Featured Animal

The Cheetah

Cheetahs are a type of big cat known for being able to run faster—70 mph—than any other land animal. While they live primarily in Africa, there is also a very small population in Iran. They are one of the only felines with semi-retractable claws, which means that they can’t sheath their claws completely. They are classified as vulnerable, with an estimated 6,700 left in Africa and 60–100 left in Iran as of 2015.

Adult cheetahs can weigh from 46–159 pounds and can measure 43–59 inches (head to end of body). Their tails can be 24–33 inches long. They have short, golden-tan fur with white bellies,and most of their body is covered with small black spots. They are sometimes confused with leopards and jaguars, but are distinguishable by their lean bodies and circular spots; the other cats have more of a rosette-shaped fur pattern. Cheetahs also have two black lines on their faces (one on each side) that run from the edge of their eyes down to their nose, almost like two black tears.

Cheetahs are carnivores who feed mostly on mammals, such as gazelles and impalas. They will also eat hares or guinea fowl as well as baby zebras and wildebeests.

Threats to the Cheetah

Habitat Loss and Poaching
Cheetahs are threatened by the expansion of humans and farming. Farmers often shoot them because they hunt the livestock. Game hunters will also sometimes shoot them in order to reduce competition for prey.

Inbreeding
Approximately 12,000 years ago there was a huge mass extinction problem that wiped out 75 percent of all mammals. Some cheetahs were able to survive, but their gene pool shrank so much that inbreeding became a problem. Inbreeding can lead to genetic defects such as kinked tails and low fertility rates. More recently, inbreeding has increased due to human expansion and habitat separation. If order for cheetahs to survive in the future, we have to make sure that their genetic diversity doesn’t decrease even more.

Facts
• Cheetahs can’t roar like other big cats, but they can purr, which is something that big cats can’t do.
• Cheetah cubs are born with a tuft of fur on their neck that sticks up like a mane. The reason for this might be to make the cubs look like honey-badgers to scare away predators. This mane wears off as the cheetah gets older.

Habitat Map
C lick here to see the Cheetah's current habitat map.

Help Me Save the Cheetah!
Buy my artwork at events, contact me, or donate directly to the Cheetah Conservation Fund.