A LITTLE WILDLIFE PERSPECTIVE
How tall is a cheetah?
Compare your height to a cheetah.
A cheetah stands about 67–94 cm (2 ft 2 in–3 ft 1 in) at the shoulder. Its long legs give it a tall, lean shape.
A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE
Cheetah
next to the average.
Average U.S. adults, side by side.
- Average man (U.S.)5 ft 8.9 in
- Cheetah3 ft 7.3 in
- Average woman (U.S.)5 ft 3.5 in
How do you measure up?
Enter your height to stand beside a cheetah.
Side by side
- Cheetah3 ft 7.3 in
- Your placeAdd your height
The animal is an example adult in the pose shown. Its full outline is scaled to 110 cm. Shoulder height and body length are explained below.
Where do you stand?
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GET TO KNOW THE ANIMAL
Small facts. Big discoveries.
Cheetah · Acinonyx jubatus
A cheetah is built for fast movement, with long legs, a light frame, and a long tail. The silhouette shows how different its proportions are from a stockier big cat.
Cheetahs pursue prey such as gazelles in short, fast chases rather than maintaining top speed over long distances. Some males live in coalitions that defend a territory together, while adult females generally range alone or with their cubs, making group size another difference from lions.
- Its claws are only partly retractable, helping provide grip.
- Young cubs have a strip of longer grayish hair along the back.
How big do adults get?
- Male
- Shared range: 67–94 cm at the shoulder
- Female
- Shared range: 67–94 cm at the shoulder
Males are usually larger. The shared adult range is 67–94 cm at the shoulder and 21–72 kg. Those broad ranges include both sexes and different populations.
Height, length, or weight?
Standing height runs from the ground to the top of the animal. Shoulder height stops at the top of the shoulders. Length runs along the body; it is not how tall an animal stands. Weight tells us how heavy it is.
Explore the science: Animal Diversity Web · University of Michigan ↗