25 Cheetah Quotes to Inspire Agility and Adaptability
What makes cheetahs distinct from other spotted big cats? Their speed! Primarily inhabiting Africa and some parts of Asia, five species are known for their slender bodies, apt for the title of the fastest land mammal. Aside from their various adaptations, our collection of cheetah quotes below also tackles their charming vocalizations and conservation status.
It's common to confuse cheetahs with their feline cousins, leopards, and jaguars. While cheetahs have solid black, round spots evenly dispersed across their body, leopards feature larger, more spread-out spots encircled by a black ring, creating a rosette pattern. On the other hand, jaguars sport rosettes that are larger than those of leopards and contain a central black dot.
After reading the cheetah quotes below, compare the spots using our picture quotes for leopards and jaguars.
Quick links to our selection of cheetah quotes:
Cheetah Quotes About The Fastest Land Mammal
A cheetah's muscular legs, flexible spines, and long tails propel them to heart-stopping speeds of up to 70 miles per hour - a number we have accepted for decades. However, researchers from the Royal Veterinary College dispelled the myth by using GPS technology to measure 367 hunting runs accurately1. They found the top speed is only 58 miles per hour - still impressive!
Check how this fast animal has impressed many through cheetah quotes, or read more about their impressive speed in our compilation of cheetah facts.
"Pronghorn antelope were the second fastest mammals on earth—only an African cheetah could outrun them."
- C.J. Box
"When the ancestors of the cheetah first began pursuing the ancestors of the gazelle, neither of them could run as fast as they can today."
- Richard Dawkins
"Take, for example, the African jungle, the home of the cheetah. On whom does the cheetah prey? The old, the sick, the wounded, the weak, the very young, but never the strong. Lesson: If you would not be prey, you had better be strong."
- G. Gordon Liddy
"Cheetah genes cooperate with cheetah genes but not with camel genes, and vice versa. This is not because cheetah genes, even in the most poetic sense, see any virtue in the preservation of the cheetah species. They are not working to save the cheetah from extinction like some molecular World Wildlife Fund."
- Richard Dawkins
"Nature's orchestra includes not just Homosapiens, but elephants, whales, manatees, eagles , cheetahs, orangutans, and many others."
- Gregory Colbert
Cheetah Quotes To Inspire Agility And Adaptability
In the wild, a cheetah's success relies on its ability to make split-second decisions and adjust its course accordingly despite its blistering speed. In the same study as above, the researchers revealed cheetahs could slow down to 9 miles per hour in a single stride not only because of their legs and spines but also because of their large paw's firm grip during sudden maneuvers2.
With this animal's feature, the "cheetah mentality" is a powerful metaphor for human behavior, nudging us to embrace our capacity for focus, agility, and adaptability. We can learn to tackle challenges resiliently by channeling the cheetah's relentless determination and flexibility.
Adopt the cheetah-like mindset and thrive in any environment as you read the inspirational cheetah quotes below.
"Life is a snail ride. Move at your own pace. Do what you want to do. And also move like a cheetah when you feel like it. And strike like a lion. People will learn."
- Joshua Aaron Guillory
"Why should I stretch? Does a cheetah stretch before it chases its prey?"
- Ken Griffey Jr.
"You got some cheetah blood in you or what? How did you run so fast?"
- Wendy Higgins
"In the Serengeti, Ms. Lane, I would be the cheetah. I'm stronger, smarter, faster, and hungrier than everything else out there. And I don't apologize to the gazelle when I take it down."
- Karen Marie Moning
"The ‘Cheetah Generation' refers to the new and angry generation of young African graduates and professionals, who look at African issues and problems from a totally different and unique perspective."
- George Ayittey
"I felt alone on a Serengeti plain with a cheetah circling."
- C.D. Reiss
"I shot a quick look at Logan to see how he reacted to that news and was met by the golden eyes of a Cheetah, sitting calmly on his chair. I guess I would have played animal charades if I could have, too, but it was hard to gauge the emotional reactions of an African predator."
- April White
Funny Cheetah Quotes To Make You Smile
Cheetahs, known for their breathtaking speed and impressive hunting prowess, have a surprisingly endearing side bound to make us smile. Despite their fearsome reputation, cheetahs don't roar like lions or tigers. Instead, they purr and meow like domestic cats. In addition, they also emit a unique chirping sound when they are excited or happy.
Replay the cheetah sounds in your head as you read the funny cheetah quotes below.
"I ran like a cheetah—well, like a cheetah that smoked too much."
- John Green
"To me, fast food is when a cheetah eats an antelope."
- George Carlin
"I go to bed wearing a very baggy one-piece cheetah suit, just because it makes my son laugh. My sexy lingerie has been locked in a drawer for a while."
- Sandra Bullock
"I saw this bloke chatting up a cheetah. He was trying to pull a fast one."
- Tim Vine
"A hippie is someone who looks like Tarzan, walks like Jane, and smells like Cheetah."
- Ronald Reagan
"If there is only one Creator who made the tiger and the lamb, the cheetah and the gazelle, what is He playing at? Is he a sadist who enjoys spectator blood sports? Is he maneuvering to maximize David Attenborough's television ratings?"
- Richard Dawkins
Eye-Opening Cheetah Quotes About The Species' Conservation
Cheetah prints have long fascinated the fashion world, gracefully sprinting onto clothing, accessories, and even home decor. The trend began in the 1940s when Hollywood legends like Marilyn Monroe flaunted cheetah-print outfits. The use of real animal fur in fashion has sparked controversy and contributed to the decline of cheetah populations. Not only that, climate change and habitat destruction also contributed to the vulnerable status of these wild cats.
Let's choose ethical alternatives, raise awareness, and support conservation efforts to protect these speedy felines and their habitats for future generations. May the rest of our cheetah quotes inspire you to do so.
For more reading, check out our articles on faux fur and vegan leather that explore their pros and cons and sustainability. And for more from that amazing world of big cats, click over to our lion facts and tiger facts.
"I'm into cotton underwear. I don't need cheetah print leather to make me feel sexy."
- Nelly Furtado
"I had butterscotch pants and a cheetah sweater, I'd be just fine."
- Greg Behrendt
"I'm a street walking cheetah with a heart full of napalm."
- Iggy Pop
"There's a cheetah walking high, liquid whispers dragonfly , charleston booties painted toes, drop the knot ivory soul."
- The Cars
"Officially, the Iranian cheetah is thought to be extinct in Afghanistan, but I am sure a population remains. Dare mighty things. Go find it."
- Alex Degha
"In the year 2007, seals, otters, lions, turtles, frogs, apes, snakes , butterflies, polar bears, cheetahs, whales are disappearing along with their variously furnished homes: cloud forests, rain forests, ice pack, boreal forests, coral reefs, forests of deciduous trees, conifer and palm."
- Eban Goodstein
"These magnificent species of Africa—elephants, rhino, lions, leopards, cheetah, the great apes—this is a treasure for all humanity, and they are not for sale. They are not for trade. They need to be valued and preserved by humanity. We all need a global commitment to that."
- Patrick Bergin
| 1 | Wilson, A., Lowe, J., Roskilly, K. et al. Locomotion dynamics of hunting in wild cheetahs. Nature 498, 185–189 (2013). |
| 2 | Wilson, A., Lowe, J., Roskilly, K. et al. Locomotion dynamics of hunting in wild cheetahs. Nature 498, 185–189 (2013). |
