

Height: 30+ inches at shoulder
Weight: 69-140 lbs.
Body length: 4 feet
Tail length: 28.5 inches

The world's fastest land mammal, the cheetah, is the most unique and specialized member of the cat family and can reach speeds of 70 mph. Unlike other cats, the cheetah has a leaner body, longer legs, and has been referred to as the "greyhound" of the cats. It is not an aggressive animal, using flight versus fight. With its weak jaws and small teeth--the price it paid for speed, it cannot fight larger predators to protect its kills or young.

The cheetah is often mistaken for a leopard. Its distinguishing marks are the long teardrop-shaped lines on each side of the nose from the corner of its eyes to its mouth. The cheetah's coat is tan, or buff colored, with black spots measuring from 78 to 1.85 inches across. There are no spots on its white belly, and the tail has spots that merge to form four to six dark rings at the end. The tail usually ends in a bushy white tuft. Male cheetahs are slightly larger than females and have a slightly bigger head, but it is difficult to tell males and females apart by appearance alone.

The fur of newborn cubs is dark and the spots are blended together and barely visible. During the first few weeks of life, a thick yellowish-gray coat, called a mantle, grows along the cub's back. The dark color helps the cub to blend into the shadows, and the mantle is thought to have several purposes, including acting as a thermostatic umbrella against rain and the sun, and as a camouflage imitating the dry dead grass. The mantle is also thought to be a mimicry defense, causing the cub to resemble a ratel, or honey badger, which is a very vicious small predator that is left alone by most other predators. The mantle begins to disappear at about three months old, but the last traces of it, in the form of a small mane, are still present at over two years of age.

The cheetah is aerodynamically built for speed and can accelerate from zero to 40 mph in three strides and to full speed of 70 mph in seconds. As the cheetah runs, only one foot at a time touches the ground. There are two points, in its 20 to 25 foot (7-8 metres) stride when no feet touch the ground, as they are fully extended and then totally doubled up. Nearing full speed, the cheetah is running at about 3 strides per second. The cheetah's respiratory rate climbs from 60 to 150 breaths per minute during a high-speed chase and can run only 400 to 600 yards before it is exhausted; at this time it is extremely vulnerable to other predators, which may not only steal its prey, but attack it as well.

The cheetah is specialized for speed through many adaptations: It is endowed with a powerful heart, oversized liver, and large, strong arteries. It has a small head, flat face, reduced muzzle length allowing the large eyes to be positioned for maximum binocular vision, enlarged nostrils, and extensive air-filled sinuses. Its body is narrow, lightweight with long, slender feet and legs, and specialized muscles, which act simultaneously for high acceleration, allowing greater swing to the limbs. Its hip and shoulder girdles swivel on a flexible spine that curves up and down, as the limbs are alternately bunched up and then extended when running, giving greater reach to the legs. The cheetah's long and muscular tail acts as a stabilizer or rudder for balance to counteract its body weight, preventing it from rolling over and spinning out in quick, fast turns during a high-speed chase. The cheetah is the only cat with short, blunt semi-retractable claws that help grip the ground like cleats for traction when running. Their paws are less rounded than the other cats, and their pads are hard, similar to tire treads, to help them in fast, sharp turns.
Distribution

It has been estimated that in 1900, more than 100,000 cheetahs were found in at least 44 countries throughout Africa and Asia. Today the species is extinct from +20 countries and between 10,000 to 12,500 animals remain, found mostly in small-pocketed populations in 24 to 26 countries in Africa and -100 in Iran. The cheetah is classified as an endangered species, and listed in Appendix I (which includes species that are most threatened) of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Prior to the 20th century, cheetahs were widely distributed throughout Africa and Asia, and were originally found in all suitable habitats from the Cape of Good Hope to the Mediterranean, throughout the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East, from Israel to India, and through the southern provinces of the former Soviet Union. Today, the Asian cheetah is nearly extinct, due to a decline of available habitat and prey. The species was declared extinct in India in 1952, and the last reported cheetah was seen in Israel in 1956. Today, the only confirmed reports of the Asian cheetah comes from Iran, where less than 100 occur in small isolated populations.

Free-ranging cheetahs still inhabit a broad section of Africa, including areas of North Africa, the Sahel, East Africa, and southern Africa. Viable populations may be found in less than half of the countries where cheetahs still exist. These declining populations mean that those cheetah which do survive, come from a smaller, less diverse gene pool. Populations continue to decline from loss of habitat, decline of prey species, and conflict with livestock farming. Throughout Africa, cheetahs are not doing well in protected wildlife reserves due to increased competition from other larger predators, such as lion and hyenas, and most protected areas are unable to maintain viable cheetah populations. Therefore, a large percentage of the remaining cheetah populations are outside of protected reserves, placing them in greater conflict with humans. There are now only two remaining population strongholds: Namibia/Botswana in southern Africa, and Kenya/Tanzania in East Africa. The cheetah's greatest hope for survival lies in the relatively pristine countryside of Namibia, which is home to the world's largest remaining population of cheetah. However, even in Namibia, the cheetah's numbers drastically declined by half in the 80s, leaving an estimated population of less than 2,500 animals. At the beginning of the 1990s, when CCF began its work with the farming community, a gradual change has occurred within Namibia, and over the last couple of years the population has stabilized. CCF's research has shown that farmers have more tolerance for cheetahs and are killing less, and those that are being killed are linked to livestock losses, or that they are calling CCF to help them.
Habits

The cheetah is generally considered to be an animal of open country and grass lands. This impression is probably due to the ease of sighting the cheetah in the shorter grass. However, cheetahs use a wider variety of habitats, and are found often in dense vegetation and even mountainous terrain.

Since cheetahs rely on sight for hunting, they are diurnal: more active in the day than night. In warm weather, they move around mostly during the early morning and late in the afternoon when the temperatures are cooler.

Cheetahs prey on a variety of species from rabbits to small antelope, and the young of larger antelope. Their hunting technique is to stalk as close as possible to the prey, burst into full speed, tripping the prey with a front paw and, as the prey falls, biting it by the throat in a strangulation hold.

Cheetahs are more social in their behaviors than once thought. They will live singly or in small groups. Female cheetahs are sexually mature at 20 to 24 months. The mating period lasts from one day up to a week. The female's gestation period is 90 to 95 days, after which she will give birth to a litter of up to 6 cubs. She will find a quiet, hidden spot in the tall grass, under a low tree, in thick underbrush, or in a clump of rock. Cheetah cubs weigh between 9 to 15 ounces when born.

Although cheetah cubs are blind and completely helpless at birth, they develop rapidly. At 4 to 10 days of age, their eyes open, and they begin to crawl around the nest area; at 3 weeks their teeth break through their gums. Due to the possibilities of predation from a variety of predators, the female moves her cubs from den to den every few days. For the first 6 weeks, the female has to leave the cubs alone most of the time, in order to hunt. Also, she may have to travel fairly long distances in search of food. During this time, cub mortality is as high as 90 percent in the wild, due to predation. The cubs begin to follow their mother at 6 weeks old, and begin to eat meat from her kills. From this time onward, mother and cubs remain inseparable until weaning age.

The cubs grow rapidly and are half of their adult size at 6 months old; at 8 months old, they have lost the last of their deciduous teeth. About this time, the cubs begin to make clumsy attempts at stalking and catching. Much of the learning process takes the form of play behavior. The cubs stalk, chase and wrestle with each other and even chase prey that they know they cannot catch, or prey that is too large. The cubs learn to hunt many different species, including guinea fowl, francolins, springhares, and small antelope. They still are not very adept hunters at the time they separate from their mothers.

The female leaves her cubs when they are between 16 to 18 months old to rebreed, starting the cycle over again. The cubs stay together for several more months, usually until the female cubs reach sexual maturity. At this time, the male cubs are chased away by dominant breeding males. Male cubs stay together for the rest of their lives, forming a coalition. Male coalition is beneficial in helping to acquire and hold territories against rival male cheetahs. Males become reproductively active between 2 and 3 years of age.
Cheetahs & Humans

The cheetah's long association with humans dates back to the Sumerians, about 3,000 BC, where a leashed cheetah, with a hood on its head, is depicted on an official seal. In early Lower Egypt, it was known as the MAFDET cat-goddess and was revered as a symbol of royalty. Tame cheetahs were kept as close companions to pharaohs, as a symbolic protection to the throne. Many statues and paintings of cheetahs have been found in royal tombs, and it was believed that the cheetah would quickly carry away the pharaoh's spirit to the after life. By the 18th and 19th centuries, paintings indicated that the cheetah rivaled dogs in popularity as hunting companions.

The best records of cheetahs having been kept by royalty, from Europe to China, are from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. Hunting with cheetahs was not to obtain food, which royalty did not need, but for the challenge of sport. This sport is known as coursing. Adult wild cheetahs were caught, as they already had well developed hunting skills and were tamed and trained within a few weeks. The cheetahs were equipped with a hood, so they could not see the game they were to hunt, and were taken near the prey either on a leash, a cart, or the back of a horse, sitting on a pillow behind the rider. The hood was then removed and the cheetah dashed after the prey, catching it, after which the trainer would reward it with a piece of meat, and then take the cheetah back to the stable where it was kept.

Many emperors kept hundreds of cheetahs, at any given time, in their stables. With this great number of cheetahs in captivity, it was recorded only once, by Emperor Jahangir, the son Akbar the Great, an Indian Mogul in the 16th century, that a litter of cubs was born. During his 49-year reign, Akbar the Great had over 9,000 cheetahs, in total, which were called Khasa or the "Imperial Cheetahs," and he kept detailed records on them.

All of the cheetahs kept as "hunting leopards" were taken from the wild. Because of this continuous drain on the world populations, the numbers of cheetahs declined throughout Asia. In the early 1900's, India and Iran began to import cheetahs from Africa for hunting purposes.
Other Survival Challenges

Molecular genetic studies on free-ranging and captive cheetahs have shown that the species lacks genetic variation, probably due to past inbreeding, as long as ten thousand years ago. The consequences of such genetic uniformity have led to reproductive abnormalities, high infant mortality, and greater susceptibility to disease, causing the species to be less adaptable and more vulnerable to ecological and environmental changes.

Unfortunately, captive breeding efforts have not proven to be meaningful to the cheetah's hope for survival. The similar experiences of the world's zoos have reaffirmed the traditional difficulties of breeding cheetahs in captivity. Despite the capturing, rearing, and public display of cheetahs for thousands of years, the next reproductive success, after Akbar the Great son's recorded birth of one litter in the 16th century, occurred only in 1956 at the Philadelphia Zoo. Unlike the other 'big cats', which breed readily in captivity, the captive population of cheetahs is not self-sustaining and, thus, is maintained through the import of wild-caught animals, a practice which goes against the goals of today's' zoological institutions. Although reproduction has occurred at many facilities in the world, only a very small percentage of cheetahs have ever reproduced and cub mortality is high. In the absence of further importations of wild-caught animals, the size of the captive population can be expected to decline, a trend, which coupled with the continuing decline of the wild population, leaves the species extremely vulnerable.
Conservation Efforts

We founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in 1990 to directly confront the above issues and to implement techniques for cheetah conservation in their natural habitat. The CCF is the only fully established, on-site, international conservation effort for the wild cheetah. A permanent base for this long-term effort was established in 1991 in Namibia, Africa-- home to the largest remaining, viable, population of cheetah. CCF's primary mission is to focus on conservatory and management strategies outside of protected parks and reserves. It conducts research, disseminates information, and implements conservation management techniques that will lead to the long-term survival of free-ranging cheetah. The project is directed by Laurie Marker.

The over-all objective of CCF is to secure the survival of free-ranging cheetahs in suitable African habitats. The CCF's long-term program focuses on: 1) cheetah research and conservation education; and 2) livestock and wildlife management, education, and training. In Namibia, programs are being developed that can be adapted for use in other African countries. The goal is to develop workable strategies for promoting sustainable cheetah populations, a goal which, in the end, is largely dependant on the willingness and the capacity of individuals and local communities where the cheetahs live.

As a part of the long-term program, conservation efforts are being developed through the knowledge gained from the collection of base-line data including:

* the distribution and movements of cheetahs through the Namibian farmlands;
* the problems leading to the continued elimination of the cheetah;
* the assessment of the over-all health of the free-ranging cheetah population;
* the development of livestock farm management practices to reduce conflict with cheetahs; e) the development of livestock/wildlife management and education to sustain a balanced ecosystem that supports wildlife, and cheetah; and f) the adaptation of successful programs to other countries where cheetah are in need.

The knowledge gained from this program will reveal the necessary information to employ strategies for the long-term survival of the species in Namibia, and will be significant to the conservation of cheetahs elsewhere in the their native range and contribute to maintenance of captive cheetahs, which are 99% from Namibian stock.
Cheetahs are the world’s most unique felines and hence they are very popular among wildlife fanciers, as online Cheetah Picture galleries are visited with enviable regularity. Cheetahs are often referred to as absolutely atypical felines, as they have a number of traits that make them look very different from other wild cats. For example, can you imagine a Lion, a Leopard or a Tiger as a house pet? However, it is a well known fact that Cheetahs have been used as pets and hunting companions throughout history. These wild cats can be tamed relatively easily.

Cheetahs are famous for their spotted tan coats, and therefore they are often mistaken for leopards. However, they have a very different body built and show a completely different social behavior. Male Cheetahs live in groups, called coalitions, which is not typical of felids in general. Usually, coalitions consist of brothers, and they stay together for lifetime. Female Cheetahs are solitary and therefore more cat-like in terms of social behavior. They raise their young alone. However, mothers and daughters can maintain contact for quite a long time, until the daughter has her own litter. There are lots of Cheetah Pictures available online both of lone Cheetahs and social groups.

Cheetahs have a unique physiology. They are innate hunters, and are actually the fastest running felines in the world. The Cheetah has a very flexible and streamlined body, with a small head, long limbs and a very long and powerful tail, which acts as a rudder and helps the animal maintain the required direction when running. Cheetahs’ coats are spotted almost entirely, except for the chest and the belly. The Cheetah’s spots are round or oval, not rosette-shaped, like the Leopard’s. Cheetah’s have black “tear marks” running from their eyes on both sides of the nose and down to the mouth. If you take a closer look at a Cheetah Picture and match it against a Leopard Picture, you will see the differences and will learn to distinguish between these two felines.

In the wild, Cheetahs are very exposed, and they cannot compete with other felines. Their running skill is but their only salvation. Cheetahs have semi-retractile claws, and they are no great climbers. They hunt medium-sized game, and their hunting success rate is usually 40-50 per cent. They have to eat the meat right after killing the game, because other predators often force them to abandon their kills. Cheetah Pictures and especially videos shot during hunting sessions are particularly interesting to watch, as these animals hunt in a different fashion than most other felines.
Cheetah PictureCheetah Facts: The cheetah is distinct from other members of the cat family because of its incredible speed and stealth and lack of climbing abilities. As a result, it has its own genus, Acinonyx. The graceful cheetah is best known for its running speed. The cheetah is the fastest land animal. A running cheetah can reach speeds between 112 kilometres per hour (70 mph) and 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph). However, the cheetah can only maintain these incredible speeds in short bursts covering distances up to 460 metres (1,500 ft). A site to behold, a running cheetah has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) in three seconds, greater than most sports cars!

Adaptations that enable the cheetah to run as fast as it does include large nostrils that allow for increased oxygen intake, and an enlarged heart and lungs that work together to circulate oxygen efficiently. During a typical chase its respiratory rate increases from an astonishing 60 to 150 breaths per minute.

Due to its retractable claws, the cheetah depends on its great traction for speed. In addition to good traction, the cheetah also uses its tail as a rudder-like means of steering to allow it to make sharp turns, allowing them to outflank prey who often make such turns to escape. The cheetah is often mistaken for the leopard, a similar looking African cat, but the cheetah has various distinguishing features, such as long "tear-streak" lines that run from the corners of its eyes to its mouth. The body frame of the cheetah is also very different from that of the leopard, as it is much thinner and has a longer, more graceful tail. Unlike the leopard, he cheetah's spots are not arranged into rosette-like patterns.

The spots on a cheetah are solid black and the pattern on each cheetah unique.

To enable great speed, they are of slender, streamline build with a very flexible spine and a shoulder height of 50-80cm (20 - 31 inches). They weigh around 40-60kg (88 - 132 pounds), the males being heavier than the females.

Compared to lions whose shoulder height is about 110cm (43 inches) and weight up to 225kg (496 pounds), you can see they are relatively small.

More cheetah information is that they do not have retractile claws like the other big cats. This provides them with better traction when they run at speed.

Although they cannot roar, they have a wide range of other sounds – chirping, bleating, hissing, barking, growling and also purring when restful.
Cheetah Fact: The Fastest Land Animal Has To Eat Fast Too

Cheetah can reach speeds of up to 80kph/50 mph (110kph/68 mph has been measured in captivity).

They are diurnal and hunt small or medium-small ungulates, rabbits and large birds on open plains with fairly even ground.

I can't help but feel sympathetic towards cheetahs - they can’t sustain these high speeds for very long so half of their hunting attempts fail.

Cheetah and cub feedingWhen the hunt is successful, they often have no choice than to give up their kill as they are unable to defend themselves well against bigger, stronger predators like lions and hyenas.

Lesser known cheetah info is that even vultures can chase a cheetah family off a kill. We saw this happen in the Kruger National Park in South Africa.

I saw again how there is a perfect balance in nature. The cheetah and her two cubs ate their fill but weren't given time to hang around and finish the impala off, like lions do for instance.

On the cheetahs' second sitting, vultures started plopping down within metres of the kill, then closing in. The mother cheetah chirped softly to her cubs as if to say "take your last bites, kids... we have to move on".

The three of them walked off unwillingly and seconds later the impala carcass was covered in vultures, ripping off strips of meat and the cheetah family long forgotten.

Another cheetah fact is that females usually live alone unless they have cubs. They don't give birth in any specific season and their litter size is usually 3-4 cubs.

The life expectancy of cheetahs in the wild is 12-14 years.

BE VIGILENT BECAUSE BIG BOYS ARE ON THEIR HUNT

The pliosaur scientists have called Predator X crushed his prey with a biting force of 33,000lb per square inch

A marine monster described as the most fearsome animal ever to swim in the oceans boasted a bite up to 11 times as strong as that of Tyrannosaurus rex.
The fossil remains of the huge pliosaur were dug up last summer from the permafrost on Svalbard, a Norwegian island close to the North Pole.
Analysis revealed that it was a turbo-charged swimmer. Its front flippers allowed the creature, dubbed Predator X, to cruise along comfortably but when prey came into range the power of its hind flippers kicked in to provide extra acceleration.
Measurements of its jaw and the killing power of its dagger-like teeth have shown that it could bite down with a force of 33,000lb per square inch compared with T. rex’s 3,000lb per square inch. Alligators have the strongest bite today with about 2,500lb per square inch.


Researchers have been astonished by the size of the reptile, which exceeded even that of another pliosaur, called The Monster, which was found at the same site a year earlier.
Predator X is thought to have been at least 50 feet long, perhaps more, and measurements of its bulk suggest that it would have weighed in at 45 tonnes.
Its discovery was announced yesterday in Oslo by Jørn Hurum, of the University of Oslo, who led the expedition to dig up the remains. At least 20,000 fragments have been recovered including most of the jaws, which were 10 feet long. Dr Hurum said: “It was the most ferocious hunter ever. It’s like a turbo-charged predator. This is a very, very large carnivore.”
He added that Predator X was smaller than the biggest marine reptile yet known, a 75ft ichthyosaur from 210 million years ago, and was about the same length as the largest fossil shark to have been identified by palaeontologists. Predator X, however, was armed with much bigger teeth and, with its ability to close in at enormous speed, would have been much faster and deadlier than either of them.
Dr Hurum believes that Predator X and The Monster are likely to represent the same species of pliosaur. “Its anatomy, physiology and hunting strategy all point to it being the ultimate predator — the most dangerous creature to patrol the Earth’s oceans.”
The turbo-charge feature of its hind flippers was identified in tests by John Long, of Vassar College, New York State, using a four-flippered robot called Madeline.
Researchers had been puzzled about why the marine predator should have needed four flippers when the front two were perfectly adequate for it to swim well.
A CT scan of a pliosaur skull held at the Natural History Museum in London has showed that the ancient marine predators had a brain the same shape and proportion as the great white shark, which is regarded as today’s “perfect killing machine


The most fearsome sea monster the world has ever seen has been found buried in the Arctic.
Dubbed "Predator X", the massive pliosaur was fifty feet long and weighed 45 tons.
It had massive jaws with a bite force of 33,000 pounds - ten times the force of any animal alive today, including the Great White Shark.
Every tooth in its massive jaw was a foot long and Predator X clamped its victims with four times the force of T-Rex.
Predator X, which patrolled the oceans 147 millions years ago, was found buried in the remote Arctic near Svalbard by a team of scientists led by Dr Jorn Hurum of the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo.
They found another headline-making pliosaur - dubbed The Monster - two years ago and they were just leaving when when they spotted some more bones.
They marked the spot with a GPS reading and returned a year later to find the head of an even bigger sea giant - Predator X.
After a two week dig they found the skull of the buried in the frozen ground.
Its size and body and hunting skills all point to it being the most dangerous predator ever to patrol the world's oceans.
The bone linking its skull to its back is six inches in diameter making its skull twice the size of a T-Rex dinosaur.
The team also found 20,000 bone fragments which are being glued together to reconstruct the monster at the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo.
Predator X had four flippers to propel its massive body through the water.
Scientists used a flippered robot and did tests in a wind tunnel to see how it swam, calculating it would only need two flippers.
But they believe it used two flippers for cruising but all four when it wanted to surge fast through the water to pounce on its prey making it the deadliest hunter.
Another team used an industrial scanner to analyse its brain. It was found to have a long thin brain similar to a Great White shark.
The find has been dubbed the most significant Jurassic discovery in the Arctic.
Large pliosaurs were big and powerful enough to pick up a small car in its jaws and bite it in half.
The Arctic island chain of Scvalbard is known as a "treasure trove" of Jurassic creatures with at least 40 species already discovered.
Pliosaurs were a short-necked form of plesiosaur, a group of extinct reptiles that lived in the world's oceans during the age of the dinosaurs.
Around 150 million years ago Svalbard wasn't so close to the North Pole and had a warmer climate.
By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent
OSLO (Reuters) - A giant fossil sea monster found in the Arctic and known as "Predator X" had a bite that would make T-Rex look feeble, scientists said Monday.
The 50 ft (15 meter) long Jurassic era marine reptile had a crushing 33,000 lbs (15 tonnes) per square inch bite force, the Natural History Museum of Oslo University said of the new find on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.
"With a skull that's more than 10 feet long you'd expect the bite to be powerful but this is off the scale," said Joern Hurum, an associate professor of vertebrate paleontology at the museum who led the international excavation in 2008.
"It's much more powerful than T-Rex," he said of the pliosaur reptile that would have been a top marine predator. Tyrannosaurus Rex was a top land carnivore among dinosaurs.
The scientists reconstructed the predator's head and estimated the force by comparing it with the similarly-shaped jaws of alligators in a park in Florida.
"The calculation is one of the largest bite forces ever calculated for any creature," the Museum said of the bite, estimated with the help of evolutionary biologist Greg Erickson from Florida State University.
Predator X's bite was more than 10 times more powerful than any modern animal and four times the bite of a T-Rex, it said of the fossil, reckoned at 147 million years old. Alligators, crocodiles and sharks all now have fearsome bites.
The teeth of the pliosaur, belonging to a new species, were a foot (30 cms) long. The scientists reconstructed the reptile from a partial skull and 20,000 fragments of skeleton.
The pliosaur, estimated to have weighed 45 tonnes, was similar to but had more massive bones than another fossil sea monster found on Svalbard in 2007, also estimated at 50 feet long and the largest pliosaur to date.
"It's not complete enough to say it's really bigger than 15 meters," Hurum said of the new fossil.
Hurum had said of the first fossil pliosaur that it was big enough to chomp on a small car. He said the bite estimates for the latest fossil forced a rethink.
"This one is more like it could crush a Hummer," he said. referring to General Motors' large sport utility vehicle.
Among other findings were that the pliosaur had a small thin brain shaped like that of a great white shark, according to scans by Patrick Druckenmiller of the University of Alaska.
Pliosaurs preyed upon squid-like animals, fish, and other marine reptiles. Predator X had four huge flippers to propel itself along, perhaps using just two at cruising speeds and the others for a burst of speed.

obama's new ride

General Motors has once again built the First Limo, which isn’t so much a car as an armored personnel carrier wrapped in Cadillac bodywork. It is code-named "Stagecoach" but given its weight, wheelbase and bunker-like level of protection, Caddy One has been nicknamed "the Beast."
The limo that carries President Obama down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House today is the latest in a long line of Cadillacs to join the First Fleet over the years. Although GM and the Secret Service jealously guard the vehicle’s specs and secrets, you can bet Obama’s ride is the toughest, most sophisticated car anywhere. Think of it as the road-going equivalent to Air Force One.
"Although many of the vehicle’s security enhancements cannot be discussed, it is safe to say that this car’s security and coded communications systems make it the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world," Nicholas Trotta, assistant director for the Secret Service Office of Protective Operations, said in a statement (.pdf).
GM had even less to say, noting "one of the specifications is we don’t talk about the specifications." But spokesman David Caldwell says the redesigned car "is a fresh, more modern, more expensive" version of the Cadillac DTS that has carried President Bush since his second inauguration in 2005. Obama’s car, he says, is "a little bit more vibrant, if you will."
Even if no one’s got anything to say about what’s under all that armor, there are some things widely believed to be known about Caddy One’s security measures.
The car is one of a small fleet of what is believed to be no more than 25 presidential limos General Motors built for the Obama administration, according to the Detroit News. Although presidential limos have a lifespan of about a decade, the Commander in Chief gets a new one about every four years. Hand-me-downs are used to carry the vice president and visiting heads of state.
GM says the car occupies the "same footprint" as the current presidential ride, but it is a little taller and the windows a little bigger to improve visibility. Limo One is believed to weigh between seven and eight tons, and spy shots suggest it rides on a GM medium-duty truck chassis propelled by a diesel engine. The body is sheathed in military-grade armor as much as 8 inches thick on the doors (each of which weighs as much as the cabin door on a Boeing 747, Motor Authority says). The armor reportedly is a mix of dual-hardness steel, aluminum, titanium and ceramic. The windows are ballistic glass said to be 5 inches thick, and Dan Neil of the Los Angeles Times says there’s probably a woven Kevlar mat covering the floorboard to protect the car from blasts. The cabin is believed to feature a sealed air recirculation system to protect its occupants from chemical attacks.
"I think he will be surprised about how when he’s in the limo, it’s a cocoon," Joe Funk, a retired Secret Service agent who served as
President Clinton’s driver, told CNN. "The everyday noises will be gone, and he will be totally isolated in this protective envelope.
Still, despite being at least as secure as a hardened missile silo, GM says Caddy One features the same hand-sewn leather interior you’d find in the CTS at your local dealership, and supposedly it’s got a 10-disc CD player. And, of course, it’s packed with the latest communications technology.
"I think he will be surprised at the communication capabilities, how the phones, the satellites, the Internet - everything is at his fingertips," Funk said. "So at one end, you are totally removed from society. The other side of the coin is that he can have any communications worldwide at a moment’s touch."
Obama’s limo is the latest in long line of presidential cars Cadillac has built in the 100 years since Congress approved funding for a presidential motor pool. President Wilson rode in a Caddy during a parade marking the end of World War I. President Coolidge sported a lavish 1928 Cadillac Town Car, which was among the first Caddys parked at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. It featured a 341 cubic inch engine and a robust (for the time) 90 horsepower.
In 1938, the US government received two Cadillac convertibles, each 21.5 feet long and weighing nearly 8,000 pounds. They were dubbed the "Queen Elizabeth" and the "Queen Mary" after the ocean liners. Each featured back-up generators, two-way radios and an arsenal of weapons. They served presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower and were replaced by the Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Mary II, which remained in service until 1968.
Cadillac returned to the White House in 1983, when President Reagan rode around in a Fleetwood famous for being the last equipped with the Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 3-speed automatic transmission. President Clinton rode in a Fleetwood Brougham powered by a 454 cubic inch (7.4 liter) V8.
The largest collection of presidential limos is held by the Henry Ford Museum, but President Bush’s limo will not appear in it. The Secret Service has since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, required that presidential limos be destroyed upon retirement to preserve their secrets.


This is the new limousine for U.S. President Barack Obama, the car company, General Motors, has numbered the car according to tradition. Also by tradition, the car is a Cadillac. Its technical features are not openly known, but the masses do have some information.

The car can comfortably accommodate four people, satellite communications and a constant direct connection with the vice president and head of the Pentagon. Thirteen more pics on Limousine Barack Obama & U.S Secret Service after the jump.



The body is equipped with powerful machine-ty 13 cm armor. According to the results of tests, the Corps maintains direct hit by shells fired from a hand grenade! The design allows the tires to drive in the case of damage.



As a preventive protection against possible attacks, the car has a gun with tear gas, other stationary weapons, and is driven by a weapons-trained member of the CIA.



However, neither the Secret Service nor the administration of General Motors will make the full technical details of "Cadillac One" public. You can always imagine how it must be tuned, though!
WASHINGTON - As Americans celebrate the inauguration of a new president of the United States next week, another new Cadillac will grace Pennsylvania Avenue to lead the proceedings. President Barack Obama will ride in an all-new Cadillac Presidential Limousine, continuing a long tradition of Cadillac limousines that have served many U.S. presidents.
"Cadillac is honored to again provide a new Presidential Limousine," said Mark McNabb, North America vice president, Cadillac/Premium Channel. "This is a great American tradition that we're delighted to renew with an all-new car featuring the best of Cadillac's dramatic design and technology."
The image of an American president greeting crowds from a Cadillac limousine dates to President Woodrow Wilson and the early days of the automobile, and continues into a historic new era. The latest Cadillac Presidential Limousine is a completely new design, succeeding the DTS Presidential Limousine that debuted in 2004. The new car incorporates many of the dramatic design and technology features of new and highly acclaimed Cadillac vehicles in a purpose-built format tailored to specific and exacting specifications befitting presidential transport.
Inside and out, the Cadillac Presidential Limousine includes many of the brand's signature design elements. Assertive, modern and elegant, the front of the car includes the intricate, dual-textured grille made famous by Cadillac's most popular current models, the CTS sport sedan and Escalade. Vertical design elements, such as the car's front and rear lighting, mirror those used on production models.
For largely functional reasons, such as optimal outward visibility, the car is slightly more upright than its predecessor. However, this new Cadillac Presidential Limousine occupies roughly the same overall footprint on the road as the previous model, with a similar size and proportion.
The side and rear profiles of the new Presidential Limousine are classic, elegant forms, evocative of Cadillac's STS and DTS luxury sedans. Inside the cabin, the car includes the finest examples of Cadillac's recent renaissance in design, technology and craftsmanship. The cabin blends modern design and technology with old-world craftsmanship. Major aspects of the cabin are cut and sewn by hand, the same process used in popular Cadillac models such as the CTS sport sedan.
Naturally, many purpose-built aspects of the car are specially designed and prepared for presidential use. The rear passenger area includes an extensive executive compartment with ample seating space, outward visibility and useful mobile office features.
The car was designed, developed and tested by specialists who adhered to an extensive set of specifications. It was subjected to an extreme testing regimen to ensure performance that achieves precise functional requirements. In doing so, security provisions were undertaken at all times during development to ensure the car's functional capabilities are preserved and confidential.
An embroidered presidential seal is positioned in the center of the rear seat back panel, as well as on each rear door trim panel. Presidential seals are also affixed to the exterior rear doors. The U.S. flag is placed on the right front fender, and the presidential standard is located on the left front fender when the president travels in the vehicle. High-tech LED spotlights illuminate the flags at night.
History - Cadillac and the U.S. Presidency Cadillac has built limousines and special vehicles for U.S. presidents, diplomats, ambassadors and foreign dignitaries since the early 20th century, an iconic aspect of the brand that continues today.
Cadillac's central role began during World War I, when many Cadillac engines and cars were transferred to military and government service because of their superior durability and power. One of the first chief executives to use a Cadillac was President Wilson, who rode through the streets of Boston during a World War I victory parade in 1919. A lavish 1928 Cadillac town car was used in the Calvin Coolidge administration.
In 1938, two Cadillac convertibles, dubbed the "Queen Mary" and "Queen Elizabeth," were delivered to the U.S. government. Named after the great ocean liners of the time, the vehicles were 21.5 feet long, weighed 7,660 pounds and were equipped with a full ammunition arsenal, two-way radios and heavy-duty generators. Durable and reliable, the two "Queens" served Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
President Eisenhower, known as a car buff, rode in one of the first Cadillac Eldorado models ever produced during his 1953 inaugural parade. The Eldorado represented a high point in automobile design history, as it had the first wraparound windshield, a feature quickly adopted on other new production models.
In 1956, the Queen Mary II and Queen Elizabeth II convertibles replaced the original series. The vehicles were slightly smaller, but like their predecessors, were fully armored and featured state-of-the art communications. Moreover, the vehicles were fitted with narrow rims inside the tire in case the tires were shot out. The Queen Mary II and Queen Elizabeth II served not only President Eisenhower, but also Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Both vehicles were retired in 1968.
The Ronald W. Reagan administration was delivered a 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine and a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham - Presidential Series was delivered to the William J. Clinton administration in 1993. Unlike previous models that typically were Cadillac cars adapted and modified by independent limousine companies, the 1993 Presidential Brougham was designed, developed and manufactured totally within General Motors and Cadillac. This included an extensive set of security measures to maintain confidentiality, a process that continues today.
Currently, the 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine resides at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif., while the 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham is at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark.
Cadillac has produced two presidential limousines this decade that remain in service. The first was a Deville Presidential model delivered to President George W. Bush in 2001. In 2004, President Bush debuted a new DTS Presidential model. It was the first application of a new design that launched later that year for the production DTS full-size sedan.