Cheetah | The fastest animal

Cheetahs: The World's Fastest Land Animal
About the Author

Sydney was a summer intern with AWF. She is entering her senior year of high school and has a passion for wildlife conservation. She hopes to one day be a wildlife vet.

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Adult female cheetah in Kenya. Photo by Robyn Gianni

I have to admit, I’m not usually a big fan of cats. But, for whatever reason, I cannot help but be captivated by cheetahs. Maybe it’s their grace and agility or maybe it’s just the face of a cheetah cub, but I think these cats are incredible.

Cheetahs are the world’s fastest land animal, capable of reaching speeds of up to 70 mph. Standing at about 30 inches tall at the shoulder and weighing between 110 and 140 pounds, they have long, graceful legs; a small, rounded head on a long neck; a very flexible spine; a deep chest; special pads on their feet that help with traction; and a long tail that is used for balance at top speed. The cheetah is also the only cat that cannot retract its claws, providing more traction. They also have distinctive black “tear tracks” that run from the corner of each eye to their mouth and provide anti-glare protection for daytime hunting.

In short, cheetahs are built for speed, grace, and hunting.

Cheetahs mainly prey on small antelopes such as Thomson’s gazelles and impalas, although they will also hunt small mammals and birds. When a cheetah hunts, it gets as close as possible to its prey before trying to outrun it with a burst of speed. The cheetah then uses its paw to swipe the animal to the ground and then suffocates it with a bite to the neck.

It then eats as quickly as possible while looking out for scavengers such as lions, leopards, hyenas, vultures, and jackals, who will steal from the very shy cheetah.

Unlike most other cats, cheetahs prefer to hunt during the day, particularly early morning or early evening.