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Most active in the early morning.
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Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus jubatus
| Size |
Males are slightly larger than females. |
| Weight |
A cheetah may weigh between 37-110 pounds(17-50 kg). |
| Conservation Status |
On the 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the cheetah is listed as Vulnerable. |
| Diet |
Cheetahs are strict carnivores, meaning they only eat meat. In the wild cheetahs typically hunt in the early morning and just before dusk, they will take a variety of prey, but most commonly they pick the young and the weak. At the Zoo, cheetahs are fed a base diet that includes a commercial raw meat mix which contains the nutrients essential for the animal’s well being. Solid beef is added to the diet for training and beef long bones are offered for the cats to chew on and carry around. The bones provide an enjoyed activity for the animals while strengthening their jaw muscles. |
| Geographic Range |
Cheetahs are found in the continent of Africa, south of the Sahara—with the largest concentration in Namibia. Cheetahs are also found in Iran. |
| Where to find me in the Zoo |
Cheetah Exhibit at south end Zoo—next to the African wild dog. |
Note: Description below should include Longevity, Behavior, and Reproduction information
The cheetah has a small head, high set eyes and small, flattened ears. It has distinctive tear stripes from the corner of its eyes down the side of its nose. The cheetah's legs are very long in relation to their body, and their back is very flexible. The cheetah's habitat varies from semi-desert to open grasslands and thick bush.
Longevity
A typical lifespan for cheetahs in zoos is 12-15 years. The lifespan for this cat in the wild may be 10-12 years.
Reproduction
Cheetahs breed throughout the year, and their gestation lasts 91-95 days. Litter size can range from 3-5 cubs. A cub’s birth weight is 5.3 to 14 ounces (150-400 kg). It may take 5-10 days to open their eyes. Cheetahs reach sexual maturity at about 21 months.
Behavior
Except for lions, cheetahs are more social than any other big cat. Although females are solitary, males often live in groups. Cats from the same litter tend to remain together with unrelated males sometimes joining the group.
Adaptations
The cheetah is the fastest mammal on land, capable of speed burst of up to 70 mph (112 kph). Their body has many adapted features for achieving this speed; large thigh muscles, long limbs, tightly bound tibia and fibula, reduced clavicle and a flexible spine for increased stride length. The cheetah can maintain this high speed for approximately 300 yards (274 m). They have blunt, partly curved, unsheathed claws which provide additional traction during rapid acceleration.
The cheetah has small upper canine teeth with small roots on the side of its nasal passages. This enables the cheetah to breath while maintaining a suffocating bite. The cheetah hunts and eats late in the morning and early in the evening, thus avoiding conflict with lions and leopards that hunt at other times.
Micah, Spidi and Rasi: Brothers born at the Cango Wildlife Ranch, South Africa on September 16, 2001. They arrived at the Zoo on April 2, 2003.
Enrichment
Adoption Information
Featured Foster Parent
- The cheetah is the most endangered cat in Africa, mainly due to loss of habitat and conflict with humans.
- The largest population of cheetahs in Africa is in Namibia, but most of these are on private land and often considered to be a threat to livestock, which is the farmer’s livelihood.
- The Zoo supports the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) both financially and by staff involvement in projects.
- Zoo Curator Christine Bartos trained a border collie named Finn as a cheetah scat detection dog and traveled to Namibia with him. He is trained to locate cheetah scat by scent and works in the field with CCF researchers
- CCF conducts long-term studies to help understand cheetah health, genetics, biology and reproduction. These studies help develop education and conservation programs.
- Local farmers attend classes at the CCF Education center. They learn current livestock management techniques as well as how to manage their farms in a sustainable and predator-friendly manner.
- Livestock guardian dogs are raised and trained by CCF and are given to local farmers. These dogs protect the flocks from cheetahs and the farmers no longer resort to killing cheetahs.
To learn more about the conservation efforts at the Philadelphia Zoo, click here.
Did you know the Philadelphia Zoo offers opportunities to travel around the world and get up close with certain animals? Learn more.
Zoo Research
Fun Facts
- The cheetah is the fastest mammal on land, capable of speed burst of up to 70 mph (112 kph). Cheetahs can reach 45 mph (72 kph) in 2 seconds or 2 strides. The cheetah is the fourth fastest of all animals. The only faster animals are birds; the golden eagle, the peregrine falcon and the Indian swift.
- Although the cheetah has great speed, it can only sustain it for a short while. It can sustain its highest speed for about 300 yards, which is the length of 3 football fields.
- Due to its small size, the cheetah usually surrenders its kill to larger predators like lions and hyenas.
Conservation
Introductions
Animal Lingo
Want More?
Sources:
(1) Nowak RM. 2005. Walker’s Carnivores of the World. Baltimore (MD): The Johns Hopkins University Press., p 270-271. (2)Rich T and Rouse A. 2004. Cheetahs. Herts (U.K): Evans Mitchell Books., p. 6-92.
(3) Sunquist M and Sunquist F. 2002. Wild Cats of the World. London (U.K.): The University of Chicago Press., p. 20-31.
(4) IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. www.redlist.org. Downloaded 2 July 2011.
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