post #647161 post #1000060 post #84527

The king cheetah is an African cheetah who exhibits a rare fur mutation where it's normally small spots are, instead, large and blotchy. Perhaps most distinctive, however, are the three broad stripes that travel along the cheetah's spine.

It was originally believed to be a separate species of cheetah before being thoroughly studied. As a result, we know that this fur pattern is simply the result of a recessive gene, much as being a white tiger or a panther.

These cheetahs can result from mating with 'normal' cheetahs carrying the gene, and a litter of cubs can have both normal and king cheetah babies.

See also:

• melanism
• mammal
• feline
• cheetah
• king cheetah