Northwest African cheetah
| Northwest African cheetah | |
|---|---|
| Northwest African Cheetah, Idlès, Algeria | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Genus: | Acinonyx |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | A. j. hecki
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Acinonyx jubatus hecki Hilzheimer, 1913
| |
| A. j. hecki range historical today
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
A. j. senegalensis (Blainville, 1843) | |
The Northwest African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki), also known as the Saharan cheetah, is a cheetah subspecies living in the Sahara and the Sahel. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. In 2008, the population was suspected to number less than 250 mature individuals. It was scientifically described by Max Hilzheimer in 1913 under the scientific name Acinonyx hecki.