Cheetah vs plains zebra

Acinonyx jubatus compared with Equus quagga

Key Differences

  • Cheetah is Vulnerable while plains zebra is Near Threatened.
  • Cheetah is carnivore while plains zebra is herbivore.
  • plains zebra is 7.0x heavier than Cheetah.
  • plains zebra lives longer (25 years vs 12 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Cheetah plains zebra
Kingdom same Animalia (動物) Animalia (動物)
Phylum same Chordata (脊索動物) Chordata (脊索動物)
Class same Mammalia (哺乳類) Mammalia (哺乳類)
Order Carnivora (ネコ目) Perissodactyla (奇蹄目)
Family Felidae (Cats) Equidae (Horses & Zebras)
Genus Acinonyx (Cheetahs) Equus (Horses & Zebras)
Species Acinonyx jubatus Equus quagga

Evolutionary Relationship

Cheetah and plains zebra share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (哺乳類)

Conservation Status

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

plains zebra

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~750.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Cheetah plains zebra
Diet Carnivore Herbivore
Average Lifespan 12 years 25 years
Average Length 1.5 m 2.3 m
Average Weight 50.0 kg 350.0 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.

plains zebra

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 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Cheetah

地球上で最も速い陸上動物で、アフリカとイランの草原において短距離走で時速112kmに達する。深い胸部、長い脚、独特の黒い涙縞模様を持つ細身の体型が特徴だ。他の大型ネコ科動物とは異なり、チーターはチャープ音やパー音で鳴く。生息地の分断と大型捕食者との競争により、残存個体数は約7,000頭のみとなっており、危急種に分類されている。

plains zebra

最も個体数の多い野生の馬科動物であるサバンナシマウマ(Equus quagga)は、東アフリカと南アフリカの草原およびサバンナに小さな家族グループから大規模な集団まで様々な形で生息する。個体ごとに独特の白黒の縞模様は、捕食者を混乱させ、吸血昆虫を防ぎ、個体識別を助けると考えられている。シマウマはライオン、ハイエナ、ワニの主要な餌となり、サバンナの食物網を支える。

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

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