here are 30 interesting and fun facts about the cheetah. Cheetah facts indicate that Cheetahs are a member of the Jubatis species and the Felidae family.
Cheetahs are on average thirty inches tall.
Cheetahs weigh between 69-140 pounds.
Cheetahs are four feet long.
Cheetahs have a tail that is almost thirty inches long.
The most impressive of cheetah facts is that they are the fastest land mammal.
Cheetahs can reach speeds of 70 mph.
Cheetahs are not aggressive and will choose to flee with their great speed.
A Cheetah is identified by lines that are shaped like teardrops that run from its eyes down the nose to the mouth.
Cheetahs are tan with black spots that are approximately 1-inch across.
The Cheetah’s tail has 4-6 dark-colored rings near the end and a white tuff on the end.
Cheetah cubs are born with dark fur and barely visible spots.
A mantle of yellowish gray fur grows on the Cheetah cub’s back. The mantle disappears after three months but the cub will have a yellowish mane until it is around two years old.
Among the most interesting Cheetah facts is that it can accelerate from zero to 40 mph in three strides and be at 70 mph in seconds.
Because speed is the Cheetah’s self-defense, they cannot protect their food or cubs with their weaker teeth and jaws.
Cheetah’s run on only one foot at a time and there are two points in its stride where all of its feet are off the ground.
The Cheetah’s stride is 20-25 feet long.
The Cheetah distances himself quickly from predators and is exhausted after 600 yards.
During it highest speeds a Cheetah’s respiratory rate goes from 60 to 150 breathes per minute.
Cheetahs have semi-retractable claws that grip the ground for speed.
Cheetah are on the Endangered Species List.
Cheetahs are often called the “greyhounds” of the cat family.
Cheetahs live in isolated populations in sub-Saharan Africa. They are rare in northern Niger and Algeria but range from Senegal to Somalia and into northern South Africa.
Cheetahs live in savannas where they have open areas for chasing.
Cheetahs in the wild eat hoofed mammals who weigh less than 90 lbs.
Cheetahs in captivity eat ground horse meat, beef, chickens and rabbits.
Male Cheetahs live in groups called coalitions and only have contact with females during mating. Only one male in the group will mate with the female. The gestation period is for three months and the number of cubs is usually around three.
While Cheetahs can live as long as 17 years in zoos, in the wild their lifespan is considerably less at 8 – 10 years.
Cheetahs kill their prey by suffocation.
Lions and leopards will kill Cheetahs.
Right now there are only eight to ten thousand cheetahs in the wild, down 90% from the early 1900s.
