[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Snakeadelic

Not sure if anyone ever confirmed it, but for the roughly 42 years I've been watching nature documentaries and researching wildlife biology, the theory on the coloration of VERY young cheetah cubs has been that the long white hackle that runs down their spine the first few weeks, contrasting with charcoal-ish sides, belly, and legs, is meant to imitate Africa's favorite good ol' walking havoc seeking a place to happen--the honey badger.

From my link...

Cubs are born with a mantle of fur running from the back of the neck down to the rump. This clever disguise aids in camouflaging the kittens in the high grass while they are following their mother. This mane like feature begins to disappear at the age of 3 months, but still remains visible at 2 years of age. The fur color of a newborn cub is medium gray, which gradually evolves into the adult colors by the age of 4 months.