Species comparison
Caracal vs Cheetah
A side-by-side look at Caracal caracal and Acinonyx jubatus across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The cheetah averages about 3.6 times the body mass of the caracal.
- The cheetah has the higher recorded top speed, at 58 mph (93 km/h).
- Both species use semi-arid scrub and savanna.
- Their ranges both include Africa and Asia.
- Red List categories differ: Caracal is listed as Least Concern, Cheetah as Vulnerable.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Caracal
Caracal
Cheetah
Acinonyx
Caracal
Caracal lineage
Cheetah
Puma lineage
Caracal
Medium-sized cats
Cheetah
Big cats
Caracal
Desert lynx, Persian lynx
Cheetah
Asiatic cheetah, Hunting leopard
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Caracal
2 ft – 3 ft (62–91 cm)
Cheetah
3 ft 8 in – 4 ft 11 in (112–150 cm) Longer
Caracal
7 in – 13 in (18–34 cm)
Cheetah
24 in – 2 ft 9 in (60–84 cm) Longer
Caracal
16 in – 20 in (40–50 cm)
Cheetah
2 ft 4 in – 2 ft 11 in (70–90 cm) Taller
Caracal
15–42 lb (7–19 kg)
Males average noticeably heavier than females across the range.
Cheetah
46–159 lb (21–72 kg) Heavier
Most adults fall between 34 and 54 kg; males average slightly heavier.
Caracal
50 mph (80 km/h)
Short sprints over open ground; the species is better known for vertical leaping than for sustained speed.
Cheetah
58 mph (93 km/h) Faster
Highest speed recorded on wild hunting cheetahs with GPS collars; captive sprint trials have reached about 98 km/h.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Caracal
10–12 years Longer
Cheetah
8–12 years
Caracal
16–19 years Longer
Cheetah
12–17 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Caracal
semi-arid scrub, savanna, dry forest, desert, montane forest
Dry woodland, scrub, semi-desert and rocky hills; caracals avoid true desert interiors and dense equatorial rainforest but do well on farmland margins.
Cheetah
savanna, grassland, semi-arid scrub, dry forest
Open and semi-open country with clear sightlines and firm footing. Cheetahs also persist in arid landscapes such as the Sahel and the Iranian desert steppe, where they range enormously to find prey.
Caracal
Africa, Asia
Widespread across Africa outside the Sahara core and Congo rainforest, and through the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, Central Asia and into north-western India.
Cheetah
Africa, Asia
Fragmented populations in eastern and southern Africa, small remnants in North and West Africa, and a critically small Asiatic population confined to central Iran.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Caracal
small mammals, birds, hares, medium ungulates
Hyrax, hares, rodents and gamebirds form the bulk of the diet, with small antelope taken by larger individuals.
Cheetah
medium ungulates, hares, birds
Thomson's gazelle, springbok, impala, duiker and hares; prey usually weighs less than the cheetah itself, since large animals are too risky to restrain.
Caracal
Solitary and territorial
Adults hold large ranges and are rarely seen; they are among the most successful cats at persisting in farmed landscapes, which brings them into conflict with sheep farmers.
Cheetah
Females solitary; males form coalitions
Females raise cubs alone across very large ranges, while related males often hold territory in permanent groups of two or three. Cheetahs do not roar; they chirp, purr and stutter.
Caracal
Nocturnal
Almost entirely night active where persecuted; more crepuscular activity is recorded inside protected areas.
Cheetah
Diurnal
Hunting concentrates in the early morning and late afternoon, avoiding both midday heat and the night-time activity of larger competitors.
Caracal
Stalk and vertical leap
The caracal creeps close, then launches; birds flushing from cover are struck in mid-air, sometimes several feet above the ground.
Cheetah
High-speed pursuit in the open
The cat approaches to within roughly 200 feet, then sprints, using the tail as a rudder to match the prey's turns before knocking it off balance with a dewclaw and applying a throat bite.
Caracal
Strong More developed
Climbs well and will cache food in trees, though it hunts on the ground.
Cheetah
Limited
Cheetahs use sloping trunks and termite mounds as lookouts but cannot climb vertical trunks the way leopards do.
Caracal
Limited More developed
Occupies dry country and rarely encounters, or enters, deep water.
Cheetah
Very limited
Avoids water and swims only under compulsion.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Caracal
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2016
Cheetah
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2021
Caracal
Stable
Cheetah
Decreasing
Caracal
Killing in response to livestock losses, Habitat conversion in Asia, Road mortality near cities, Trade as exotic pets, Depletion of small-mammal prey
Widespread and reasonably secure in Africa; populations in Central Asia and North Africa are much smaller and are considered at risk locally.
Cheetah
Loss of open habitat and prey, Conflict with livestock farming, Illegal live-cub trade, Very large area requirements, Low genetic diversity
The species occupies a small fraction of its historical range, and a large share of the remaining population lives outside protected areas, which makes conflict with livestock owners a central conservation issue.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
Caracal
- The name derives from a Turkish word meaning "black ear".
- Caracals were historically trained in Persia and India to hunt birds, a practice recorded for centuries.
- Urban caracals on the Cape Peninsula in South Africa are the subject of a long-running research programme.
Cheetah
- Acceleration is the more remarkable statistic: cheetahs can add roughly 6 mph per stride during the first three strides.
- Semi-retractable claws work like sprinting spikes and stay blunt from constant ground contact.
- The Asiatic cheetah in Iran is one of the rarest large mammals on Earth, with only a few dozen animals confirmed.
Sources used for this comparison
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Global assessment categories, population trends and documented threats.
- IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Species accounts, distribution notes and Cat News reporting for every wild felid.
- Panthera Field research programmes and species profiles for big and small wild cats.
- Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation Dedicated research and field reporting on the lesser-known felids.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- Cheetah Conservation Fund Research on cheetah biology, speed measurement and human-wildlife conflict.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Body measurements, longevity records and life-history notes.