The cheetah occurs in a variety of habitats such as savannahs in the Serengeti, arid mountain ranges in the Sahara and hilly desert terrain in Iran. They are weaned at around four months and are independent by around 20 months of age. Cheetah cubs are highly vulnerable to predation by other large carnivores such as hyenas and lions. After a gestation of nearly three months, a litter of typically three or four cubs is born. The cheetah typically stalks its prey within 60–100 m (200–330 ft) before charging towards it, trips it during the chase and bites its throat to suffocate it to death. It feeds on small- to medium-sized prey, mostly weighing under 40 kg (88 lb), and prefers medium-sized ungulates such as impala, springbok and Thomson's gazelles. The cheetah is active during the day, with peaks during dawn and dusk. While females lead a nomadic life searching for prey in large home ranges, males are more sedentary and instead establish much smaller territories in areas with plentiful prey and access to females. The cheetah lives in three main social groups: females and their cubs, male "coalitions", and solitary males. The coat is typically tawny to creamy white or pale buff and is mostly covered with evenly spaced, solid black spots. Its head is small and rounded, with a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks. Adults weigh between 21 and 72 kg (46 and 159 lb). It typically 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). It is the fastest land animal, capable of running at 80 to 98 km/h (50 to 61 mph) as such, it has evolved specialized adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail. The cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus) is a large cat native to Africa, central Iran and India (reintroduced).
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