Acinonyx Jubatus
Size 2 m head to end tail, 0.8 m shoulder
Weight 40 - 60 kg
Lifespan 16 years
Habitat Open plains and savanna woodland without thick undergrowth
Gestation 95 days
Number of young 1 - 6 (ave 4)
Food Medium to small antelope or young of large antelope also a wide range of ground birds and small mammals including guineafowl, bustards, hares, porcupine, and ostriches.
Predators Lions, leopards, hyena
What is a King Cheetah?
At some point in their recent history (about ten thousand years ago), cheetah went through a population bottleneck resulting in the fact that there is very little genetic diversity amongst all the cheetahs in the world.
A recessive gene in cheetah occasionally causes a deviant colour form in which the usual spots of the cheetah merge to form lines down the body and flanks of the animal. So impressive is this varied colouration that these animals have been dubbed ‘king cheetah’.
By Megan Emmett