Can you tell the age of a cheetah by the size of its spots?

The idea that the size of a cheetah's spots can determine its age is a common myth. In reality, there is no direct correlation between spot size and age in cheetahs.

While young cheetah cubs are born with spots that are larger than the spots of adult cheetahs, this has nothing to do with age. Rather, it is a genetic characteristic that helps camouflage the cubs in their environment. As the cheetah grows, its spots remain the same size but become more spaced out and irregularly shaped, which can help them blend in with their surroundings.

There are other ways to estimate the age of a cheetah, such as looking at its teeth, but spot size is not one of them.