Cheetah vs Madeira Shield-Fern

Acinonyx jubatus compared with Polystichum drepanum

Key Differences

Cheetah is Vulnerable while Madeira Shield-Fern is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cheetah	Madeira Shield-Fern
Kingdom	Animalia (животные)	Plantae (растения)
Phylum	Chordata (хордовые)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (млекопитающие)	Polypodiopsida (папоротниковые)
Order	Carnivora (хищные)	Polypodiales (многоножковые)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Dryopteridaceae
Genus	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)	Polystichum
Species	Acinonyx jubatus	Polystichum drepanum

Conservation Status

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Madeira Shield-Fern

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cheetah	Madeira Shield-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 Shield-Fern

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Portugal. 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.