Species Name Acinonyx jubatus

Family Felidae

Order Carnivora

Distribution

The cheetah is found in Africa below the Sahara Desert.

Habitat

The cheetah exists in grasslands, open woodland savanna and dry plains with little thickets.

Numbers

Cheetah numbers are threatened because their environment is being reduced, and because they are under threat from man for attacking domestic sheep.

Related Species

Other species include tigers (Panthera tigris), leopards (Panthera pardus), jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Felis concolor), lynxes (Lynx carcal) and the smaller cats.

Interesting Facts

The word cheetah comes from the Hindu word ¿chita¿ meaning spotted one. Cheetahs have been tamed in India for thousands of years, and can be trained to assist man in hunting. They were once used by the Pharoahs, royalty in Asia, and even by the emperor Charlemagne for hunting other animals and as a symbol of nobility.