The Cheetah
(Acinonyx jubatus)







The typical cheetah measures 1.1m to 1.4m from head to body, and a further 0.6m to 0.8m in tail length. Males approximately weigh 43kg and females 38kg.

Cheetahs are mainly found in Africa, but there are species inhabiting India and a small number located in Iran. Their habitat is open grassy plains, bush lands, scrub and open forests.

The cheetah is THE fastest land mammal, and has a body built for bursts of tremendous speeds. Long limbs, small waist, claws that cannot be retracted hence giving it greater grip on the ground. Its long tail also provides better balance for making abrupt turns and corners when pursuing prey. It has an iconic black tear mark running from the inner corner of each eye down to the muzzle.

A cheetah hunts by observing prey from a vantage point, picking out an individual on the edge of the herd before stalking it, and finally giving chase. It can hold a whopping pace of 87km/hr for about 200 to 300 metres, before lunging for the kill.

Cheetahs have little genetic variation due to a genetic bottleneck that occured generations ago. As a result, populations might be susceptible and less able to cope with threats that can include natural defects, inherent disabilities or illnesses, environmental change, etc.




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