Cheetah Anatomy
Cheetah Anatomy

Anatomy

The name "cheetah" comes from a Hindi word meaning "spotted one" or from the Sanskrit word "chitraka". An adult has yellow or tan fur with solid black round or oval spots measuring .75 to 1.5 inches (1.9 to 3.8 centimeters) in diameter. The spots cover nearly the entire body; only the white throat and abdomen are unmarked. Spots merge to form rings on the tail which ends in a bushy, white tuft. The head is small with eyes set high and a black "tear mark" runs from the inner aspect of each eye down to the mouth. The teeth are small as well. An adult cheetah weighs 80-140 pounds (36-64 kilograms), is about 32 inches (81 centimeters) tall at the shoulder and 48-56 inches (121-142 centimeters) long with another 28-32 inches (70-81 centimeters) in tail - males are a little larger than females. Cheetahs are sometimes mistaken for leopards - much heavier animals with rosette shaped spots and no tear marks.

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