- People shocked to learn that cheetahs cannot roar, but meow like cats instead
Cheetahs are renowned for being the fastest animal on Earth… but there is a softer side to these deadly predators.
Despite their fearsome reputation for speed, the noise they make is considerably less threathening than the might roar of a lion.
People have been shocked by a video showing how cheetahs meow like domestic cats instead of roaring in the same way as other big cats, such as lions.
The fastest animal in the world, cheetahs can reach blistering speeds of up to 75mph.
Posted to TikTok by @ryenyx03, the clip lasts for for 12 seconds and shows a cheetah meowing to an unidentified person in the background.
The video, which has been viewed over 5.9 million times on TikTok, left other users in adoration at the spotted predator.
One user responded: ‘AWW I NEED A CHEETAH’.
A second commented: ‘I LOVE THEM’.
A third simply added: ‘adorable’.
Cheetahs meow like the domestic cats so many of us love and adore as pets because they are both part of the same sub-family of small cats, known as Felinae.
The voice box of Felinae is fixed, with vocal cords that vibrate as they breath in and out, allowing them to purr, but removing their ability to roar as a consequence.
Other members of the Felinae family include species such as the Eurasian lynx, bobcat and cougar.
In contrast, other big cats such as lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars all belong to the Pantherinae subfamily.
The structure of the larynx for these big cats includes large muscles and a long vocal fold, giving them the ability to roar.
These cats also have a fixed voice box, with a ligament inside their throat that helps them to produce an intimidating roar.
