Cheetah map Acinonyx jubatus Vulnerable
Where the cheetah lives: an interactive map of its subspecies and recorded sightings worldwide.
Approximate range, based on recorded sightings. Shapes are drawn by World Animal Map from 1,244 wild occurrence records on GBIF (CC0/CC BY 4.0; captive and fossil records excluded, isolated outliers removed), grouped into 1° grid cells and clipped to land. They show where the animal has been recorded, not an official range; gaps can simply mean no open data. Method · Records on GBIF
| Scientific name | Acinonyx jubatus |
|---|---|
| Status | Vulnerable (Wikidata, IUCN category label) |
| Mapped range layers | 3 |
| Records used | 1,244 wild occurrence records (GBIF, CC0/CC BY) |
| Group | Big cats |
Population
“The global population of cheetahs was estimated at nearly 7,100 mature individuals in 2016.”
Source cited by Wikipedia: Durant, “The global decline of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and what it means for conservation”, PNAS, 2016. Quoted from Wikipedia: Cheetah.
Interesting facts
- The cheetah is a pursuit predator and the fastest land animal, capable of running at 93–104 km/h (58–65 mph); it has evolved for speed, having powerful hindlimb muscles and a long lumbar spine. [source]
- The cheetah's tail serves as a rudder, as the thick fur increases its effective area by 40%, thereby increasing aerodynamic drag. [source]
- An 11 year old cheetah from the Cincinnati Zoo was measured at a speed of 98 km/h (61 mph). [source]
About the cheetah
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a species of large feline and the only living member of the genus Acinonyx. The cheetah is a pursuit predator and the fastest land animal, capable of running at 93–104 km/h (58–65 mph); it has evolved for speed, having powerful hindlimb muscles and a long lumbar spine. The cheetah has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, with a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks. It has a height of 67–94 cm (2.20–3.08 ft) at the shoulder, and the head-and-body length is between 1.1 and 1.5 m (3 ft 7 in and 4 ft 11 in). Adults weigh between 21 and 65 kg (46 and 143 lb).
Subspecies (6)
Subspecies listed in Wikidata as children of Acinonyx jubatus (fossil-only taxa excluded). Classification is debated for many animals and lists differ between authorities.
Acinonyx jubatus hecki – Northwest African cheetah Critically endangered
7 open-licence GBIF records (too few to map)
Acinonyx jubatus raineyi – Tanzanian cheetah
5 open-licence GBIF records (too few to map)
Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii – Sudan cheetah
no open-licence GBIF records- Acinonyx jubatus velox
no open-licence GBIF records
Photos
Text in “About”, “Interesting facts” and “Population” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Cheetah (revision 1380372320), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: sentences excerpted verbatim, citations and formatting removed. No text added. Taxa and status: Wikidata Q23907 (CC0).
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