Cheetah Information
www.tigerace.com/info_cheetah.html
Species: Acinonyx jubatus
Sub-species: jubatus, hecki, fearsoni, soemmerringi, raineyi, venaticus, rex
Conservation status: The cheetah is on CITES I and is in danger of extinction due to poaching, prey depletion and habitat destruction. In August 2004, Time magazine reported that the cheetah was vulnerable (critically endangered in Iran and North Africa). Cheetah numbers were estimated at 12,000 to15,000.
Distribution: The cheetah currently lives in Libya, Baluchistan, Iran, east and southern Africa.
Size: The long, slim body of a cheetah is ideal for reaching high speeds. Not including its tail, adult cheetahs are usually between 100 and 150 cm long. The tail can be 60 to 90 cm, giving it a highest total length of 260 cm. Weighing in at just 55 kg (males) and 40 kg (females), cheetahs are light and agile.
Appearance: Unlike most other wild cats, cheetahs have distinct black spots. Other spotted cats such as the leopard, ocelot and margay have 'rosettes' which are generally made up of a brown splotch and several black spots around its borders. Another wild cat that sometimes has solid spots is the serval, but its markings often appear like stripes as well. The King cheetah, which was once thought to be a separate species, has much darker spots, which converge to form dark stripes along its spine and sides. It may also be possible for a genetic mutation to produce a white cheetah, but these animals would be incredibly rare.
History: Cheetahs were once kept by humans and trained to hunt for them. One Mughal emperor in India posessed 1,000 cheetahs during the 1600s. According to David Alderton, this emperor also kept a rare white cheetah with bluish spots.
Fast Facts:
- Cheetahs can reach speeds of 100km per hour or more.
- When running flat out, the cheetah literally flies through the air, not touching the ground for half of its stride.
- Unlike other wild cats, cheetahs have retractable claws, but no sheaths to cover them
Common names/Species list:
Acinonyx jubatus fearsoni - African Cheetah (eastern Africa)
Acinonyx jubatus hecki - African Cheetah(north-western Africa)
Acinonyx jubatus jubatus - African Cheetah(southern Africa) 
Acinonyx jubatus ngorongorensis - African Cheetah (Tanzania and Zaire)
Acinonyx jubatus raddei - Asiatic Cheetah (Caspian Sea area, possibly extinct.)
Acinonyx jubatus raineyi - African Cheetah (Kenya)
Acinonyx jubatus rex - King Cheetah (sometimes classified as one of the other subspecies)
Acinonyx jubatus soemmerringi - African Cheetah(from Somalia and Eritrea to Lake Chad)
Acinonyx jubatus venaticus - Asiatic Cheetah
= Critically endangered
Sources: Cheetah Conservation Fund, Pocket Cats by David Alderton (Dorling Kindersley, 1995), Time magazine (August 23, 2004), African Mammals Databank, Lion Crusher.com.
If you are not sure of some of the terminology used on this site,
click here for an excellent glossary at Lion Crusher.com.
Copyright: All elements on this website are copyright. More information.
You may not use anything from this website without contacting me for permission.
Sponsored Links
Website Design by