Cheetah

Range

Historically ranging throughout most of Sub-Saharan Africa and extending eastward into the Middle East and to central India, the cheetah is now distributed mainly in small, fragmented populations in central Iran and southern, eastern and northwestern Africa.

Facts

Cheetahs can reach speeds of up to 70 mph and they have a few adaptations to allow them to be able to reach that top speed quickly. Cheetahs have enlarged nostrils and extensive, air-filled sinuses. While running, a cheetah’s specially adapted respiratory system allows it to go from a normal rate of 60 breaths per minute to 150 breaths per minute. Cheetahs also possess an enlarged heart, oversized liver, adrenals, bronchi, and lungs, and large arteries. These adaptations are necessary for an animal that relies on a quick burst of speed to capture prey.
Just like your fingerprint, every cheetah’s spot pattern is unique to them! This spotted coat serves as camouflage by offsetting shadows in the gray-hued grasses in their natural habitat.