Cheetah
Photographs by Chris Johns
Fast Facts
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild: 10 to 12 years
Size:3.5 to 4.5 ft (1.1 to 1.4 m);
Tail, 25.5 to 31.5 in (65 to 80 cm)
Weight:77 to 143 lbs (35 to 65 kg)
Protection status: Vulnerable
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:
Photographs by Chris Johns
Fast Facts
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild: 10 to 12 years
Size:3.5 to 4.5 ft (1.1 to 1.4 m);
Tail, 25.5 to 31.5 in (65 to 80 cm)
Weight:77 to 143 lbs (35 to 65 kg)
Protection status: Vulnerable
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:
Cheetah Sprinting After Prey
Reaching speeds up to 60 miles (96 kilometers) per hour, cheetahs are the fastest land animal. However, running at this speed requires a lot of energy, and the cheetah cannot keep up a sprint for long.
Sharp eyesight and raw speed make the cheetah a formidable hunter.
Cheetah Mother and Cubs
Cheetah mothers typically give birth to a litter of three cubs, all of which will stay with her for one and a half to two years before venturing off on their own. When interacting with her cubs, cheetah mothers purr, just like domestic cats.
Cheetah Leaping Through the Air
Unlike most African predators, cheetahs hunt during the daytime. When they spot prey, they can accelerate faster than most cars: from 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometers) an hour in only three seconds.
Most wild cheetahs are found in eastern and southwestern Africa. Perhaps only 12,000 of these big cats remain, and those are under pressure as the wide-open grasslands they favor are disappearing at the hands of human settlers.
Cheetah Mom and Cub, Botswana, 1998
Photograph by Chris Johns
