Cheetah
(Acinonyx jubatus)

Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Acinonyx
Species: jubatus

Gestation: 89-93 days
Range: The Cheetah was once found in parts of southern Asia, the Middle east and Africa, but is now found only in Africa with some remnants in Iran.
Longevity: Up to 12 years in the wild, 19 in captivity
Weight: 75-125 pounds

Conservation: There are now an estimated 12,500 cheetahs in the wild. There were 100,000 believed alive in 1900. Four species of cheetahs once existed in the world, only one exists today. The number is decreasing due to loss of their natural habitat, disease, predators including humans, and low genetic variability.

Amazing Facts: Cheetah are the fastest animals on land. They can sprint at speeds up to 70 mph to capture their prey. They are diurnal, meaning that they hunt their prey during the day. The cheetah must be able to achieve these high speeds to catch their favorite prey such as gazelles, impala and wildebeest calves.

Sounds: Cheetahs make many sounds, but they do not roar. Like many animals, Cheetah’s sounds are unique to them, and have different meanings behind each of the sounds.
Chirping: like a bird's chirp or a dog's yelp - an intense chirp that can be heard a mile away!
Churring: staccato growl, high-pitched
Nyam-nyam: cubs' sound when feeding
Ihn-ihn: mother's call to her young
Purring: like a house cat
Staccato purring: sound made by courting males
Bleating: like a meow - a distress call

Behavior: While cheetahs are usually solitary animals, the males have been known to form groups of two to three individuals. There have also been groups found with upwards of 10-14 animals, including the cubs. Females have two to six cubs per gestation period, and these cubs are raised by the females for the first two years of its life, and then are capable of living on its own. When it comes to dinner time, Cheetahs mainly prey on gazelles, impala and other hoof stock. They will also eat rodents, hares, ostrich and some birds.

General Description: Due to their need for speed, cheetahs have flexible spines that can act as springs so they can run at high speeds. Their claws are always exposed to aid in traction, and they have broad nostrils to pull in more oxygen. They also have a large heart and lungs to effectively pump oxygen to the bloodstream. They have relatively small canine tooth roots, which allows for increased size of nasal passages to help them maintain oxygenation. Their eyes are set high in their heads so they can see prey better in tall grass. Males are usually larger than females.

Knoxville Zoo: Knoxville Zoo has three cheetahs and are all siblings: two females, Kelly and Kalera, and one male, Emmett. Their exhibit, Cheetah Savannah, is located on the west end of the zoo past Safari Grill and down the hill from Gorilla Valley.