Arctic Hare vs Cheetah

Lepus arcticus compared with Acinonyx jubatus

Key Differences

• Arctic Hare is Least Concern while Cheetah is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic Hare	Cheetah
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Lepus	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)
Species	Lepus arcticus	Acinonyx jubatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic Hare and Cheetah share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Arctic Hare

LC — Least Concern

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic Hare	Cheetah
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	12 years
Average Length	—	1.5 m
Average Weight	—	50.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic Hare

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Norway.

Cheetah

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Iran, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Arctic Hare

The Arctic Hare (Lepus arcticus) is a species in the genus Lepus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Cheetah

The fastest land animal on Earth, reaching speeds of 112 km/h over short distances across African and Iranian grasslands. Slender build with a deep chest, long legs, and distinctive black tear-stripe markings. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs vocalize with chirps and purrs. Vulnerable, with only ~7,000 remaining due to habitat fragmentation and competition with larger predators.