The cheetah is a unique and adaptable cat; their coat color & design are perfectly adapted to aid them in the wild. Every cheetah's coat is unique; from its golden tawny background to its round black spots to the iconic 'tear marks' running down each side of its face, this feature helps it accomplish incredible feats of sleekness and stealth. The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large cat and the fastest land animal.
It 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 (26-37 in) 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.
Download Cheetah color scheme consisting of Rich Black [FOGRA39], Snow, Deep Champagne, American Gold, Rich Black [FOGRA29] and Peru, Only at SchemeColor.com. The color of a cheetah can vary slightly based on its subspecies and habitat, but overall, the combination of the light base color and black spots is what makes the cheetah easily recognizable. These adaptations have evolved to help them stay stealthy when stalking prey.
Based on an usual color variation, an additional cheetah species was described in 1927 - A. rex, or the king cheetah. The species was based upon cheetahs that were found to have longer, softer hair and replacement of some spotted patterns with dark bars.
Learn about cheetahs from Cheetah Conservation Fund. CCF has the world's leading experts on cheetahs including our founder Dr. Laurie Marker.
Cheetah cubs are a smoky color, and their hair is long and woolly. The cubs' hair is known as a mantle, and it runs down their backs. The mantle works to camouflage the cubs in tall grasses, a feature that keeps them safer from predators.
King of Color - Similar to the case with black panthers, cheetahs are capable of having unique coat patterns. One pattern, referred to as a "King Cheetah," has three dark stripes along the back, and large, blotchy spots. The gene responsible for this coloration is the same gene that determines color patterns in domestic tabby cats! the color of the cheetah is mainly light brown with spots all over it.
Cheetahs can also be albino (white), melanistic (black) and several other colourations if they have a genetic mutation. The Basics of Cheetah Colors At first glance, it's easy to assume that cheetahs are simply yellow or golden in color. However, their coats are actually a complex mix of different shades and patterns.
The base color of a cheetah's coat is typically a light golden or yellowish-brown hue, known as the "ground color." This color can vary in intensity, with some cheetahs having a lighter.