The Cheetah Is a Rare Daytime Hunter Among Big Cats

Cheetahs were actually extremely common pets in ancient Egypt, as well as common hunting companions in the Middle East during medieval times.

In fact, some saddles were made with special cheetah seats, and Akbar the Great, ruler of the Mughal Empire in South Asia during the 16th century, was said to have kept as many as 1,000 trained cheetahs.

Wild cheetahs are the fastest land animals on Earth. A member of the family Felidae, which includes all the cat species you know about (like lions and tigers) and even some you don't, the cheetah has all the characteristics of its clade.

They have (mostly) retractable claws, along with strong, flexible bodies and a diet that consists entirely of meat. But, unlike other felines, they're capable of reaching speeds up to 70 mph (113 kph) in short bursts while hunting. This means it's conceivable that a cheetah could pass you on the interstate.

But extreme speed is not the only trait that sets cheetahs apart from other cats.

"Cheetahs are very special," says Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder and Executive Director of Cheetah Conservation Fund. "They are the only big cat that purrs, and they have unique vocalizations: dog-like barks, bird-like chirps, growls and hisses and a noise we call 'bubble.' They also have amazing vision — they can spot predators or prey couple of miles away across the open savanna — and a penetrating gaze."

Cheetahs are also the oldest of the big cats. Actually, calling them "big cats" is a little tricky since all the others — lions, tigers, jaguars and a few species of leopard — all belong to the genus Panthera, whereas cheetahs belong to Acinonyx.

Acinonyx means "unmovable nail" in Greek. Although all cats have retractable claws, a cheetah's claws don't entirely retract, which helps them get better traction at those high speeds. According to Marker, they are the only surviving member of this genus, which has been around for up to 5 million years.

Most wild cheetahs have a black-striped tail and a pale cream, tan or buff coat with black spots. They have distinctive black streaks that run from their eyes down either side of their snouts, which adds to their striking appearance.

The cheetah is synonymous with speed, and their bodies attest to this: They are lithe and sleek, with long legs and a long, agile tail. Adult cheetahs weigh 46 to 159 pounds (21 to 72 kilograms), stand 26 to 37 inches (67 to 94 centimeters) high at the shoulder, and 43 inches to 59 inches (1.1 to 1.5 meters) long.

Although sexually dimorphic (which means that male cheetahs and female cheetahs have somewhat different bodies), they are far less so than other big cats. Male cheetahs are slightly bigger and heavier than females, but not much.

The modern cheetah is a descendant of a species of cat that once roamed much of the Earth. During the last Ice Age, about 20,000 years ago, cataclysmic environmental changes drastically reduced the range of these ancestral cheetahs.

Over time, cheetah populations began to grow again, and around 10,000 years ago they could be found found all over Africa, as well as parts of Asia, including the Indian subcontinent. The modern cheetah species is now much more restricted in range, and there are only a few subspecies that still exist.

A subspecies known as the Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is critically endangered, with only a tiny population still extant in modern-day Iran.

As with many vulnerable species, cheetahs are threatened by growing human populations, as well as the complications that come with them. Hunting, reduced range, pollution and other threats make these once-numerous cats a rarity.

Cheetahs live in grasslands of Eastern and Southern Africa, as well as the Middle East, where they occupy a spot at the top of the food chain, preferring small to mid-sized prey species like hares, gazelles, impala and wildebeest calves.

With their exceptional eyesight and lightning speed, they're among the best hunters on the savanna.

"They have a tail that acts like a rudder and can turn them on a dime, and they can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (96.5 kph) in about three seconds, like a sports car," says Marker. "This means cheetahs can help feed many other carnivore species on the savanna — lion, leopard, hyena, jackals, wild dogs and vultures."

Unlike many other cats, cheetahs are not nocturnal predators, instead preferring a diurnal schedule, which means they hunt in the mornings and late afternoons. This gives them a special niche, but it also means cheetahs tend to be visible in the daylight hours, making them easier for human hunters to kill.

Besides being shot or trapped by humans, cheetahs aren't exempt from being preyed upon by other animals. Bigger cats will kill cheetahs if given the chance, especially young cubs.

Female cheetahs are extremely attentive to their babies. They groom newborn cubs constantly, purring and snuggling them in secluded nests away from any other cheetah for six to eight weeks after birth, with the mother moving the nest every few days to avoid detection by predators. Cheetah cubs remain with their mothers for around a year and a half, playing and learning the cheetah ropes.

At least initially, young females will remain close to their mothers, while the average male cheetah, with his gang of brothers, will start a new life, although unrelated cheetahs will likely not be able to join the posse.

"At between 18 and 22 months of age, the cubs will wander off by themselves — females go off on their own to find a mate, but the males stick together, usually for life," says Marker. "The brothers form coalitions that enable them to hunt larger prey, like adult female kudu. Being in a coalition allows them to secure a better territory that will attract females — considerations include better prey base, water and cover for having cubs."

Only around 7,100 cheetahs remain in the wild. While not quite an endangered species (with the exception of the Asiatic cheetah subspecies), they're listed as "Vulnerable" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

"Across their range, cheetah populations are threatened by human-wildlife conflict, habitat loss and loss of prey base, population fragmentation and lack of genetic diversity," says Marker. "In the Horn of Africa and East Africa, cheetahs are threatened by illegal wildlife trade."