43 Amazing Facts About Cheetahs | Legacy Facts

# Acinonyx jubatus is the Latin name for the cheetah.

# The word "cheetah" derives from the Sanskrit word for "variegated," meaning "exhibiting patches of different colors."

# Today, this cat can only be found in sub-Saharan Africa and Iran, but once dwelt throughout Africa, Asia and in some parts of the Middle East.

# The bodies of these big cats grow between 1.1 m and 1.4 m in length, with a tail ranging between 65 cm and 80 cm. Their weight ranges from 34 kg to 54 kg, with males weighing slightly heavier.

# Its fur is of tan color that allows it to easily blend into tall savannah grasses. The whole body is covered with black spots. The pattern of spots on every cheetah is different which makes each one unique.

# Their spots can have diameters of up to 1.5 in.

# A cheetah's spots are used as camouflage.

# Cheetahs can’t roar, but they make a variety of sounds including chirping, barking, hissing, purring, bleating (like a meow), and growling.

# cheetahs have characteristic "tear stripes" which stretch from the corner of their eyes all the way down to their nose.

# The black "tear tracks" which line the face of a cheetah prevents the sun from infiltrating and blinding the animal while hunting.

# During the day a cheetah has stunning eyesight and can spot prey from 5 km away.

# Cheetahs are carnivores and live off other animals that they find in plains across Africa including gazelles, rabbits, springboks, warthogs, and birds.

# Cheetahs will only drink once every 3 to 4 days.

# The world's fastest land animal, a cheetah can reach a speed of 112 km/h in just 3 seconds – that is faster than an accelerating sports car. With long legs, an elongated spine, adapted claws to grip the ground and a long tail for balance, its body has evolved for speed.

# A cheetah spends more time flying at full sprint than in contact with the ground.

# When running to hunt, Cheetahs uses its tail to balance and steer. The tail actually helps it to take sharp turns while running at its top speed in any direction.

# Cheetahs can't climb trees and have poor night vision.

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

# Lions and leopards usually do their hunting at night, while cheetahs hunt for food during the day.

# Cheetahs do not stalk their prey instead they creep up close and then chase their prey for about 20 to 30 seconds.

# A cheetah chase is usually limited to 200 to 300 meters, and lasts less than a minute since sprinting at such mega speeds uses a lot of energy.

# The body temperature of a cheetah can reach up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit or 41 degrees Celsius while chasing their prey.

# The cheetah will take up to 150 breaths per minute during the chase.

# When they hunt successfully, they need to make sure they eat their food quickly to avoid scavengers from getting hold of it. Jackals, vultures, hyenas, leopards, and lions often take their kills away.

# In general, females give birth from two and eight cubs at a time. In a lair covered by tall vegetation, she nurses her youngsters until they are 16 to 24 months old and able to look after themselves.

# Females have the responsibility for raising the cubs alone. For about a year, they feed the cubs and train them.

# A mother cheetah will always change her lair every four days when raising her cubs. This prevents smell build-up that can attract predators such as hyenas. In general, the new lair is within a few meters from the older one.

# Cheetah moms chirp like birds when they're out of sight to call out their cubs. Likewise, when they're looking for their mother, cheetah cubs chirp.

# A male cheetah is capable of being social and is often seen in small groups.

# Male cheetahs mark their territories by standing next to a raised object, raising their tail and pointing their penis either horizontally backward or 60° upwards to urinate on the object.

# The lifespan of a cheetah is up to 20 years with an average life of 17 years.

# A cheetah named Sarah holds the record for the world's fastest 100-meter sprint with 5.95 seconds.

# Zoos around the world are raising cheetah kittens with puppy companions to help the cheetahs deal with excess energy, learn social cues, and combat stress.

# Some cheetahs have a rare genetic mutation which results in their coats being patterned more boldly with big dark stripes and splotches. Such cheetahs are known as king cheetahs.

# There were around 100,000 cheetahs at the end of the 19th century. There are 9,000 to 12,000 left today-mostly in Africa.

# A human can outrun a cheetah with a head start of only 343 m.

# Giant Cheetah fossils (a sub-species of the cheetah) were discovered. Carbon dating revealed the age of the fossils is 1 to 2 million.

# Humans and cheetahs have been associated for a long time. Sumerians from 3000 B.C. (one of ancient Mesopotamia's earliest known civilizations) trained the cheetahs for hunting.

# Ancient Egyptians believed a goddess of cheetah called "Mafdet" carried the soul of the pharaoh to the afterworld. Cheetahs symbolized royalty.

# It was found that the tomb of Tutankhamen (dating back to 1400 B.C.) had cheetah artifacts. That led historians to believe that for ancient Egyptians, cheetahs were sacred animals.

# Mughal Emperor Akbar (who ruled India from 1556 to 1605) had 1000 trained cheetahs that he used for hunting.

# Surguja's Maharajah who holds a record for shooting 1360 Tigers shot down India's last 3 cheetahs, which is the only animal in recorded history to become extinct from India because of unnatural causes.

# Big cats such as cheetahs are extremely attracted to perfume by Calvin Klein.

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