The fastest land animal, cheetahs can reach speeds up to 70 mph, but only for a few hundred yards.

Their hunting success rate is only about 50 percent. They can be so exhausted after a chase that other animals, such as lions and hyenas, sometimes steal their meals.


Scientific Name: Acinonyx jubatus

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Size: Height: 2.2 to 3.1 feet; Length: 3.7 to 4.9 feet

Weight: 46 to 158 pounds

Cheetah laying in the grass
Current and Historic Range
Sub-Saharan Africa and Northern Iran