Thinkabara🐆 Cheetah Facts for Kids
🐾 Mammals Grades K–5
The cheetah is a meat-eating mammal that lives in Africa and Asia. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals, reaching about 60–70 miles per hour in short bursts.
🐆 Cheetah fact file
- Scientific name
- Acinonyx jubatus
- Animal group
- Mammal
- Where it lives
- Africa and Asia
- Habitat
- Open grasslands of Africa, with a very small group in Iran
- Diet
- Carnivore (meat-eater) — Gazelles, impalas and other small antelope
- Size
- About 3½ to 4½ feet long, plus a 2- to 2½-foot tail
- Weight
- About 75–145 lb
- Life span
- About 10–12 years in the wild
- Status
- Vulnerable
📏 A cheetah weighs about as much as a large dog but can outrun a car on a neighborhood street.
⭐ 5 fun facts about cheetahs
- Cheetahs are the fastest land animals, reaching about 60–70 miles per hour in short bursts.
- Their long tail works like a rudder to help them turn while running.
- Cheetahs can’t roar. Instead they chirp, purr and hiss.
- The black “tear lines” under their eyes may help cut down sun glare.
- Cheetahs hunt in the daytime, when lions and hyenas are often resting.
Where do cheetahs live?
Wild cheetahs are found in Africa and Asia. Open grasslands of Africa, with a very small group in Iran. If you want to see one in the United States, visit an accredited zoo or aquarium.
What do cheetahs eat?
Cheetahs are carnivores, which means they eat other animals. Their menu: gazelles, impalas and other small antelope.
Is the cheetah endangered?
Status: Vulnerable. That means its numbers are dropping or at risk, so scientists keep a close eye on it. You can help wild animals by learning about them, saving energy, cutting down on plastic and supporting zoos, aquariums and parks that protect wildlife.
Cheetah quiz
What sound can a cheetah NOT make?
What kind of eater is the cheetah?
What kind of animal is the cheetah?
On which continent can you find wild cheetahs?
✏️ Write about the cheetah
1. The most surprising fact I learned is…
2. If I could ask a cheetah one question, I would ask…
3. Draw the cheetah in its habitat:
Cheetah questions kids ask
Where do cheetahs live?
Cheetahs live in Africa and Asia. Their habitat: Open grasslands of Africa, with a very small group in Iran.
What do cheetahs eat?
Cheetahs are carnivores (meat-eater). They eat: Gazelles, impalas and other small antelope.
How big is a cheetah?
About 3½ to 4½ feet long, plus a 2- to 2½-foot tail. Weight: About 75–145 lb. A cheetah weighs about as much as a large dog but can outrun a car on a neighborhood street.
How long do cheetahs live?
About 10–12 years in the wild.
Is the cheetah endangered?
Its conservation status is: Vulnerable. That means its numbers are dropping or at risk, so scientists keep a close eye on it.
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