豹 Cheetah

豹（学名：Panthera pardus）是猫科豹属下的一种动物。广泛分布于非洲和亚洲的各个国家和地区。^[2]环境适应能力强，行踪隐秘，总体生存状况好于它的猫科亲戚狮和虎，但是有些豹亚种的现状并不容乐观。^[2][3]

不同亚种的豹毛色有浅黄，金黄，黄褐等不同。因为其浑身布满圆形斑纹，所以又名金钱豹^[4]或花豹。花豹有时会有黑化现象，即为黑豹，皮肤及毛发上出现大量黑色素，但还是可隐约见到斑点。^[5]

豹是中国古已有之的物种，很多成语都与其有关联，比如管中窥豹，豺狼虎豹，豹头环眼，还有形容人胆大包天时用的熊心豹胆^[6]等。

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a big cat in the subfamily Felinae that inhabits most of Africa and parts of Iran. It is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx. The cheetah can run as fast as 109.4 to 120.7 km/h (68.0 to 75.0 mph), faster than any other land animal.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]} It covers distances up to 500 m (1,640 ft) in short bursts, and can accelerate from 0 to 96 km/h (0 to 60 mph) in three seconds.^[9]

The cheetah is a unique felid, with its closest living relatives being the puma and jaguarundi of the Americas. This cat is notable for modifications in the species' paws, being one of the few felids with only semi-retractable claws.^[10]

Its main hunting strategy is to trip swift prey such as various antelope species and hares with its dewclaw. Almost every facet of the cheetah's anatomy has evolved to maximise its success in the chase, the result of an evolutionary arms race with its prey. Due to this specialisation, however, the cheetah is poorly equipped to defend itself against other large predators, with speed being its main means of defence.

In the wild, the cheetah is a prolific breeder, with up to nine cubs in a litter. The majority of cubs do not survive to adulthood, mainly as a result of depredation from other predators. The rate of cub mortality varies from area to area, from 50% to 75%,^[11] and in extreme cases such as the Serengeti ecosystem, up to 90%. Cheetahs are notoriously poor breeders in captivity, though several organizations, such as the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, have succeeded in breeding high numbers of cubs.

The cheetah is listed as vulnerable, facing various threats including: loss of habitat and prey; conflict with humans; the illegal pet trade; competition with and predation by other carnivores; and a gene pool with very low variability. It is a charismatic species and many captive cats are "ambassadors" for their species and wildlife conservation in general.