Cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world. They can run as fast as 70 mph with an acceleration from 0 to 40 mph in three strides. At full speed the cheetahs run at about three strides per second covering 20-25 foot with every stride. Cheetahs are the only cats with semi-retractable claws. It has been estimated that the number of cheetahs has plunged from approximately 100,000 (in more than 44 countries) in 1900 down to 10,000 (in 24-27 countries) today.