The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus is a large felid of the subfamily Feline that occurs mainly in eastern and southern Africa and a few parts of Iran. The only extant member of the genus Acinonyx. The cheetah is characterised by a slender body, deep chest, spotted coat, a small rounded head, black tear-like streaks on the face, long thin legs and a long spotted tail. Its lightly built, slender form is in sharp contrast with the robust build of the big cats, making it more similar to the cougar. The cheetah reaches nearly 70 to 90 cm 28 to 35 in at the shoulder, and weighs 21–72 kg 46–159 lb. Though taller than the leopard, it is notably smaller than the lion. Typically yellowish tan or rufous to greyish white, the coat is uniformly covered with nearly 2,000 solid black spots.

圖片編號： 106305412
拍攝者： Radzian