Cheetah vs Coastal stingaree

Acinonyx jubatus compared with Urolophus orarius

Key Differences

  • Cheetah is Vulnerable while Coastal stingaree is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Cheetah Coastal stingaree
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same Chordata (cordados) Chordata (cordados)
Class Mammalia (mamíferos) Elasmobranchii
Order Carnivora (carnívoros) Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)
Family Felidae (Cats) Urolophidae
Genus Acinonyx (Cheetahs) Urolophus
Species Acinonyx jubatus Urolophus orarius

Evolutionary Relationship

Cheetah and Coastal stingaree share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (cordados)

Conservation Status

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Coastal stingaree

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Cheetah Coastal stingaree
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.

Coastal stingaree

Cheetah

A chita (Acinonyx jubatus) é o animal terrestre mais veloz do mundo, capaz de atingir 120 km/h em corridas curtas. Possui corpo esbelto, pernas longas e manchas negras sólidas sobre pelagem dourada. Distribui-se nas savanas africanas e, em pequena população, no Irã. Diferentemente de outros grandes felinos, não ruge. Caça durante o dia, utilizando visão aguçada e velocidade para perseguir presas. Classificada como espécie vulnerável, com menos de 7.000 indivíduos na natureza.

Coastal stingaree

Coastal stingaree (Urolophus orarius) is a small batoid ray in the family Urolophidae, endemic to shallow coastal waters of southern Australia, particularly along the coasts of South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. Like other stingarees, it has a rounded disc, a short tail armed with one or two venomous spines, and lacks a distinct rostrum. It inhabits sandy and muddy nearshore substrates in depths typically less than 30 metres, where it forages for polychaete worms, crustaceans, and small molluscs buried in the seabed. Females are ovoviviparous, giving birth to small litters of live young following internal development. Coastal stingaree is assessed as Endangered by the IUCN, driven by its restricted range, slow reproductive rate, and significant bycatch in inshore commercial and recreational fisheries operating across southern Australian coastal waters. Bottom trawling, prawn trawling, and gillnetting are identified as major threats. The species receives limited targeted conservation attention and is not currently the subject of specific fisheries management measures. Its small home range and coastal distribution make it especially vulnerable to localised fishery impacts.

Nature FYI Family

Explore more of the natural world across our sister sites.

Part of the Nature FYI family — FYIPedia