Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus
The fastest land animal in the world, the cheetah is a marvel of evolution. The cheetah’s
slender, long-legged body is built for speed. Cheetahs are tan in color with black spots all
over their bodies. They can also be distinguished from other big cats by their smaller size,
spotted coats, small heads and ears and distinctive “tear stripes” that stretch from the
corner of the eye to the side of the nose.
Height 2 ½ -3 feet at shoulders
Length 44-53 inches (tail length of 26-33 inches)
Weight 110-140 pounds
Top Speed 70mph
Lifespan 10-12 years

Diet
Staples Gazelles, wildebeest calves, impalas and smaller hoofed animals

Population
In 1900, there were over 100,000 cheetahs across their historic range. Today, an
estimated 9,000 to 12,000 cheetahs remain in the wild in Africa. In Iran, there are around
200 cheetahs living in small isolated populations.

Range
Historically cheetahs were found throughout Africa and Asia from South Africa to India.
They are now confined to parts of eastern and southwestern Africa and Iran.

Behavior
Found mostly in open and partially open savannah, cheetahs rely on tall grasses for
camouflage when hunting. They are diurnal (more active in the day) animals and hunt
mostly during the late morning or early evening. Only half of the chases, which last from
20-60 seconds, are successful.
Cheetahs knock their prey to the ground and kill with a suffocating bite to the neck. They
must eat quickly before they lose the kills to other bigger or more aggressive carnivores.
Cheetahs are also typically solitary animals. While males sometimes live with a small
group of brothers from the same litter, females generally raise cubs by themselves for
about a year.
Reproduction
Mating Season Throughout the year.
Gestation Around 3 months.
Litter size 2-4 cubs
Cubs are smoky in color with long, woolly hair – called a mantle – running down their
backs. This mantle is thought to camouflage cubs in grass, concealing them from
predators. Mothers move cubs to new hiding places every few days. At 5-6 weeks, cubs
follow the mother and begin eating from their kills.

Threats
The cheetah’s future is uncertain due to a variety of threats. The biggest is habitat loss
due to human encroachment. In addition, they often deal with declines in prey and
conflicts with humans. There is also high cub mortality due to predation by carnivores
like lions and hyenas that are in competition with the cheetah, as well as genetic
inbreeding which leads to abnormalities.