20 fun and interesting cheetah facts

© Tiffanie Meekins

Cheetahs are simply amazing. Not only are they beautiful and super-fast, they play a vital role in their ecosystem by helping to control the population of herbivores, which, if not controlled, can degrade the environment through over-grazing, and cause other species to struggle for food. 

There are loads of incredible facts about cheetah. Did you know…?

1. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals, capable of reaching speeds up to 70 mph (112 km/h).
2. A cheetah can accelerate from 0 to 45 mph in just two and a half seconds.
3. Cheetahs have semi-retractable claws that act like the studs or cleats of running shoes, giving them traction during high-speed chases.
4. Cheetahs can only run at top speed for short bursts, usually less than a minute.
5. Despite their incredible speed, cheetahs are successful in only about 40-50% of their hunts.
6. A cheetah’s spine is extremely flexible, allowing it to stretch and contract during high-speed runs.
7. A cheetah’s heart, lungs, and nasal passages are all enlarged to support their high-speed running.
8. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs cannot roar. Instead, they make a variety of chirps, purrs, and high-pitched calls.
9. A cheetah’s spots are as unique as human fingerprints – no two cheetahs have the same pattern.
10. Cheetahs have distinctive “tear lines” that run from the inner corners of their eyes down to their mouths, which may help reduce glare from the sun.
11. Adult cheetahs typically weigh between 75 and 140 pounds (34-64 kg).
12. Cheetahs have a unique social structure among big cats. Males often form coalitions, while females are typically solitary except during the 18-month period for raising cubs.
13. A cheetah’s tail acts as a rudder during high-speed chases, helping them make sharp turns.
14. Cheetah cubs have a distinctive silvery-grey mantle (ridge of fur) down their backs. It is thought that this mimics honey badgers, which are famously aggressive and may protect the cheetah cubs against predation.
15. Cheetahs are diurnal, meaning they’re active during the day, unlike many other big cats.
16. Unlike most cats, cheetahs are not good climbers and rarely climb trees.
17. Cheetahs have excellent eyesight during the day but cannot see so well at night.
18. Cheetahs have a gestation period of about 3 months, one of the shortest among big cats.
19. According to the IUCN, cheetahs are considered Vulnerable to extinction, with only about 6,500 mature individual cheetahs left in the wild, when last assessed in 2021.
20. Cheetah taxonomy is still being worked out. Previously 5 sub-species of cheetah were thought to exist, but recent genetic analysis suggests there may only be 4 subspecies:
    – Acinonyx jubatus venaticus – distributed across southwest Asia and India
    – Acinonyx jubatus jubatus – distributed across southern and eastern Africa (combining two sub-species previously recognised)
    – Acinonyx jubatus hecki – distributed across West and north Africa
    – Acinonyx jubatus soemmerringi – distributed across northeastern AfricaHowever, some experts think the classification of cheetah sub-species may change again if further genetic analysis was undertaken using more museum specimens.