This description explores the incredible speed of the cheetah, the fastest land mammal on the planet. It looks at the cheetah's unique physical adaptations that allow it to reach speeds of up to 75 miles per hour, making it the fastest animal
The cheetah is a species of large feline and the only living member of the genus Acinonyx. The cheetah is a pursuit predator and the fastest land animal, capable of running at 93–104 km/h (58–65 mph); it has evolved for speed, having powerful hindlimb muscles, long limbs and a flexible spine. The cheetah has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, with a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks. It reaches 67–94 cm (2.20–3.08 ft) at the shoulder, and the head-and-body length is between 1.1 and 1.5 m. Adults weigh between 21 and 65 kg.