Cheetah vs Crown Rust

Acinonyx jubatus compared with Puccinia coronata

Key Differences

• Cheetah is Vulnerable while Crown Rust is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cheetah	Crown Rust
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Pucciniomycetes (Pucciniomycetes)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Pucciniales (Pucciniales)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Pucciniaceae
Genus	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)	Puccinia
Species	Acinonyx jubatus	Puccinia coronata

Conservation Status

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Crown Rust

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cheetah	Crown Rust
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	12 years	—
Average Length	1.5 m	—
Average Weight	50.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Crown Rust

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (6 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

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.