The cheetah is the fastest land animal. The modern cheetah Acinonyx jubatus lives in grasslands of Africa, although in ancient times it could be found in Arabia and India as well. In the Pleistocene, the closely related genus Miracinonyx lived in North America, hunting pronghorns.
The cheetah is a very slender cat. Its claws are blunt and non-retractile, while the paws are smaller than those of other cats of similar size. Its coat is spotted.
Cheetahs hunt small to medium sized prey, typically small antelope such as gazelle. The cheetah sneaks as close to its intended victim as possible before launching itself in a blazing sprint to catch its prey before the cheetah overheats and must stop. Running prey is usually tripped with a swipe from the paw, catching the fleeing quarry with the cheetah's dewclaw. The victim is then strangled by the cheetah clamping its jaws around its prey's throat.
Cheetahs usually roam in small groups - either a female with cubs or a group of two to four brothers. Cheetahs usually avoid each other, but do not establish territories.
Cheetahs tame easily, and can be used for hunting animals.