It’s hard to believe, but there are animals that are capable of reaching speeds comparable to a moped, truck or even a passenger car. In fact, there are not so few such representatives of the fauna. In this article we will find out what the fastest animal on the planet is and determine the top ten leaders in speed. Let's look at our top 10 in reverse order.
10. Lasting on the list is a coyote. This animal is capable of developing up to 70 km/h and can adapt to various conditions, and therefore can be found in the mountains, steppes, deserts and other places. When it comes to food, coyotes will eat just about anything, from newts to jackrabbits. They do not disdain carrion either.
9. The gray fox runs at speeds of up to 71 km/h and is in ninth place in the “Fastest Animals on the Planet” ranking. She is a representative of the Canidae family. Compared to the red fox, it is much less common. Interesting feature The animal's ability to move along tree branches is its ability.
8. As practice shows, the fastest animals are not always predators who need to catch up with their prey. The maximum speed of a moose is 73 km/h, which allows it to easily escape from bears and wolves, which move much slower. The animal always lives in herd conditions.
7. accelerates to 74 km/h and is also known as “African” wild dog" It can be found exclusively on the African continent, both in savannas and wooded areas. The animal is quite rare and hunts in packs. At the same time, hyena dogs never intimidate or drive their prey before killing it.
6. The rating “The fastest animals” is difficult to imagine without lions. Their males are mainly engaged in protecting the territory, and the females are directly involved in hunting. They attack, as a rule, only by creeping a short distance to the victim. The caught prey is first eaten by the lions, then by the cubs, and only at the very end by the lioness. Despite the fact that the animal reaches speeds of up to 74 km/h, they only have enough endurance for a short distance.
5. In fifth place is the riding horse. Its speed is 75 km/h.
4. The fastest animals on the planet do not necessarily have plastic body and modest parameters. A clear confirmation of this is the wildebeest, which, being large, can accelerate to 88 km/h. They constantly migrate and can cover a distance of up to 1,600 kilometers in a year.
3. Pronghorn is capable of breaking away from most predators at even half its speed. On average, its speed is about 60 km/h, and the recorded record is 88.5 km/h.
2. In second place in the ranking is the springbok, which is one of the varieties of antelope. The animal lives mainly in Africa. One of its distinctive abilities is the ability to jump to a height of up to 3 meters. As for its speed, it is 90 km/h.
1. The fastest animal in the world is the cheetah. Compared to other representatives, it has a more modest weight, ranging from 70 to 140 kg. This predator is capable of accelerating up to 120 km/h, while taking 9-meter steps every quarter of a second. As for the distance of such races, it reaches 300 meters. He eats food exclusively tall grass or near trees so that other cats cannot see him. It should be noted that, being able to develop such a creature, it is vulnerable to lions and tigers, since it has thin bones, as well as small jaws and teeth.
Ecology
The animal world has its own champions.
Find out the answers to the questions about who flies, swims, runs or crawls the fastest in the animal world.
Here you can learn about the fastest representatives of their kind in the animal world.
The fastest bird is the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
This bird of prey from the falcon family, can be seen on almost all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.
In nature, there are about 17 subspecies of peregrine falcons.
On our planet it is not only the fastest bird, but also the fastest living creature.
© Fernando Cortes
According to experts, in a fast diving flight, a peregrine falcon can reach speeds of up to 322 km/h.
But it is worth noting that in horizontal flight the peregrine falcon yields first place to the swift, whose horizontal flight speed can reach 111 km/h.
Fastest horse - English racehorses
On at the moment These purebred riding horses are considered the fastest. If you choose a specific representative, then the fastest one is the purebred stallion Beach Rackit.
© Edoma/Getty Images
He was able to set an absolute record among domestic breeds. During a race in Mexico over a distance of 409.26 meters, Beach reached a top speed of 69.69 km/h. At all average speed English racehorses have a speed of 60 km/h.
The fastest fish is the sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus)
This sea fish from the order Perciformes, lives in all oceans of the Earth, preferring tropical, subtropical and temperate waters.
© Marco_Zucchini/Getty Images
It is worth noting that the sailboat is an active predator and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h.
During experiments at the Long Key fishing camp, Florida, USA, this fish was able to swim 91 meters in 3 seconds, which is equal to a speed of 109 km/h.
The fastest animal (land animal) is the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
The cheetah is the fastest land animal. It differs from other cats in that it does not hunt prey, sitting in ambush, preferring to pursue it.
© Hemera Technologies / Photo Images
First, the cheetah approaches its prey at a distance of about 10 meters, without particularly trying to be secretive, and then tries to catch potential prey in a short race. During the race, he can reach speeds of up to 110-115 km/h, while reaching a speed of 75 km/h in 2 seconds. It is also worth noting that the cheetah runs in jumps 6-8 meters long.
The fastest dog is the Greyhound
In general, opinions about which dog is the fastest are divided. Some say that this is an English hunting greyhound that boasts very fast running over short distances, which gives them the ability to catch a hare.
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If we talk about the wild dog, then it capable of reaching speeds of up to 55 km/h and chasing its prey to the point of complete exhaustion.
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And yet, officially, the highest speed among dogs was recorded on March 5, 1994 in Australia, when a greyhound named Star Title was able to accelerate to 67.32 km/h.
The fastest cat is the Egyptian Mau
This short-haired, medium-sized cat breed boasts high-energy cats that love movement and play. Therefore, the Egyptian Mau has a flexible and muscular shape.
© nature picture/Getty Images
WITH Egyptian language"mau" means "cat". This cat can reach speeds of up to 58 km/h. In addition, Mau have excellent vision, hearing and smell.
The fastest snake is the mamba
The officially recorded speed of this snake is 11.3 km/h, and that's on the ground. In the branches, the mamba is even faster.
© makasana/Getty Images
In addition, she is one of the most poisonous snakes on Earth, and in Africa there is no other snake that is feared as much as the mamba.
The fastest turtle is the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
Among reptiles, this is the fastest - in water it can reach a speed of 35 km/h.
© irin717 / Getty Images
Such a turtle weighs 450 kg, and its body length can vary from 1.8 to 2.1 meters.
However, in 1988, a male leatherback turtle was found in Harlech, UK, measuring 2.91 meters in length and weighing 961.1 kg.
The fastest insect
In this case, it is worth dividing into speed on the ground and in the air. The fastest insect on earth is the American cockroach. Its speed reaches 5.4 km/h. It is worth noting that in 1 second he is able to run a distance that is 50 times the length of his own body. If compared to a person, this corresponds to a speed of approximately 330 km/h.
© chenlei/Getty Images
The insect that holds the record in the air is the dragonfly, namely Austrophlebia costalis, which can reach speeds of up to 52 km/h in flight. Since they exist different ways speed measurements, experts cannot definitely say who is faster, dividing between dragonflies, hawk moths and horse flies.
04.06.2013
We see thousands of animals around us. They all have their own uniqueness in some way. Some are peaceful and some are peaceful. Below 10 the fastest animals, only mammals.
No. 10. Leo
Lionesses are faster than males and are able to reach speeds of up to 57 km/h over short distances of about 90 meters, and at distances up to 20 meters - maximum speed 80 km/h. Lions are very mobile and have a quick reaction; their food depends on it.
No. 9. Brown hare
Maximum recorded speed: 80 km/h
57 km/h is the average speed during a sprint, 80 km/h is the maximum speed for a very short distance. Since their only chance of survival is to run very fast, they are naturally very fast and agile. At such high speeds they are also capable of deceiving pursuers by rushing from side to side. The brown hare takes ninth place in the top 10 fastest animals.
No. 8. Zebra
Maximum recorded speed: 80 km/h
Unfortunately, zebras do not have camouflage colors, and therefore freezing in place when a predator approaches will not save them. So speed is the key to survival. The speed, both alone and in a herd, can reach from 57 to 80 km/h.
No. 7. Horse
Maximum recorded speed: 87 km/h
61 km/h on average during the sprint, with a top speed of 87 km/h over very short distances, a record set in 2008.
No. 6. Greyhound
Maximum recorded speed: 89 km/h
This is the fastest dog .
The average speed during a sprint is 63 km/h; over very short distances it can reach 89 km/h. This is the fastest dog breed. For comparison, other breeds reach speeds of 30 to 50 km/h.
No. 5. Wildebeest
Maximum recorded speed: 90 km/h
The wildebeest is faster than the lion, leopard and zebra, 40 mph is its average speed when sprinting, and its maximum speed is 90 km/h over a very short distance. If you want to live, know how to spin.
No. 4. Thomson's Gazelle
Maximum recorded speed: 94.1 km/h
Average speed – 87 km/h. Alone, the cheetah manages to catch up with her one time out of five! According to scientists' studies, males reach 68 km/h at a distance of 600 meters and 94.2 km/h at a distance of up to 100 meters.
No. 3. Gazelle
Maximum recorded speed: 114 km/h
Gazelle (or antelope) results South Africa) are truly impressive: the average result is 105 km/h, at a distance of 800 m it reaches speeds of up to 88 km/h, and at 150 m up to 114 km/h. Endurance is also an advantage of the gazelle: it can maintain 48 km/h
No. 2. Pronghorn
Maximum recorded speed: 115 km/h
Speed 105 km/h at a distance of 1000 meters and 115 km/h at a distance of 200 meters. The pronghorn is capable of jumping over obstacles up to 2 meters high and 6 meters long, but in general it prefers to go around them rather than climb over them over a distance of 6 km.
No. 1. Cheetah
fastest animal in the world
Maximum recorded speed: 121 km/h
Surprisingly, this fastest animal on earth sets all records! The cheetah is limited in endurance (about a quarter of a mile), however, its top speed is 95 km/h at an average of 400 m, and at 100 m its top speed is 120 km/h
It is believed that the ability to move quickly gives animals serious advantages. In fact, this statement is true if we are talking about one specific race, for example - the wolf finally caught up with the hare. Or I didn’t catch up... But if we take into account that in nature everything is interconnected and balanced, then the situation is different. Each species has its own ecological niche - the space and place where the animal finds best opportunities for life.
But none of the living beings coexisting in this complex environment have serious privileges. Evolutionary transformations and development take centuries, and the reasons for the temporary dominance of animals of a certain type are external factors - climate change, disasters. The real advantage would be the ability to deliberately upset the balance, adjusting the environment to suit your needs. But only one species living on Earth can do this - people.
So, which animal demonstrates excellent speed performance in conditions wildlife? The Top 7 will present the fastest animals in the world.
African predator of the cat family. It appeared on our planet about 3.5 million years ago, and is the only representative of the genus Acinonyx today. Scientists consider the cheetah to be a unique animal in its behavior and structure. It is not only the fastest (at short distances it reaches speeds of up to 130 km/h), but also an incredibly maneuverable beast. He will not attack from an ambush, because open area, where fast spotted cats get their food, there is nowhere to hide. Races for long distances not for him, the cheetah is not very durable. Only about every second of his attempts to catch someone for lunch ends in success.
The most beautiful inhabitant of the prairies, the oldest animal of the ungulates in North America, and the only member of its pronghorn antelope family. In the last century, it was almost exterminated by humans, but was saved by representatives of environmental organizations. Today there are more than 3 million individuals in the wild. The pronghorn is famous for its speed qualities far beyond the borders of North America. He is the second fastest animal on earth, second only to the cheetah. Capable of racing at a speed of 115 km/h. The pronghorn is a herbivore and hence runs fast due to fear of the teeth of predators. Over his long history of evolution, he also learned to jump high, thus proving to the whole world that steeplechase is his sport.
The fragile-looking animal amazes with its endurance and speed qualities. Lives in East Africa, migrating from Northern Sudan to Ethiopia, found in Kenya and Tanzania on the coast of Lake Victoria. The beautiful antelope was named after the Scottish scientist James Grant. Belongs to herbivorous mammals. Over the history of its evolution, Grant's gazelle has learned to overcome marathon distances, escaping from large predators, but you definitely can't call it a coward. If the cub is in danger, the female is able to boldly engage in battle with the enemy, relying on the strength and sharpness of her long lyre-shaped horns. The take-off speed, thanks to which Grant's gazelle took third place in the ranking of the fastest animals in the world, is about 110 km/h.
A close relative of its predecessor in the ranking, it is inferior to it in speed, demonstrating a run-up speed of 80–85 km/h. The antelope has a very elegant body, beautiful ribbed horns, and huge languid eyes. Despite its angelic appearance, residents of East Africa, along with predators, often hunt this animal. During its rapid run, Thomson's gazelle bounces funnyly, as if flying into the air. It is difficult to catch even for a cheetah, which prefers the baby in the hunt for its tasty meat. The gazelle got its name in honor of the Scottish geologist and naturalist Joseph Thomson.
An animal that has managed to maintain its large population, living everywhere on the African continent. The wildebeest belongs to a separate genus of the bovid family. This is a very large animal (weighing up to 250 kg), but at the same time playful. Its maximum speed is approximately 80 km/h. It has a high degree of endurance, so it can consistently maintain a speed of 55 km/h for half an hour. The wildebeest is a herd animal. If you imagine a whole crowd of heavyweights galloping across the ground at fairly high speed, you can understand why such races are so famous in the world. The shaggy, robust creatures run around in a friendly crowd several times a year, due to their habit of changing their habitat in search of fresh grass. The consequences of such races can be very destructive.
North America is considered the homeland of the horse, from where these odd-toed ungulates later spread their habitat to the Eurasian continent. The African type of horse is the zebra. Horses' natural ability to race at speeds of approximately 55 km/h stems from the desire to survive in the wild. The horse is a herbivore. Just 10 thousand years ago, people did not domesticate them, but hunted them to extermination. Nowadays, horses live both in the wild - in nature reserves in Europe and America, and in captivity. During that period of their evolution, when horses lived in natural natural conditions, they had small sizes and were very different in appearance from their current relatives.
Horses took on their modern appearance thanks to the efforts of breeders. Racing breeds are especially prized. The cost of a famous handsome man can amount to millions of dollars. The maximum running speed was recorded at 69 km/h; this is exactly the agility demonstrated by the English stallion Beach Racket at a distance of 400 meters. smart and resilient.
A small cute animal from the order Lagomorpha. Lives on every continent except icy Antarctica. Its closest relative is the white hare. The names correspond to the color of the fur. Adapting to survive, the hare learned to change color depending on the time of year. This helps him both warm up (the winter “outfit” is warmer than the summer one) and hide - the white fur does not stand out much in the snow in winter. It's no secret that everyone and everyone is hunting hares. Therefore, the scythe has a hard time - he needs not only to run away, but also to show miracles of maneuverability. From the tracks in the snow you can see that the hare is creative in confusing his opponent. The running speed of furry animals reaches 60 km/h, and the average is slightly lower.
For comparison, the maximum running speed of a person is 35–40 km/h over a short distance of 100 meters. And this is a single indicator, recorded by the running champion, Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt. Obviously, running speed would definitely not help a person overtake the fastest animals. So animals are still faster.
2016.03.10 byThe world of wildlife is amazing and sometimes incomprehensible to humans. It has completely different laws that force animals adapt to harsh conditions and achieve one main goal- survive.
Often there is one way out for this, and it is movement - hunting or flight.
Cheetah runningSome use fins, others use wings, others use strong paws or light, mobile hooves.
In this article we will talk specifically about land speed record holders, and you will find out what the fastest animal in the world looks like. We present to your attention the top 10 fastest animals!
Speed rating
10th place. Hyena
The word “hyena” is often used by people as a common noun and has a negative connotation.
Hyena There is an explanation for this - this small predator is slightly less than one meter in height and one and a half in length, and does not disdain feast on carrion, which is rarely seen in the animal kingdom.
The strong paws of these animals help them move quickly, reaching impressive numbers - 60 km/h.
There is an opinion that hyenas like to grab a piece of prey from others, but, more often than not, they they themselves become the target of attack, because they are easy to drive away from a chewed victim.
9th place. Gray fox
This pretty little animal - very rare for humans, it can only be found on the northern and southern American continents.
Gray fox The speed of this nimble animal reaches 65 km/h.
The gray color of the fox allows it to camouflage well in environment, and its small size (height no more than 40 cm) promotes fast running.
8th place. Elk
A majestic animal, the king of the forests - the elk - can reach enormous sizes: 3 m in length and 2.5 m in height, and its weight ranges from 600–700 kg!
Elk He appears among the deer.
Running speed can reach 70 km/h,
Despite such impressive dimensions, the moose is simply an athlete. In addition to this, the animal swims well and can even hold your breath underwater!
7th place. Brown hare
This small, timid animal often becomes prey for large predatory animals.
Brown hare Therefore, in order for the species to flourish and not be on the verge of extinction, nature awarded the brown hare with the ability to reach enormous speeds of 80 km/h.
In addition to this, hares are cunning, because they are the ones who can confuse your tracks, running in different sides. This tires the predator, and in many cases he simply stops pursuing.
6th place. Lion
What greatness and pride! Undoubtedly, before us is the king of beasts.
Lion This animal is by nature:
- large
- deft
Despite these important qualities, lions run out of steam quickly over long distances. For this reason, to attack, for example, a fleet-footed gazelle, they must lunge from a distance of at least 30 meters.
5th place. Russian greyhound
The fastest representative of dogs, the Russian greyhound, cannot be left out on this list.
Russian greyhound This is an animal needs daily movement, namely, good active running.
The breed is the leader among all dogs - the speed of the Russian greyhound can reach 90 km/h!
To a person this seems an exorbitant number. The dog achieves this result due to well developed muscles and streamlined body shape.
4th place. Wildebeest
This powerful artiodactyl from the bovid family lives in Africa.
Wildebeest The speed that an antelope can reach fluctuates around 90 km/h.
Although the wildebeest is distinguished by its impressive size - height 1.5 m, and weight up to 250 kg, it is still often become prey for large predators, especially lions.
3rd place. Thompson's Gazelle
Big, small, 0.7 m body height, unusual color and neat horns - this is a Thompson gazelle.
Thomson's Gazelle Who would have thought that this fragile animal weighing no more than 30 kg is capable of reaching a speed of 95 km/h?
Its range is limited only to Kenya and Tanzania. Easy prey for a predator? Quite the opposite.
2nd place. Duiker
An honorable second place belongs to the South African antelope, whose second name is oryx.
Duiker The animal belongs to the bovid family and lives in deserts and semi-deserts of Africa.
When running long distances, the animal can move at a speed of 88 km/h, and when running short distances - all 114 km/h!
These antelopes are different amazing endurance: for a long time They can do without water, and in hot weather they can even raise their body temperature to 45 degrees without harming the body.
Antelopes are one of the fastest animals on the planet.
1st place. Cheetah and Pronghorn
Who will get the title of the fastest animal in the world? The winner's laurels are shared by two representatives of the animal world - the cheetah and the pronghorn.
Although the spotted graceful predator is considered to be a graceful predator, few people know that the pronghorn can also develop enormous speed.
Both of them can achieve incredible results: the cheetah is capable of accelerating to 110–115 km/h, but the artiodactyl competitor is not inferior to it - the same record was broken by the pronghorn (115 km/h).
Pronghorn's stunning result explained the structure of his body- a huge heart and a thick trachea help the animal cope with heavy loads.
Pronghorn Outwardly, he is no more than a roe deer and not large in size. The pronghorn is found exclusively in North America and deservedly bears the title of the fastest quadruped on the continent.
Despite this, the cheetah undoubtedly deserves the top spot on the list.
Cheetah This legendary predator is simply born for speed:
- streamlined body shape
- no fat deposits
- light weight 48–65 kg
- great athletic body
leaves no chance for lions or tigers - among the cat family, the cheetah has no equal on earth.
He really runs the fastest. His only weakness is weakness, because after a force-consuming throw, rest is required: at least half an hour.
While the cheetah is regaining its strength, many will want to feast on its prey - a lion, leopard or a pack of hyenas can easily take it away from a resting predator.
Let's sum it up
Animals are truly amazing creatures. The strength, agility and speed of some of them simply cannot but cause amazement.
Unfortunately, the number of many declining due to poaching, and their habitats become a hunting ground.
In connection with these sad circumstances, I would like to urge all people to love and take care of the animals around us, even the smallest or, in someone’s opinion, useless.
In this way, you can contribute to the preservation of many beautiful species of animals that have surprised and will continue to surprise us with their amazing abilities given to them by nature.
A short video about the fastest animals: