The 25 Most Amazing Cheetah Facts

You can picture a cheetah in your mind just by closing your eyes. These are creatures known for their speed, but they're incredibly complex as well. They've evolved beautifully, but their genetics have been detrimentally affected. You might think you know all there is to know about them, but you'll be surprised by some of these unusual facts. To put this together, we reviewed several sources, including the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Ultimate Kilimanjaro, and the World Wildlife Fund.

Discover 25 of the most amazing cheetah facts! Just click through the gallery above.

Those sharp claws are always ready. There are no 'soft paws' with cheetahs. They need them for gripping into the ground when running, kind of like the way cleats work for soccer players.

Like human fingerprints, no two spots are ever the same.

They're not exactly endurance athletes, but in short bursts, cheetahs can run up to 70 miles per hour (MPH). If the chase takes too long, they give up and set their sights on prey more easily attainable.

They have to be swift because in the wild, there are other predators that want what they've hunted—and aren't afraid to take it. Though they're fast, they're not great at fighting back, so they'd rather abandon a stolen kill.

Those cute little babes don't make it because predators snatch them up. The mothers of cubs have to parent solo, which means they leave their cubs alone to hunt. Upon return, they may not find them.

Southern and eastern Africa have the most condensed cheetah populations.

Like with house cats, their ears tell a story. When they swivel them, they're uneasy, trying to figure out what's around them. They flatten them back and lean them forward, too.

They can't keep a steady purr like a house cat, however. They can only purr when they're exhaling and they do so when they're in a relaxed state.

They didn't undergo full domestication, but they were hunting companions. They were more tamed than anything.

Some small male coalitions cover up to 30 square miles, while females cover up to 800 square miles.

Less than 7,000 cheetahs remain. These animals are well-known, yet they're disappearing before your eyes.

It's the ever-so-present conflict between wild animals and humans. Sometimes, farmers protect their livestock by killing cheetahs. Unfortunately, poaching is an issue as well.

Humans aren't just killing them; some are helping them. Cheetahs were reintroduced to India. In Namibia, there are efforts to encourage farmers to peacefully coexist with them.

Whereas humans take nine to ten full months before delivering a baby, cheetahs only need three months before their cubs are ready to emerge into the world.

Creatively so! Since they're basically single moms, they relocate their cubs every couple of days to prevent predators from finding them and risk their own lives to keep predators away from their babies.

Larger, more powerful predators hunt at night. Daytime gives cheetahs an advantage to keep their cubs safe and with sustenance.

You know cheetahs run fast, but what happens when they strike? They trip their prey. Once they fall, they immediately attack the throat. They keep their jaws shut until their prey stops moving. Then they feast.

They use different kinds of vocalizations like hissing, purring, chirping, and growling. But they don't roar because they lack the anatomy for it.

Not just their irretractable claws. They're naturally thin and have a flexible spine. Plus, their long legs allow for longer strides when they're moving.

Sometimes, it's a side-to-side motion, and when they make sudden turns, their tails help with countering the rotation. It's like having a built-in rudder to help them steer.

When they're sprinting, their lungs work overtime, pushing oxygen into their bloodstream while their nasal passages get bigger as they take deeper inhales. Their heart rates can reach unreal levels—well over 200 beats per minute and after their sprint, they need to take a break.

The last Ice Age did a number on cheetahs. Their genetic bottleneck ended up with major consequences.

The subspecies include Southeast African, East African, Northeast African, Northwest African, and Asiatic.

It's the male coalitions that tend to come together for hunting because it allows them to attack bigger prey, and they can help one another guard their kills.

Apex predators like lions and leopards are bigger than cheetahs. Cheetahs were built for speed, not scuffles.