Cheetah

• It can reach 110-120 km/h over short distances, the fastest land speed of any mammal.
• It cannot roar; instead it makes a sound like a high-pitched chirp.
• It hunts mainly Thomson's gazelle and other small ungulates.
• locomociónIt can go from 0 to 100 km/h in under three seconds, but can only hold its top speed for some 20 to 30 seconds before overheating.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - light internal bony skeleton, adapted for speed (mammal)

Habitat & environment

Open savanna, grassland and semi-desert across Africa, plus a small population in Iran

Birth weight

~250 - 425 grams (a range of 9 to 15 ounces)

Size at birth

Blind and vulnerable, with a distinctive dorsal mantle that it loses in adolescence

Sexual maturity

Female: ~24 months | Male: ~18 months (though it cannot compete effectively for females until later)

Gestation / incubation

88 - 95 days

Litter / clutch size

1 to 8 pups per litter (typical 3-5)

Lifespan in captivity

Up to 20.5 years documented

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Philadelphia Zoo; A-Z Animals; Chasing Wildlife; SDZWA Library Fact Sheet; Big Cat Facts; PBS Nature