From its long tail, lean body and stretched legs, a Cheetah is designed for intense speed and smooth agility.

  • Speed: A cheetah can go from zero to sixty miles an hour in three seconds. However these bouts of speed are short-lived, they are in most cases, successful.

  • Notable Features: A Cheetah can be distinguished from other big cats by its smaller and leaner body, black spot coat, slight ears and tan color. One particularly distinguishing feature is the presence of special black stripes shaped like tear drops on a cheetah extending from its eyes to its ears.


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  • The Cheetah as a predator: Cheetahs are found in large open areas that may be densely vegetated. They rely on tall grassland for stealth during hunting. Before unleashing their speed they use their acute vision to scan the surrounding for available prey. In their sudden attack of about 30-60 seconds, they quickly immobilize their prey by the use of their sharp jaws and canines. They try to quickly eat their prey in case some unwanted company starts to appear looking to intervene.

  • Why can’t Cheetahs roar? An unusual feature of a cheetah is that it is incapable of roaring. Studies show that it is due to the absence of a two piece hyoid bone, found only in selective big cats.

  • The Cheetah: A solitary feline Unlike other felines, a cheetah does not wander for attention or superiority, on the other hand it is more of a solitary animal. A female cheetah produces about 2-4 cubs which she protects and nurtures on her own. Its speed is its ultimate strength. Not only does it help in hunting it also proves to be a defensive attribute. This makes cheetah an ideal predator in any habitat.

  • But what makes a cheetah run so fast? The secret of Cheetahs being the fastest land mammals on the planet, lies in their anatomy. A Cheetah has a distinct flexible spine that allows immense coiling and extension. When coiling the hip and scapula joint with help of the flexible spine bend in such a way that the front and hind legs overlap one another. This is when it is poised to strike. And like a rubber band, the spine recoils with great strength pushing the cheetah forward at enormous speed. Furthermore, the semi retractable claws of a cheetah are always ready to allow powerful grip on the ground.

At high speed a cheetah usually steers itself smoothly by the help of its long sleek tail.

Alas, like all predators on a food chain, Cheetah finds itself in weak spot too. A Cheetah is a sprinter rather than a runner, due to its large consumption on its energy resources. It can take up to 20 minutes for a Cheetah to recover from an attack.

Its incredible speed combined with its unforgiving jaws makes a cheetah the ultimate predator in any food chain.