If ever an animal was born to run, it’s the cheetah. People have marveled at this fastest of land mammals for thousands of years. Cheetahs are found primarily in the eastern and southern ranges of Africa south of the Sahara Desert, with small populations in North Africa and Iran. Find out more!

They are neither solitary nor social but are a little of both. Females are solitary except when they have young. Some males are solitary, but related males, usually brothers, live in small groups called coalitions.

Long and lanky, cheetahs are the sprinters of the cat world. Their bodies are uniquely designed to run very fast for fairly short distances, allowing them to catch prey that other big cats can’t get.

A cheetah’s ability to run starts with its flexible spine, which allows the front legs to stretch far forward on each stride. Its claws are hard and sharp like cleats, giving the cat great traction when running.

While running, a cheetah covers 20 to 22 feet (6 to 6.7 meters) in one stride, about the same distance as a racehorse. But a cheetah is so much faster—the fastest racehorse runs 43 miles per hour (69 kilometers per hour), while a cheetah can run at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (112 kilometers per hour).

They eat the meat (not usually the skin or bones) of antelope (usually Thompson’s gazelles), ground-dwelling birds, rabbits, porcupines, and ostriches.