Acinonyx jubatus
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * Acinonyx jubatus: The scientific name for the cheetah, a large, long-legged feline characterized by a slender body, a small rounded head, black "tear marks" running from the eyes to the mouth, and a coat covered in solid black spots. It is native to Africa and parts of southwestern Asia. It is renowned for being the fastest land mammal, capable of incredible short bursts of speed to run down prey, and is unique among cats for having non-retractable claws that provide traction like cleats.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Acinonyx jubatus is perfectly adapted for high-speed pursuit.
- The conservation status of Acinonyx jubatus is vulnerable due to habitat loss.
- Researchers studied the hunting behavior of Acinonyx jubatus on the savanna.
Advanced Usage
- In binomial nomenclature: The two-part name follows the Linnaean system, where is the genus and is the specific epithet. It is always written in italics, with the genus name capitalized.
- The paper compared the skeletal structures of Acinonyx jubatus and other large felids.
Variants and Related Words
- Cheetah (n): The common name for .
- The cheetah is faster, but the lion is stronger.
- Genus Acinonyx (n): The taxonomic genus to which the cheetah belongs, containing only this one living species.
- The genus Acinonyx is distinct from Panthera, which includes lions and tigers.
Synonyms
- Cheetah: The standard English common name.
- Hunting leopard (archaic): An older, less common name.
Related Phrases/Idioms
- (As) fast as a cheetah: A simile used to describe something or someone moving with extreme speed.
- The new sports car is as fast as a cheetah.
- Run down: While not exclusive, this phrasal verb is closely associated with the cheetah's primary hunting method as described in its definition.
- The cheetah uses its speed to run down antelope.
Noun
- long-legged spotted cat of Africa and southwestern Asia having nonretractile claws; the swiftest mammal; can be trained to run down game