Species comparison
Jaguarundi vs Cheetah
A side-by-side look at Herpailurus yagouaroundi and Acinonyx jubatus across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The cheetah averages about 7.4 times the body mass of the jaguarundi.
- Both species use dry forest and semi-arid scrub.
- Their ranges do not overlap: Jaguarundi lives in North America and South America, Cheetah in Africa and Asia.
- Red List categories differ: Jaguarundi is listed as Least Concern, Cheetah as Vulnerable.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Jaguarundi
Herpailurus yagouaroundi
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Jaguarundi
Herpailurus
Cheetah
Acinonyx
Jaguarundi
Puma lineage
Cheetah
Puma lineage
Jaguarundi
Small cats
Cheetah
Big cats
Jaguarundi
Eyra cat, Otter cat
Cheetah
Asiatic cheetah, Hunting leopard
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Jaguarundi
21 in – 2 ft 6 in (53–77 cm)
Cheetah
3 ft 8 in – 4 ft 11 in (112–150 cm) Longer
Jaguarundi
12 in – 24 in (31–60 cm)
Cheetah
24 in – 2 ft 9 in (60–84 cm) Longer
Jaguarundi
10 in – 14 in (25–35 cm)
Cheetah
2 ft 4 in – 2 ft 11 in (70–90 cm) Taller
Jaguarundi
7.7–20 lb (3.5–9 kg)
Males average slightly larger than females.
Cheetah
46–159 lb (21–72 kg) Heavier
Most adults fall between 34 and 54 kg; males average slightly heavier.
Jaguarundi
Not reliably measured
No reliable measurement published.
Cheetah
58 mph (93 km/h)
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.
Jaguarundi
8–10 years
Cheetah
8–12 years Longer
Jaguarundi
10–15 years
Cheetah
12–17 years Longer
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Jaguarundi
dry forest, tropical rainforest, semi-arid scrub, wetland, savanna, agricultural mosaic
Prefers dense low cover — thorn scrub, secondary growth, forest edge and riverside thickets — more often than closed primary rainforest.
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.
Jaguarundi
North America, South America
From northern Mexico through Central America to northern Argentina. Historical records exist for southern Texas, where the species is federally listed but has not been confirmed in decades.
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.
Jaguarundi
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, fish
Rodents, ground birds, lizards, frogs, large invertebrates and occasional fruit; most prey weighs under a pound.
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.
Jaguarundi
Solitary
Usually seen alone, occasionally in pairs. It is more terrestrial than most Neotropical cats and moves through thick cover with a distinctly low, gliding gait.
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.
Jaguarundi
Diurnal
One of the few strongly day-active cats, with peaks in the morning and mid-afternoon. This may reduce competition with the largely nocturnal ocelot.
Cheetah
Diurnal
Hunting concentrates in the early morning and late afternoon, avoiding both midday heat and the night-time activity of larger competitors.
Jaguarundi
Active ground search
Rather than sitting in ambush, jaguarundis quarter dense cover on foot, flushing and pouncing on small prey; they will also climb after birds.
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.
Jaguarundi
Capable More developed
Climbs well but hunts mainly on the ground, unlike the closely sympatric margay.
Cheetah
Limited
Cheetahs use sloping trunks and termite mounds as lookouts but cannot climb vertical trunks the way leopards do.
Jaguarundi
Capable More developed
Enters water readily and has been observed swimming across small rivers.
Cheetah
Very limited
Avoids water and swims only under compulsion.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Jaguarundi
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2015
Cheetah
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2021
Jaguarundi
Decreasing
Cheetah
Decreasing
Jaguarundi
Loss of dense low cover, Conversion of scrub to farmland, Road mortality, Persecution near poultry, Fragmentation of riparian corridors
Still widespread, but the northern edge of the range has contracted sharply and populations in Mexico and Central America are considered at risk.
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.
Jaguarundi
- Grey and reddish colour morphs were once described as two separate species.
- It produces an unusually varied vocal repertoire, including chirps, whistles and a bird-like call.
- Its build reflects a diet of small ground prey, not the arboreal hunting typical of similarly sized Neotropical cats.
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.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal listing status and recovery planning for cats occurring in the United States.
- 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.
- Panthera Field research programmes and species profiles for big and small wild cats.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Body measurements, longevity records and life-history notes.