cheetahs quick facts
- Cheetahs can run at 60 to 70 mph (about 100 to 112 km/h).
- A cheetah must catch its prey within about 30 seconds.
- Cheetahs do not need to drink water; they get moisture from their prey.
- Cheetahs chirp and purr but cannot roar.
- Only about 7,000 to 10,000 cheetahs are left in the wild.
What is a cheetah?
The cheetah is a big cat that lives mainly in Africa. It is the fastest land animal on Earth, built for short, lightning-fast sprints.
Cheetahs have slim bodies, long legs, a small head and a coat covered in solid black spots. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says they are the only cats that can turn in mid-air while sprinting to follow their prey.
Unlike most big cats, cheetahs hunt in the daytime, and they rely on speed rather than strength to catch their food.
| Cheetah at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Top speed | about 100 to 112 km/h (60 to 70 mph) |
| Weight | 34 to 64 kg (75 to 140 pounds) |
| Height | about 77 cm (30 inches) at the shoulder |
| Food | gazelles, impalas and other small antelope |
| Cubs | usually three to six |
| Lifespan in the wild | about 8 to 12 years |
| Cheetahs left | about 7,000 to 10,000 |
| Status | Vulnerable |
The fastest animal on land
A cheetah can run at 60 to 70 mph (about 100 to 112 km/h), according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. It can go from standing still to 45 mph (72 km/h) in just 2.5 seconds, faster than most sports cars.
At top speed, each stride carries a cheetah about 7 m (23 feet), and it takes four strides every second. The Cheetah Conservation Fund says that for much of a sprint, all four feet are off the ground.
But cheetahs cannot keep this up for long. The Cheetah Conservation Fund says a cheetah must catch its prey within about 30 seconds, before it overheats and runs out of energy. Find out more in our guide to how fast a cheetah can run.
A body built for speed
Almost every part of a cheetah’s body helps it run fast.
A bendy spine: its flexible backbone works like a spring, stretching the front legs far forward with each stride.
Grippy claws: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says a cheetah’s hard, blunt claws act like the spikes on running shoes, gripping the ground. Unlike most cats, it cannot pull them all the way in.
A long tail: the tail works like a rudder, helping the cheetah balance and turn sharply at high speed.
Big nostrils, lungs and heart: these help it take in lots of oxygen during a sprint.
Spots and tear marks
A cheetah’s coat is covered in solid, round black spots. The Cheetah Conservation Fund notes that these are different from the ring-shaped rosettes on leopards and jaguars.
Cheetahs also have two black lines running from the inside of each eye down to the mouth, called tear marks or malar stripes. The National Zoo says these may help by cutting down the glare of the sun when the cheetah is hunting.
Where do cheetahs live?
Cheetahs live in parts of Africa, and a tiny population survives in Iran. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says they prefer grasslands and open plains, where they can see prey and run.
Long ago, cheetahs lived all over Africa, across the Arabian Peninsula and into India. The Cheetah Conservation Fund says they are now found in only about 9% of their old range.
The National Zoo says cheetahs are most common in Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, and in Namibia and Botswana in southern Africa. Namibia has the largest population, about 2,500 cheetahs. One rare kind lives in the Sahara; meet it in our Northwest African cheetah facts.
Surprisingly, the Cheetah Conservation Fund says more than 75% of wild cheetahs live on farmland rather than in protected parks.
What do cheetahs eat?
Cheetahs mainly eat small and medium-sized antelope. The National Zoo lists springbok, steenbok, duikers, impala and gazelles, and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says Thomson’s gazelles are a favourite.
They also catch hares, ground birds, rodents, porcupines and even ostriches. The Cheetah Conservation Fund says a cheetah eats about 1 to 2 kg (2 to 4 pounds) of meat a day.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says cheetahs do not need to drink water, because they get the moisture they need from their prey. Read more in our guide to what cheetahs eat.
How cheetahs hunt
Cheetahs hunt by sight, usually in the early morning and late afternoon, when other big cats are resting.
A cheetah creeps as close as it can, often to within about 90 m (100 yards), then bursts into a sprint. It knocks the prey off balance with a paw, then grips its throat.
Only about half of a cheetah’s chases succeed. And even when it makes a kill, the National Zoo says a cheetah loses about half its food to bigger, stronger predators, such as lions and hyenas.
Because it is built for speed rather than fighting, a cheetah usually backs away rather than risk an injury.
Chirps, purrs and stutter-barks
Cheetahs cannot roar like lions. Instead, they make a surprising range of sounds.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says cheetahs make a chirping call that sounds a little like a small dog’s bark, and a stutter-bark that sounds like a cross between a purr and a rumbling tummy. They also purr when they are content.
Cheetah families
Adult female cheetahs live alone, except when they are raising cubs.
Males are different. The National Zoo says brothers often stay together for life in a small group called a coalition, usually of two or three.
A mother usually has three to six cubs after a pregnancy of about 93 days. The cubs are born with a fluffy, silver-grey mane of fur along their backs, called a mantle, which may help them hide in long grass.
For the first six to eight weeks, the mother hides her cubs in a secret nest, moving them often. They stay with her for about 18 months, learning how to hunt.
Cub life is dangerous. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says up to 70% of cubs are killed by lions and hyenas, and the Cheetah Conservation Fund says that in some areas as many as 90% do not survive.
How long do cheetahs live?
The National Zoo says wild cheetahs live about 8 to 10 years on average, and 12 to 15 years in zoos. The Cheetah Conservation Fund gives an average of 10 to 12 years in the wild.
Cheetahs in danger
Cheetahs are listed as Vulnerable. The Cheetah Conservation Fund says there are fewer than 7,100 adult and young cheetahs left in the wild, while the National Zoo estimates 7,500 to 10,000.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says there were as many as 100,000 cheetahs just 100 years ago. The National Zoo says cheetahs have died out in at least 13 countries in the past 50 years.
Losing space: cheetahs need huge areas of open land, which are being turned into farms and towns.
Conflict with farmers: because most cheetahs live on farmland, they sometimes kill livestock and are killed in return.
The pet trade: the Cheetah Conservation Fund says cubs are stolen from the wild to be sold as pets, and only one in six survives the journey.
In Iran, fewer than 50 Asiatic cheetahs are left.
Room to roam
Cheetahs need a lot of space. The National Zoo says male cheetahs often live in small groups called coalitions, usually two or three brothers from the same litter.
A coalition guards a territory of about 13 to 26 sq km (5 to 10 square miles). Some territories are as big as 130 sq km (50 square miles). Young males may wander up to 482 km (300 miles) before they settle down.
Females live alone, except when they are raising cubs. The National Zoo says a female’s home range can cover 833 to 958 sq km (322 to 370 square miles), because she follows the herds of gazelles and other prey as they move.
Cheetahs that are all alike
Scientists have found something surprising about cheetahs. The National Zoo says cheetah numbers crashed to a very small group about 10,000 years ago, in what scientists call a population bottleneck.
Every cheetah alive today comes from those few survivors. As a result, cheetahs are very similar to each other inside their bodies, a bit like close cousins. This makes it harder for them to fight off some diseases, and it is one more reason why every cheetah matters.
The National Zoo says there were about 100,000 cheetahs in 1900. Today, only 7,500 to 10,000 remain in the wild.
Three things people get wrong
Cheetahs cannot run fast for long. A chase must be over in about 30 seconds.
Cheetahs are not leopards. Cheetahs have solid spots and tear marks; leopards have rosettes.
Cheetahs cannot roar. They chirp, purr and make stutter-barks instead.
Did you know? Cheetahs are the only cats that can turn in mid-air while sprinting to follow their prey.
Try it
Measure 7 metres on the ground. That is how far a cheetah travels in a single stride at top speed, four times every second.
Knowledge check
How fast can a cheetah run?
Show answer
About 60 to 70 mph (100 to 112 km/h).
What are the black lines on a cheetah’s face called?
Show answer
Tear marks, or malar stripes.
Frequently asked questions
How fast can a cheetah run?
A cheetah can run at 60 to 70 mph (about 100 to 112 km/h). It can go from standing still to 45 mph in about 2.5 seconds.
Where do cheetahs live?
Cheetahs live in parts of Africa, mostly on grasslands and open plains, with a tiny population in Iran. Namibia has the most cheetahs.
What do cheetahs eat?
Cheetahs mainly eat small antelope such as gazelles and impalas. They also catch hares, ground birds and rodents, and eat about 1 to 2 kg a day.
Can cheetahs roar?
No. Cheetahs cannot roar like lions. They chirp, purr and make a stutter-bark that sounds like a cross between a purr and a rumbling tummy.
How many cheetahs are left?
Only about 7,000 to 10,000 cheetahs are left in the wild, compared with as many as 100,000 a century ago. They are listed as Vulnerable.
How long do cheetahs live?
Wild cheetahs live about 8 to 12 years on average. In zoos they can live 12 to 15 years, and sometimes longer.
Sources
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo: cheetah — size, speed, stride, body features, range, prey, hunting success, coalitions, cubs, lifespan, population and threats
- Cheetah Conservation Fund: about cheetahs — population, range, farmland, speed, spots, chase length, daily food, cubs, lifespan and the pet trade
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: cheetah — mid-air turns, claws, habitat, diet, not drinking, sounds, cub losses, lifespan and history
