Mammals · Felids

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

Vulnerable

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth, built for a single explosive burst of speed rather than sustained strength. A slender, long-legged cat with a small head, deep chest and semi-retractable claws that grip the ground like running spikes, it hunts by day on the open plains of Africa and a small remnant population in Iran.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Felidae

Subfamily: Felinae

Genus: Acinonyx

Species: jubatus

Subspecies: 5 recognized, incl. the Northwest African, Asiatic & South African cheetah

Size

3.5–4.5 ft body length plus a 25–33 in. tail; 21–35 in. at the shoulder. Females are slightly smaller than males.

Habitat

Open grassland, savanna and semi-arid scrub across sub-Saharan Africa, with a small remnant population in the Kavir Desert of Iran.

Description

A slim, long-legged cat with a small rounded head, deep chest, and a coat of solid black spots on tawny fur. Black "tear-line" markings run from the eyes to the mouth.

Diet

Carnivore — mainly small to medium antelope such as springbok, impala and gazelle, along with hares and young wildebeest.

Top speed

Up to 70 mph in short bursts of 20–30 seconds, reaching that speed in about 3 seconds from a standing start.

Claws

Semi-retractable, unlike almost every other cat — they function like a sprinter’s spikes for grip and traction at speed.

Communication

Chirps, purrs, growls and a bird-like yelp used to contact cubs — cheetahs cannot roar.

Gestation

About 90–98 days.

Birth & Litter Size

2–6 cubs, born blind with a smoky grey mantle of long fur across the back thought to provide camouflage and mimic the honey badger.

Sexually Mature

Around 20–24 months for females; males mature slightly later and often form small lifelong coalitions with brothers.

Life Span

10–12 years in the wild, up to 17 in captivity. Cub mortality in the wild is extremely high — often above 70 percent.

Social Structure

Females are largely solitary except with dependent cubs; males often live in small coalitions of two to three related or unrelated individuals.

Did You Know?

A cheetah can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 3 seconds — faster than most sports cars — but can only sustain top speed for 20 to 30 seconds before overheating.

Did You Know?

Unlike every other big cat, the cheetah cannot roar. It communicates instead with chirps, purrs and a distinctive bird-like yelp.

Did You Know?

Cheetah cubs are born with a smoky grey mantle of long fur down their backs, which some biologists believe helps camouflage them and may mimic the look of a honey badger, a much fiercer animal predators avoid.