Cheetah vs Madeira Sword-Fern

Acinonyx jubatus compared with Polystichum falcinellum

Key Differences

Cheetah is Vulnerable while Madeira Sword-Fern is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cheetah	Madeira Sword-Fern
Kingdom	Animalia (hewan)	Plantae (tumbuhan)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (mamalia)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Dryopteridaceae
Genus	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)	Polystichum
Species	Acinonyx jubatus	Polystichum falcinellum

Conservation Status

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Madeira Sword-Fern

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cheetah	Madeira Sword-Fern
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.

Madeira Sword-Fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Found in Portugal. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.