AnimalTracks.wiki

What the sources say

CheetahAcinonyx jubatus

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Cheetah profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 57 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

Profile updated

Source
01

Wilson et al. 2013

Wilson et al. (2013). Locomotion dynamics of hunting in wild cheetahs. Nature.

The page saysThe measured figure comes from a 2013 study: five wild cheetahs in Botswana wore GPS-and-motion collars through 367 runs, most of them hunts
The source saysa new tracking collar of our own design, containing a combination of Global Positioning System (GPS) and inertial measurement units, to capture the locomotor dynamics and outcome of 367 predominantly hunting runs of five wild cheetahs in BotswanaNote: 2013 is the paper's publication year, not stated in the abstract text itself
The page saysThe top speed recorded was 25.9 meters per second, 58 mph (93 km/h), and most hunts involved only moderate speeds
The source saysA remarkable top speed of 25.9 m s(-1) (58 m.p.h. or 93 km h(-1)) was recorded, but most cheetah hunts involved only moderate speeds.
The page saysIn 2013, biologists fitted five wild cheetahs in Botswana with custom GPS-and-motion collars and tracked 367 runs, most of them hunts
The source saysa new tracking collar of our own design, containing a combination of Global Positioning System (GPS) and inertial measurement units, to capture the locomotor dynamics and outcome of 367 predominantly hunting runs of five wild cheetahs in BotswanaNote: 2013 is the paper's publication year
The page saysThe top speed recorded hit 25.9 meters per second, which is 58 mph (93 km/h), and most hunts involved only moderate speeds
The source saysA remarkable top speed of 25.9 m s(-1) (58 m.p.h. or 93 km h(-1)) was recorded, but most cheetah hunts involved only moderate speeds.
The page saysThe same collars logged some of the highest acceleration, deceleration and power measurements recorded for any terrestrial mammal
The source saysWe recorded some of the highest measured values for lateral and forward acceleration, deceleration and body-mass-specific power for any terrestrial mammal.Note: 'lateral and forward acceleration' shortened to 'acceleration'; 'body-mass-specific power' to 'power'

Source
02

Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Cheetah. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

The page saysThe fastest land mammal alive
The source saysthe cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammalNote: wilson-2013 says 'recognised as the fastest land animal', which is hedged, so the page takes the Smithsonian's flat wording and its word 'mammal'
The page sayssprinting on a spine that bends like a spring
The source saysA cheetah's spine works as a spring for its powerful back legs, extending the cheetah's reach with each step
The page saysacross North Africa, the Sahel, and eastern and southern Africa
The source saysCheetahs inhabit a broad section of Africa including areas of North Africa, the Sahel, eastern and southern Africa.
The page saysa critically endangered Asiatic population known to survive in Iran
The source saysThe Asiatic cheetah is known to survive in Iran, but is critically endangered.
The page saysThomson's gazelles, impalas, springbok, hares
The source saysCheetahs eat small antelope including springbok, steenbok, duikers, impala and gazelles, as well as the young of larger animals including warthog, kudu, hartebeest, oryx, roan and sable. They also eat game birds and rabbits.
The page saysthe young of larger antelope such as kudu and hartebeest
The source saysthe young of larger animals including warthog, kudu, hartebeest, oryx, roan and sable
The page saysAccelerates 0 to 45 mph (72 km/h) in about 2.5 seconds
The source saysCheetahs can accelerate from zero to 45 miles per hour (zero to 72 kilometers per hour) in just 2.5 seconds.Note: the quote spells out 'zero'; written as 0 for consistency with the mph/km-h figures
The page sayswith a tail that acts as a rudder for quick turning
The source saysThe cheetah's tail acts as a rudder for quick turning, counteracting its body weight.
The page saysZoos quote 60 to 70 mph, including the Smithsonian's own cheetah page
The source saysThat top speed averages between 60 and 70 miles per hour (96 and 112 kilometer per hour) and can be maintained for only about 300 yards (274 meters).
The page saysthe Smithsonian records 0 to 45 mph (72 km/h) in about 2.5 seconds
The source saysCheetahs can accelerate from zero to 45 miles per hour (zero to 72 kilometers per hour) in just 2.5 seconds.Note: the quote spells out 'zero'
The page saysAt top speed a stride covers 23 feet (7 meters) and comes four times a second
The source saysAt top speed, they advance 23 feet (7 meters) in a single stride and complete four strides per second.
The page saysAn adult cheetah weighs 34 to 64 kilograms (75 to 140 pounds)
The source saysAn adult cheetah weighs 75 to 140 pounds (34 to 64 kilograms)
The page saysmeasures 112 to 142 cm (44 to 56 in) long, plus 66 to 84 cm (26 to 33 in) of tail, standing about 77 cm (30 in) at the shoulder
The source saysis about 30 inches (77 centimeters) tall at the shoulder and 44 to 56 inches (112 to 142 centimeters) long with another 26 to 33 inches (66 to 84 centimeters) in tail length
The page saysThe tail acts as a rudder for quick turning, counteracting the cat's body weight
The source saysThe cheetah's tail acts as a rudder for quick turning, counteracting its body weight.
The page saysshoulder blades floating free of the collarbone and hips that swivel on a flexible spine help lengthen its stride
The source saysCheetahs have small collarbones and vertical shoulder blades, which are not attached to the collarbone, as well as hips that swivel on a flexible spine. These structural adaptations help lengthen their stride and provide superior acceleration.
The page sayslarge nasal passages leave little room for the long roots that anchor big teeth, so larger cats like lions easily overwhelm a cheetah
The source saysTheir large nasal passages leave little room for the long roots required to anchor big teeth. Without large teeth, cheetahs' fighting abilities are limited. Larger, stronger cats like lions easily overwhelm themNote: the 'so' compresses the source's own three-step chain: little room for long roots, 'Without large teeth, cheetahs' fighting abilities are limited', then 'Larger, stronger cats like lions easily overwhelm them'
The page saysIt opts for flight over a fight
The source sayscheetahs tend to opt for flight versus fight
The page saysits short teeth mean it kills by suffocation, clamping its jaws over the prey's windpipe
The source saysBecause of their short teeth, cheetahs must kill prey by suffocation. ... cheetahs suffocate their prey by clamping down on the animal's windpipe
The page saysCheetahs live across a broad section of Africa, from North Africa and the Sahel through eastern and southern Africa
The source saysCheetahs inhabit a broad section of Africa including areas of North Africa, the Sahel, eastern and southern Africa.
The page saysOver the past 50 years they have become extinct in at least 13 countries
The source saysOver the past 50 years, cheetahs have become extinct in at least 13 countries
The page saysa small, critically endangered population of Asiatic cheetahs is known to survive in Iran
The source saysThe Asiatic cheetah is known to survive in Iran, but is critically endangered.
The page saysWild cheetahs live 8 to 10 years on average, and 12 to 15 in human care
The source saysThe average lifespan of wild cheetahs is 8 to 10 years. In human care, the average lifespan is 12 to 15 years.
The page saysLions, hyenas and sometimes groups of vultures can bully them off a kill, costing them about 50 percent of their food
The source saysthey can be bullied away from their catch by lions, hyenas, and sometimes groups of vultures. Cheetahs lose about 50 percent of their food this way.
The page saysthat same lack of variation makes them susceptible to disease
The source saysCheetahs have very low levels of genetic variation compared to other mammals, making them susceptible to disease.
The page saysThe Smithsonian's National Zoo records a cheetah going from a standstill to 45 mph (72 km/h) in about 2.5 seconds
The source saysCheetahs can accelerate from zero to 45 miles per hour (zero to 72 kilometers per hour) in just 2.5 seconds.
The page saysAt top speed a cheetah's stride covers 23 feet (7 meters) and repeats four times a second
The source saysAt top speed, they advance 23 feet (7 meters) in a single stride and complete four strides per second.
The page saysFull sprints last about 20 seconds
The source saysFull sprints last about 20 seconds.
The page says0 to 45 mph (72 km/h) in about 2.5 seconds
The source saysCheetahs can accelerate from zero to 45 miles per hour (zero to 72 kilometers per hour) in just 2.5 seconds.Note: vibe.reason
The page saysweightKg: 50
The source saysAn adult cheetah weighs 75 to 140 pounds (34 to 64 kilograms)Note: battleStats.weightKg, midpoint of the Smithsonian's adult range; Medium class throughout, and ADW's 21 to 72 kg is Medium too

Source
03

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Cheetah. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The page saysclaws that grip like a track shoe's cleats
The source saysHard and sharp claws act like cleats, providing great traction when running.
The page saysGrasslands, savannas and open plains
The source saysThey prefer grasslands and open plains where they are well camouflaged and have room to run down their prey.Note: savannahs are in smithsonian-cheetah's habitat list: 'In Namibia, cheetahs live in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, savannahs, dense vegetation and mountainous terrain'
The page sayswith the cat off the ground more than half its running time
The source saysTo reach that speed, a cheetah is off the ground more than half of its running time!
The page saysA cheetah's claws don't get to stay sharp
The source saysMost of their claws are exposed, so they don't stay sharp like those of other cats.
The page saysMost cats retract their claws into fleshy sheaths that protect the points; cheetahs have no such sheaths, so most of their claws stay exposed and act like cleats, providing traction when they run
The source saysHard and sharp claws act like cleats, providing great traction when running. A cheetah can retract its claws a bit, but the fleshy sheaths that protect the claws of most cats are absent in cheetahs. Most of their claws are exposedNote: the 'so' is the source's own chain: the sheaths are 'absent in cheetahs' and 'Most of their claws are exposed, so they don't stay sharp'
The page sayspreferring grasslands and open plains with room to run down prey
The source saysThey prefer grasslands and open plains where they are well camouflaged and have room to run down their prey.
The page saysThey hunt by sight, watching a herd from a termite mound, creeping close, then charging
The source saysCheetahs hunt by sight. But before a cheetah attacks or even begins to stalk its prey, it watches a herd from a high vantage point like a termite mound or a tree. ... and creeps as close as it can unnoticed. ... A cheetah tries to get within about 165 feet (50 meters) before it charges.
The page saysstill catch only about half the attempts they make
The source sayscheetahs only catch about half of the hunting attempts they make
The page sayswith the cheetah off the ground for more than half of its running time
The source saysTo reach that speed, a cheetah is off the ground more than half of its running time!
The page saysAfter a chase a cheetah pants intensely, and its body temperature can reach as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius)
The source saysChasing prey takes enormous energy. Once caught, a cheetah holds its prey with a strangling bite to the neck. The cheetah pants intensely, and its body temperature can reach as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius).Note: 'After a chase' is the source's own sequence: 'Chasing prey takes enormous energy. Once caught, a cheetah holds its prey with a strangling bite to the neck. The cheetah pants intensely'
The page saysIt takes about 20 minutes for its breathing and temperature to return to normal, the same time it takes for the prey to suffocate
The source saysIt takes about 20 minutes for its breathing and temperature to return to normal, the same time it takes for the prey to suffocate.
The page saysMost cats keep their claws retracted into fleshy sheaths that protect the points. Cheetahs don't have those sheaths
The source saysA cheetah can retract its claws a bit, but the fleshy sheaths that protect the claws of most cats are absent in cheetahs.
The page saysso most of their claws stay exposed and act like the cleats on a running shoe, giving great traction when they run
The source saysHard and sharp claws act like cleats, providing great traction when running. ... Most of their claws are exposedNote: the 'so' is the source's own: the sheaths are 'absent in cheetahs' and 'Most of their claws are exposed'
The page sayssemi-retractable claws digging into the earth like cleats
The source saysHard and sharp claws act like cleats, providing great traction when running. A cheetah can retract its claws a bit, but the fleshy sheaths that protect the claws of most cats are absent in cheetahs.Note: vibe.reason; the Smithsonian page also says 'semi-retractable claws provide great traction'

Source
04

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Acinonyx jubatus (cheetah). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysThomson's gazelles
The source saysCheetahs have a carnivorous diet, of which a large portion includes gazelles, especially the Thomson’s gazelle.

Source
05

Hetem et al. 2019

Hetem et al. (2019). Body temperature, activity patterns and hunting in free-living cheetah: biologging reveals new insights. Integrative Zoology.

The page saysA study that implanted data loggers in five wild Namibian cheetahs
The source saysbody temperature and locomotor activity measured with implanted data loggers over 7 months in 5 free-living cheetahs in Namibia
The page saysfound they hunted if an opportunity appeared, on occasion in the midday heat or in total darkness
The source saysCheetahs hunted if an opportunity presented itself; on occasion they hunted in the midday heat or in total darkness (new moon)
The page saysheld their body temperature steady whatever the climate
The source saysmaintained homeothermy irrespective of the climatic conditionsNote: homeothermy is a stable body temperature

Source
06

Dobrynin et al. 2015

Dobrynin et al. (2015). Genomic legacy of the African cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus. Genome Biology.

The page saysSequencing wild-born African cheetahs in 2015 found their genomes on average 95 percent homozygous
The source saysHere the genome sequence of wild-born African cheetahs reveals extreme genomic depletion in SNV incidence, SNV density, SNVs of coding genes, MHC class I and II genes, and mitochondrial DNA SNVs. Cheetah genomes are on average 95 % homozygousNote: 2015 is the paper's publication year; seven wild-born cheetahs from Namibia and Tanzania were sequenced
The page saysagainst 24 percent in an outbred housecat and 63 percent in an inbred Abyssinian
The source sayscompared to the genomes of the outbred domestic cat (24.08 % homozygous), Virunga Mountain Gorilla (78.12 %), inbred Abyssinian cat (62.63 %)Note: 24.08% and 62.63% rounded to 24 and 63
The page saysThe likely cause is a population crash in Africa roughly 11,000 to 12,600 years ago, at the same time as the late Pleistocene extinction of large mammals
The source saysDemographic estimators impute two ancestral population bottlenecks: one >100,000 years ago coincident with cheetah migrations out of the Americas and into Eurasia and Africa, and a second 11,084–12,589 years ago in Africa coincident with late Pleistocene large mammal extinctionsNote: 11,084-12,589 rounded to 11,000-12,600; 'likely' for the paper's 'impute', and smithsonian-cheetah hedges the same link as 'This genetic similarity may have developed due to of a severe population reduction, or bottleneck'
The page saysUnrelated cheetahs accept skin grafts from each other as if they were clones
The source saysCheetahs accept surgically exchanged skin grafts as if they were immunologic clones

Source
07

Durant et al. 2024

Durant et al. (2024). Acinonyx jubatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024: e.T219A259025524.

The page saysVulnerable
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Vulnerable (VU).

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.