The cheetah is the fastest land animal, and cheetahs can run about 60 to 70 miles per hour (97 to 113 kilometers per hour) over short distances.

A cheetah's spine is very flexible, which helps it take long strides, and at top speed each stride is about 7 meters (23 feet) long.

A cheetah's tail is 26 to 33 inches (66 to 84 centimeters) long. The long tail helps it steer and balance during sharp turns.

A cheetah's claws work like cleats and help it grip the ground when it runs. Its large nostrils let it take in more air while it runs.

Cheetahs hunt by sight, and they eat small antelope such as springbok, impala and gazelles. About half of a cheetah's chases end with a catch.

A cheetah is covered in black spots, and each cheetah has its own pattern of spots, like a fingerprint. A black line, called a tear mark, runs from each eye down to its mouth.

Cheetahs cannot roar like lions do, but they can purr. The chirp is the cheetah's most common call, which sounds a little like a small dog's bark. A mother cheetah makes a stuttering sound to call her cubs to follow her.

Cheetah cubs have a stripe of long, silvery fur down their backs, which is called a mantle. They stay with their mother for about 18 months.

As of November 2026, about 7,100 cheetahs are estimated to be left in the wild, and the IUCN Red List lists the cheetah as Vulnerable. Also as of November 2026, the Asiatic cheetah, a cheetah subspecies, survives only in Iran and is critically endangered.

Cheetahs live on grasslands and open plains, and most cheetahs live in Africa.

Words to know

• spine: backbone
• stride: one long step
• nostrils: nose holes
• mantle: long fur
• chirp: a short call
• subspecies: cheetah type