Cheetah vs Gharial

Acinonyx jubatus compared with Gavialis gangeticus

Key Differences

• Cheetah is Vulnerable while Gharial is Critically Endangered.
• Gharial is 4.0x heavier than Cheetah.
• Gharial lives longer (60 years vs 12 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cheetah	Gharial
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (mamalia)	Reptilia (Reptil)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Crocodylia (Crocodilians)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Crocodylidae (Crocodiles)
Genus	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)	Crocodylus (True Crocodiles)
Species	Acinonyx jubatus	Gavialis gangeticus

Evolutionary Relationship

Cheetah and Gharial share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Gharial

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~650

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cheetah	Gharial
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	12 years	60 years
Average Length	1.5 m	5.0 m
Average Weight	50.0 kg	200.0 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.

Gharial

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across India and Nepal. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Gharial

The gharial is a fish-eating crocodilian with a distinctive long, narrow snout. It is critically endangered with fewer than 700 adults.