The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest mammal living on solid ground. The slender, long-legged cats are capable to reach top speeds of up to 120 km/h. Cheetahs are up to 1,5 meters long and weigh up to 65 kg. Remarkable is their relativly small head. Above all Cheetahs inhabit steppe and semi-deserts south of the Sahara nowadays. In former times Cheetahs were spread in entire Africa and parts of Asia, except the rainforests and deserts. Cheetahs live solitary or in small groups. Such group of cats may for example consist of a female and her young, up to 2 years old. But also males join together to groups sometimes. Cheetahs inhabit home ranges which are sized about 100 square kilometers. The 1 up to 5 young are born after a pregnancy of about 3 months. They are weaned when half a year old but stay with their mother until they are sexually matured at an age of about 2 years. Cheetahs may reach an age of up to 15 years.
Keywords: paw , retractable claw
Which zoos have them?
Saint Louis Zoological Park (United States) and Smithsonian National Zoological Park (United States)The Cheetah, hunting leopard is listed as Vulnerable (VU), considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Namings for the cheetah
A young / baby of a cheetah is called a 'cub'. A cheetah group is called a 'coalition'.Countries
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia and ZimbabweCheetah habitats
Desert, Dry savanna, Grassland, Hot Desert, Savanna, Shrubland, Subtropical / Tropical Dry Grassland, Subtropical / Tropical Dry Shrubland, Temperate Desert and Temperate GrasslandSome facts about the
Cheetah
Adult weight : 53.5 kg (117.7 lbs)
Maximum longevity : 21 years
Female maturity :456 days
Male maturity : 456 days
Gestation : 88 days
Weaning : 107 days
Litter size : 3
Litters per year : 1
Interval between litters : 537 days
Weight at birth : 0.489 kg (1.0758 lbs)
Weight at weaning : 1.94 kg (4.268 lbs)
Basal metabolic rate : 62 W
Body mass : 38.446 kg (84.5812 lbs)
Temperature : 38.85 °C (101.93 °F)
