Cheeta vs Mountain Argus

Acinonyx jubatus compared with Aricia montensis

Key Differences

• Cheeta is Vulnerable while Mountain Argus is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cheeta	Mountain Argus
Kingdom same	Animalia (प्राणी)	Animalia (प्राणी)
Phylum	Chordata (रज्जुकी)	Arthropoda (सन्धिपाद)
Class	Mammalia (स्तनधारी)	Insecta (कीट)
Order	Carnivora (मांसाहारी गण)	Lepidoptera (शल्कपंखी गण)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Lycaenidae
Genus	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)	Aricia
Species	Acinonyx jubatus	Aricia montensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Cheeta and Mountain Argus share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (प्राणी)

Conservation Status

Cheeta

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Mountain Argus

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cheeta	Mountain Argus
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	12 years	—
Average Length	1.5 m	—
Average Weight	50.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cheeta

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.

Mountain Argus

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Andorra, Portugal, and Spain.

Cheeta

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.