Ciekawostka: The cheetah is the only cat that can't retract its claws

Evidence: 67 • authority: 72

Miracinonyx, colloquially known as the American cheetah, is an extinct genus of cat that was native to North America during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs (about 3.1 million to 16,000 years ago). It was a relatively large feline, estimated to have weighed 50–95 kg (110–209 lb), and may have been capable of hunting larger prey than the smaller modern cheetah. Its closest living relative is the cougar, while its anatomical similarities to the modern cheetah, including large nostrils and long legs adapted for cursoriality (specialization in running), are possibly a result of convergent evolution, the independent development of analogous physical traits due to similar environmental pressur…

Evidence: 51 • authority: 72

Felidae ( FEE-lə-dee) is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora commonly referred to as cats. A member of this family is also called a felid ( FEE-lid, -⁠ləd). The 41 officially recognized extant Felidae species exhibit the greatest diversity in fur patterns of all terrestrial carnivores. Cats have retractile claws, slender muscular bodies and strong flexible forelimbs. Their teeth and facial muscles allow for a powerful bite. They are all obligate carnivores, and most are solitary predators ambushing or stalking their prey. Some wild cat species are adapted to forest and savanna habitats, some to arid environments, and a few also to wetlands and mountainous terrain. Their activity pa…

Evidence: 51 • authority: 72

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) 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 and a long lumbar 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 has a height of 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 (3 ft 7 in and 4 ft 11 in). Adults weigh between 21 and 65 kg (46 and 143 lb). The c…

Evidence: 51 • authority: 72

Acinonyx is a genus of feline, the only living species of which is the cheetah (A. jubatus) that inhabits the open grasslands of Africa and Asia in parts of Iran. This genus represents a highly adapted lineage within the felids, which specialize in speed and open-terrain hunting. Evidence suggest that the Acinonyx genus evolved from other feline ancestors early on, to become specialized in stealth and running. The main reasons for all but one species going extinct revolve around climate changes, humans driving these species out of their habitats, and their prey populations shrinking. Climate changed dramatically, starting in the Pleistocene period, making it difficult to survive in open ter…

Evidence: — • authority: 35