30 Most Incredible facts about Cheetahs!

If you’re a lover of animals, cats or knowledge then you’ll love these interesting facts about the adorable speedy big cat, the cheetah.

1# The Latin name for the cheetah is Acinonyx jubatus.

2# They generally inhabit Africa and the Middle East.

3# The name ‘cheetah’ comes from Sanskrit word ‘variegated’.

4# A cheetah can weigh up to 160 lbs.

5# Including their tail, they can measure up to 92 inches.

6# Their spots can be up to 1.5in in diameter.

7# The black ‘tear tracks’ that line a cheetah’s face prevent the sun from infiltrating and blinding the animal whilst hunting.

8# A cheetah has semi-retractable claws, like the Fishing Cat, Flat-Headed Cat and the Iriomote Cat.

9# The King cheetah had distinctive black stripes, as well as spots. This cat is now extinct.

10# The spots of a cheetah are used for camouflage.

11# During chase, the cheetah can take up to 150 breaths per minute.

12# It can reach up to 62 miles per hour in five seconds.

13# A normal chase speed for a cheetah is 60–65 miles per hour.

14# During a chase, they can run up to 1,600 feet in short bursts.

15# The tail is used as a rudder for steering whilst chasing.

16# Interestingly the cheetah cannot roar. In fact, it purrs.

17# It is considered to be the smallest of the big cats.

18# It is the least able to adapt to its environments.

19# A male matures at 12 months, whilst the female matures at 24.

20# There can be up to nine cubs in a litter.

21# The distinctive fluff of the cubs is a mantle, and gives them the appearance of having Mohawks.

22# A cheetah can live up to twelve years in the wild, and twenty in captivity.

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