Cheetah

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large <a href="/facts/Felidae/Fryfw7gm">cat</a> and the <a href="/facts/Fastest_animals/WRJoIKg6">fastest</a> land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, with a short <a href="/facts/Snout/v35EB0xh">snout</a> and black tear-like facial streaks. It reaches 67–94 cm (26–37 in) at the shoulder, and the head-and-body length is between 1.1 and 1.5 m (3 ft 7 in and 4 ft 11 in). Adults weigh between 21 and 65 kg (46 and 143 lb). The cheetah is capable of running at 93 to 104 km/h (58 to 65 mph); it has evolved specialized adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail.
The cheetah was first <a href="/facts/Species_description/JyFpxSvJ">described</a> in the late 18th century. Four subspecies are recognised today that are native to <a href="/facts/Africa/XkqQUP9s">Africa</a> and central <a href="/facts/Iran/24yukge8">Iran</a>. An African subspecies was <a href="/facts/Cheetah_reintroduction_in_India/03aam6R4">introduced to India</a> in 2022. It is now distributed mainly in small, fragmented populations in northwestern, <a href="/facts/East_Africa/WtsAyphI">eastern</a> and <a href="/facts/Southern_Africa/Ak6C1vgf">southern Africa</a> and central Iran. It lives in a variety of habitats such as <a href="/facts/Savannah/M0tPdd1l">savannahs</a> in the <a href="/facts/Serengeti/IkVofoe5">Serengeti</a>, arid mountain ranges in the <a href="/facts/Sahara/JVlJd2VC">Sahara</a>, and hilly desert terrain.
The cheetah lives in three main <a href="/facts/Sociality/aJWwK65x">social groups</a>: females and their cubs, male "coalitions", and solitary males. While females lead a nomadic life searching for prey in large <a href="/facts/Home_range/X6KwWmIJ">home ranges</a>, males are more sedentary and instead establish much smaller <a href="/facts/Territory_(animal)/T15S7XeD">territories</a> in areas with plentiful prey and access to females. The cheetah is active during the day, with peaks during dawn and dusk. It feeds on small- to medium-sized prey, mostly weighing under 40 kg (88 lb), and prefers medium-sized <a href="/facts/Ungulate/NPtsoQmI">ungulates</a> such as <a href="/facts/Impala/5edmEhNX">impala</a>, <a href="/facts/Springbok/5oExV2fb">springbok</a> and <a href="/facts/Thomson%27s_gazelle/2RpDUskA">Thomson's gazelles</a>. The cheetah typically stalks its prey within 60–100 m (200–330 ft) before charging towards it, trips it during the chase and bites its throat to suffocate it to death. It breeds throughout the year. After a <a href="/facts/Gestation/QKgkykw5">gestation</a> of nearly three months, females give birth to a litter of three or four cubs. Cheetah cubs are highly vulnerable to predation by other large carnivores. They are weaned at around four months and are independent by around 20 months of age.
The cheetah is threatened by <a href="/facts/Habitat_loss/pyPMkBCY">habitat loss</a>, conflict with humans, <a href="/facts/Poaching/UgYKJV0E">poaching</a> and high susceptibility to diseases. The global cheetah population was estimated in 2021 at 6,517; it is listed as <a href="/facts/Vulnerable_species/79WNk4Gj">Vulnerable</a> on the <a href="/facts/IUCN_Red_List/8gemqCLu">IUCN Red List</a>. It has been widely depicted in art, literature, advertising, and animation. It was <a href="/facts/Taming/QVDE6795">tamed</a> in <a href="/facts/Ancient_Egypt/BDsEGK4g">ancient Egypt</a> and trained for hunting ungulates in the <a href="/facts/Arabian_Peninsula/x1fDka2b">Arabian Peninsula</a> and India. It has been kept in <a href="/facts/Zoo/FsM5YT6a">zoos</a> since the early 19th century.

Cheetah open-in-new

Cheetah