King Cheetahs: Cheetahs also have a rare fur pattern mutation: cheetahs with larger, blotchy, merged spots are known as 'King Cheetahs'. It was once thought to be a separate subspecies, but it is merely a mutation of the African Cheetah.
"King Cheetah" (A. jubatus with single recessive gene):
Blotched coat pattern caused by recessive gene
"Spots" elongate and merge forming irregular pattern, including thick, elongate stripes along spine ...
King Cheetah
Commonly found in sub-Saharan Africa, the name "cheetah" comes from a Hindi word meaning "spotted one" or from the Sanskrit word "chitraka".
A color variant or mutation, for instance a white or black springbuck, white blesbuck, black impala, King Cheetah etc., was not created by any human being, but was a natural product of the specie itself. Is this an increase or decrease in diversity?
Those Cheetahs found in the more arid desert regions tend to be lighter and have smaller spots than the King Cheetahs that roam the south African grasslands, and are darker, slightly bigger and have larger spots.
There are seven recognized subspecies of cheetah, distinguished by subtle differences in their coats. The most striking is the king cheetah with spots that have been modified into wide discontinuous bars.
 See also: Cheetah, Leopard, Wildebeest, Lion, Hyena
  
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