Picture Courtesy of In-Like-Flynn! 

From the Hindu word Chita meaning 'spotted one'. The Cheetah's coat varies from a tawny to golden tone covered in a pattern of solid black spots and is coarse to the touch rather than silky. The throat and abdomen are a creamy white in color. The Cheetah has a small head with high set eyes and short rounded ears tipped with white on the back. The most well known characteristic is the distinct black 'tear mark', which runs from the inside corner of the eye down to the corner of the mouth.

The King Cheetah has a fur pattern mutation, which turns the small rounded spots into large connected black patches. This mutation is caused from a lack of genetic diversity.

 The Cheetah is considered Endangered in Appendix 1 to the Conservation Of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

The Cheetah is the fastest of land animals, reaching a speed of up to 70mph. It cannot roar as it does not have a floating hyoid bone in its neck. Cheetahs were first held in captivity by the Sumerians 5,000 years ago and were used as hunting partners during the rein of the Pharaohs. Cheetahs have been considered the easiest of the exotic cats to tame. They were used as hunting partners in Asia during the rein of the Pharaohs. They have very keen eyesight that aids hunting.