Cheetah coats are covered with solid black spots. Adult cats have medium to small spots against a yellowish gray or tawny background. There is a small amount of white on the breastbone and under the chin. No two animals have the same arrangement of spots. A tear streak extends from the corner of the eye to upper lip.
Claws are semi-retractable.
Once found throughout Africa and Asia, now scattered through eastern Africa and a region of southwestern Africa. There is a possible remnant population in Iran. Cheetahs roam 9,600 square miles of Serengeti ecosystem. They can have individual territories covering 400 square miles of grassland, thorn scrub and scattered patches of trees. They are also given beef shank and bones.