The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus; /ˈtʃiːtə/) is a large cat of the subfamily Felinae that occurs in North,

Southern and East Africa, and a few localities in Iran. It inhabits a variety of mostly arid habitats like dry
forests, scrub forests, and savannahs. The species is IUCN Red Listed as Vulnerable, as it suffered a
substantial decline in its historic range in the 20th century due to habitat loss, poaching for the illegal
pet trade, and conflict with humans. By 2016, the global cheetah population has been estimated at
approximately 7,100 individuals in the wild. Several African countries have taken steps to improve
cheetah conservation measures.

The cheetah was formally described by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1775 and is the only
extant member of the genus Acinonyx. Its yellowish tan or rufous to greyish white coat is uniformly
covered with nearly 2,000 solid black spots. Its body is slender with a small rounded head, black tear-like
streaks on the face, deep chest, long thin legs and long spotted tail. It reaches 70–90 cm (28–35 in) at
the shoulder, and weighs 21–72 kg (46–159 lb).

The cheetah breeds throughout the year, and is an induced ovulator. Gestation lasts nearly three
months, resulting in a litter of typically three to five, in rare cases up to eight cubs. They are weaned at
the age of about six months. After siblings become independent from their mother, they usually stay
together for some time. It is active mainly during the day, with hunting its major activity. It is a carnivore
and preys mainly upon antelopes. It stalks its prey to within 100–300 m (330–980 ft), charge towards it
and kill it by tripping it during the chase and biting its throat to suffocate it to death. Female cheetahs
are solitary or live with their offspring in home ranges. Adult males are sociable despite their
territoriality, forming groups called coalitions.

African cheetahs may achieve successful hunts running at a speed of only 64 km/h (40 mph) while
hunting due to their exceptional ability to accelerate, but are capable of accelerating up to 112 km/h (70
mph) on short distances of 100 m (330 ft). The cheetah is therefore the fastest land animal. Because of
its prowess at hunting, the cheetah was tamed as early as the 16th century BC in Egypt to kill game at
hunts. Cheetahs have been widely depicted in art, literature, advertising and animation.