Conservation Status

Endangered

DID YOU KNOW?

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

--Cheetahs don't need to drink water! They get the moisture they need from their prey.

--Cheetahs can accelerate to 70 miles per hour in just a few strides and are the only cats that are able to turn in midair while sprinting.

--Cheetahs cannot roar like tigers or lions. However, they are quite vocal and make a bird-like call when excited.

Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Acinonyx
Species: jubatus

FAST FACTS

Weight: 85 - 140 pounds with males being larger than females
Length: 3 ½ to 4 ½ feet (tail is an additional 26 to 33 inches)
Height: 2 - 3 feet at the shoulder
Life Span: 12 years in the wild, up to 17 in captivity
Gestation: 3 months
# of young: 1 to 8, normally 3 to 5
Range: Various parts of Africa
Diet: Carnivore, eats small mammals and birds

Energy & Conservation

Cheetahs are listed as endangered for many reasons. One reason being a genetic bottle neck that occurred long before humans began impacting cheetah habitat. A genetic bottle neck is an event in which a population?s or species size is greatly reduced. Other reasons causing declines in cheetah populations are: loss of habitat, loss of prey species, and disease.

 
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