Cheetahs

A cheetah’s digestive system processes food very quickly, taking only 12 hours compared to 24–36 hours for house cats!

Cheetahs usually hunt during early morning or late afternoon, when it’s cooler and their prey is more active!

There are only about 7,100 adult cheetahs left in the wild today!

Cheetahs have disappeared from more than 90% of their historic range in Africa!

Cheetahs are listed as “Vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List!

The biggest threats to cheetahs are habitat loss, conflict with humans, and loss of prey animals!

Cheetahs have rough patches on their tongue that act like sandpaper, helping them clean their fur and scrape meat from bones!

A cheetah’s tail acts like a rudder on a boat, helping them make sharp turns while chasing prey!

A cheetah’s claws are more like a dog’s than a cat’s, as they don’t fully retract!

Cheetahs have special paw pads that work like race car tires, giving them extra grip when running!

A cheetah’s nose is shaped differently than other big cats’, helping them breathe better while running fast!

Cheetahs prefer to rest in elevated spots like termite mounds or fallen trees where they can watch for both prey and danger!

A cheetah might need to rest for up to 30 minutes after a high-speed chase because they use so much energy!

Cheetahs climb trees even though they’re not as good at it as leopards — they use trees as lookout posts!

A cheetah might travel up to 12 miles (19 kilometers) in a single day looking for food!

Cheetahs often hunt in areas where there are lots of gazelles, which are their favorite prey!

Mother cheetahs move their cubs to a new den every few days to keep them safe from predators!

When running at full speed, a cheetah spends more time in the air than touching the ground!

A cheetah’s brain and inner ear work together to keep its head steady while running fast, helping it stay focused on its prey!

A cheetah’s tail can be used as a signaling device to help cubs follow their mother through tall grass!

A cheetah’s heart can beat up to 250 times per minute during a high-speed chase — that’s about four times faster than your heart!

Cheetahs have larger lungs and hearts compared to other big cats of similar size, helping them run faster!

A cheetah can run the length of a football field in just 3–4 seconds!

A cheetah’s top speed of 70 mph (113 km/h) is faster than the speed limit on most highways!

A cheetah’s stride length when running can be up to 22 feet (6.7 meters) — that’s longer than most cars!

A cheetah cub weighs about as much as a loaf of bread when it’s born!

A cheetah’s spots could cover an entire classroom whiteboard if you drew them all in one place!

A cheetah’s daily food intake is about the same weight as 24 hamburgers!

A cheetah’s purr is about as loud as a small lawn mower engine!

A cheetah’s home range can be as big as 50,000 soccer fields put together!

A cheetah can accelerate faster than most sports cars in the first few seconds of a chase!

A cheetah’s spots are actually made up of several smaller spots grouped together!

Cheetahs make a chirping sound that sounds like a bird’s call when they’re trying to find each other!

Baby cheetahs have a special mohawk-like stripe of long fur along their back called a mantle!

Cheetahs are the only big cats that can’t roar, but they can purr both while breathing in and out!