- People were shocked to learn that cheetahs cannot roar, but instead meow like cats
Cheetahs are considered the fastest animals on earth… but these deadly predators also have a softer side.
Despite their fearsome reputation for speed, the noise they make is significantly less threatening than the mighty roar of a lion.
People were shocked by a video showing cheetahs meowing like domestic cats instead of roaring like other big cats like lions.
As the fastest animal in the world, cheetahs can reach rapid speeds of up to 120 km/h.
The clip, posted by @ryenyx03 on TikTok, lasts 12 seconds and shows a cheetah meowing to an unknown person in the background.
People were shocked by a video showing cheetahs meowing like domestic cats instead of roaring like other big cats like lions
Cheetahs meow like the domestic cats that so many of us love and adore as pets because they both belong to the same subfamily of small cats known as Felinae
The video, which has been viewed over 5.9 million times on TikTok, left other users adoring the spotted predator.
One user replied: “AWW I need a cheetah.”
A second commented: “I LOVE HER.”
A third simply added: “adorable.”
Cheetahs meow like the domestic cats that so many of us love and adore as pets because they both belong to the same subfamily of small cats known as Felinae.
Felinae’s voice box is fixed, with vocal cords that vibrate as they breathe in and out, allowing them to purr but thereby depriving them of the ability to roar.
Other members of the Felinae family include species such as the Eurasian lynx, bobcat and puma.
In contrast, other big cats such as lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars all belong to the subfamily Pantherinae.
The larynx of these big cats consists of large muscles and a long vocal fold that gives them the ability to roar.
These cats also have a solid voice box with a band in their throat that helps them produce an intimidating roar.