Cheetah in a majestic post in the plains of the Maasai Mara National Wildlife Reserve in Kenya.

The Cheetah is slim and has muscular, long legs — in relation to its body size when compared to other cats — a small, rounded head that is set on a long neck, a flexible spine, a deep chest, special pads on its feet for traction, and a long tail for balance. It is also the only cat that cannot retract its claws, an adaptation to help maintain traction like a soccer player’s cleats. It also bears distinctive black “tear tracks” running from the inside corner of each eye to the mouth that may serve as an anti-glare mechanism for daytime hunting.