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The giant cheetah (Acinonyx pardinensis) is an extinct species of cat that is the closest relative of the modern cheetah. This species could be found in Europe during the early and middle years of the Pleistocene. Its range included Germany, France, India, and China, and it shared this range with leopards and jaguars. It is thought that competition with these smaller cats may have caused the giant cheetah’s extinction. The giant cheetah is thought to have been twice the size of modern...

Acinonyx kurteni is an extinct, carnivorous species classified in the Felidae family. This cat was native to Asia in the Late Pliocene, around 2.5 million years ago. It was first described in 2008, and is the most primitive species of cheetah known. Its discovery defends the modern cheetah’s Old World origin. There are some differences between the two species, but these are mainly in the mouth area. Since its classification and formal description, some have asserted that the Acinonyx...

Thomson’s gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) is also known as a “tommie” and is one of the most well-known gazelle species. Named after Joseph Thomson, Thomson’s gazelle is native to Africa where it is the most commonly found gazelle. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the red-fronted gazelle, and was previously in the genus Gazella, in the subgenus Eudorcas. Eudorcas eventually became a distinct genus, classifying some species of gazelle within their own genus. Thomson’s...

Grant’s gazelle (Nanger granti) is native to Africa. Its northern range of Tanzania extends south to Ethiopia and the Sudan, and from the coast of Kenya to Lake Victoria. It prefers habitats within shrub lands and grass plains, but can also be found in regions that are more arid. In Swahili, Grant’s gazelle is called Swala Granti. It was placed within the Nanger subgenus of the genus Gazella, before Nanger became a separate genus. Grant’s gazelle holds five recognized subspecies. The...

The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is a rare critically endangered subspecies of the cheetah found primarily in Iran. It is an atypical member of the cat family (Felidae) that hunts by speed rather than by stealth or pack tactics. It lives in a vast fragmented desert and although recently extinct in India it is also known as the Indian cheetah. It is the fastest of all land animals and can reach speeds of up to 70 mph (112 km/h). The cheetah is well known for its amazing...