Cheetah: Facts, and Resources about Cheetahs

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What is a Cheetah?

Cheetahs are members of the Felidae family, which means they are relates to cats. They are the fastest land animal on each, able to run at speeds up to 75 miles per hours. Even more notably, cheetahs can accelerate from 0 to 65 miles per hour in three second, which is almost twice as fast as the acceleration of a Ferrari automobile.

What is the scientific Classification of a Cheetah?

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Acinonyx
Species: A. jubatus

Quick fun facts about Cheetahs

Latin name:
Acinonyx jubatus

Location of Cheetahs
Cheetahs are native to Africa and southwest Asia. Their primary habitats are enormous expanses of open land where they can run and prey on large animals that roam the regions in packs. The animals take refuge in thick brush, and emerge onto the open landscape when feeding or looking for water. In certain African countries, cheetahs live in mountainous terrain and densely vegetated lands.

Cheetahs breeding
Cheetahs usually begin breeding when they reach three years of age. The males occasionally begin around one year sooner than the females. Mating does not take place during a certain time or year, but rather happens again and again year–round. After the male and female cheetah mate and the female cheetah is impregnated, the gestation period lasts around 100 days. Mother cheetahs typically give birth to a litter of three, four or five cheetah cubs.

Cheetahs color
Cheetahs have dark tan or light brown fur covering their bodies. They typically have white patches of fur on the underside of their necks, extending to the upper portion of their chests, and on their bellies. All over the body, the fur is marked with the characteristically unique black spots, which vary slightly in size. Larger spots are often present on the limbs of the animal, while smaller spots cover the rest of the body. The animal has an unspotted face, with a black nose and distinct black stripes (called “tear marks”) that outline the snout of the animal, aligning with the innermost part of the eye and tracing a path to the outermost part of the mouth.

Life expectancy of Cheetahs
Cheetahs typically live around 10 to 12 years in the wild. Their greatest threat is humans in the wild that are encroaching on their land.

Predators of the Cheetah
Cheetah predators primarily include lions and hyenas. These animals are a fair match for cheetahs. All three animals also complete for smaller prey, however in the wild, when food is scarce, they often hunt each other, despite the uncertain outcome.

Baby Cheetahs are called
A baby cheetah is called a cub.

Female Cheetahs are called
A female cheetah is simply called a female cheetah.

Male Cheetahs are called
A male cheetah is simply called a male cheetah.

A group of Cheetahs is called
Cheetahs are not sociable animals. They roam the wild alone. The most common instance that cheetahs are seen together is during mating season or when a mother cheetah gives birth to a litter of cubs.
However, when cheetahs do roam together on rare occasions in groups, they are called a coalition.

What does a Cheetah look like?
Cheetahs are a member of the cat family, as such, they have certain characteristics of cats. For example, the animals walk on four legs and have a long tail. Their bodies are covered in fur. They are unique in their colorings and markings. Their bodies are tan with patterns of black spots covering all parts except their faces.
They have smaller heads that some other cat species such as lions, leopards and domestic house cats. The size might be because of the aerodynamic build of the species. They have small rounded ears on top of their heads, and fairly short snouts.

How tall is a Cheetah?
A typical adult cheetah is around 32 inches tall at its shoulder. They are around 50 inches long from their heads to their rear legs, and an additional 28 inches long including their tails.
Male cheetahs are typically slightly larger than female cheetahs.

How much does a Cheetah weigh?
An adult cheetah typically weighs between 80 and 140 pounds. Baby cheetahs typically weigh between five and nine ounces when they are born.

Where are Cheetahs found?
Cheetahs are primarily found in Africa in savannahs, prairies, dense vegetation and mountain ranges. Their densest populations exist in Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia and Botswana. They sleep near brush and use it as protection against the elements.

What do Cheetahs eat?
Cheetahs are a diurnal mammal, meaning that they hunt during the day, unlike many other cat species. The animal typically eats many small animals including antelope, warthogs, kudu, hartebeest, sable, birds and rabbits.

Conservation status of Cheetahs

Cheetahs are currently classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Conservation Status List. From Least Concern to Extinct, the list is organized as such:
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically Endangered
Extinct in the Wild
Extinct

The cheetah rests comfortably above the Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild and Extinct statuses, however its populations face threats. There are around 13,000 cheetahs alive in the wild currently in Africa. Many zoos have been using in vitro fertilization to breed the animals for release into the wild, in an attempt to boost population numbers.

The largest threats to the species include lions and hyenas, the cheetah’s natural predators. Other dangers include birth defects and genetic diseases. Because the population numbers are so low, inbreeding is believed to be a major factor in the defects seen in recent births.

Resources about Cheetahs

African Wildlife Federation – Cheetah
website

National Geographic – Cheetah Pictures, Cheetah Facts
website

National Geographic – Growing up Cheetah
website

National Geographic Kids – Cheetah Creature Features
website

Resource by k.Pearson

My name is Kim, I am a volunteer at a local Zoo in Chicago, IL. I have been a volunteer for about 5 years now and love it. My full time job is at a vet just outside of the city. I am intrigued by the nature of animals and how they interact with one another.

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