Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land - able to reach speeds of up to 80 miles per hour for short bursts. They use their speed for hunting instead of relying on stealth and strength like many other species of big cats. The cheetah is carnivorous, eating a variety of small animals. While most cats are nocturnal predators, the cheetah is diurnal, hunting in early morning and late afternoon. It likes to scan the countryside from a tree or the top of a hill because the cheetah is dependant on sight rather than smell. The cheetah chases its prey for about 3.5 miles at an average speed of 45 miles per hour. The stalk is as important as the sprint; usually it will try to get within 50 yards of its prey before the final acceleration. Full sprints last about 20 seconds and almost never exceed 1 full minute. The cheetah suffocates its captive, closing its jaw about the animals windpipe and squeezing until its dead. At 6 weeks the young are strong enough to participate with the hunt.