Wildebeest speed. The fastest animals in the world. The fastest cat is the Egyptian Mau

Evolution has awarded animals with various talents: some with strength, others with secrecy, and others with speed. All this helps them in the hunt and saves them from enemies. Who is the best sprinter in the world? What speed does the fastest animal in the world reach? More on this later.

The fastest animal on land is the cheetah

The cheetah is a small wild cat with a graceful body, short ears and a small head. In the structure of her body, everything is oriented towards fast running: her claws do not retract, her lungs have an increased volume.

A massive tail up to 80 cm long helps with maneuvering. The total body size does not exceed 90 cm at the withers and 140 cm in length. These cats are practically devoid of fat, and their weight rarely goes beyond 65 kilograms.

All this makes the cheetah the fastest mammal on the planet. At short distances the animal is capable of reaching speeds of 110–130 km/h. To reach 100 km/h, the animal spends only three seconds.

When hunting, the cheetah relies only on pursuit, since in open areas an ambush attack is not effective, especially if it hunts for food alone. First, the cat approaches the victim at a distance of 10–15 meters, then tries to catch up and knock him down with his front paw.

If it fails to catch the prey within the first hundred meters, the cheetah stops trying to save energy for the next one. The fact is that the animal can maintain maximum speed for no more than 20 seconds, after which it becomes completely exhausted.

To be the fastest on Earth, the cheetah sacrificed everything. Even if the hunt is successful, this does not mean that he will eat. In half the cases, the prey is taken from the animal by lions, hyena dogs, and sometimes even coyotes. The cheetah does not have enough physical strength to fight them.

Interesting fact: in the Middle Ages in the East they used cheetahs for hunting. The cats were trained to hold the prey until the hunter arrived, for which they received a reward. The ruler of India in the 16th century, Abul Fath Akbar, kept a thousand animals at a time.

The fastest animal in the world: list

If you think that it is easy for a cheetah to hunt at such speed, you are mistaken. Its prey is not much slower, but much more resilient. In addition, there are record holders not only on land, but also in the sky and under water. Here are the fastest animals on Earth:

1. The pronghorn is an antelope native to North America. The only species that has survived to this day. In the Pliocene there were more than seventy varieties. This is the fastest artiodactyl in the world. On straight sections, the animal’s speed reaches 90 km/h.

The pronghorn is characterized by a thick trachea, enlarged lungs, and pads on its feet that absorb the weight of the animal when running on hard soil and rocks. An antelope's heart is twice as large as a ram's, but weighs the same.

1. Thomson's gazelle is the main prey of the cheetah, which can accelerate to 80 km/h. This is much less than its archenemy, but the gazelle can maintain this speed for quite a long time, while constantly maneuvering.

The gazelle's weight does not exceed 25–30 kg, height - 65 cm. They live in herds, with an average of 60 individuals, but there are groups of more than a thousand animals. For safety, they often team up with their larger “relatives” - impalas and Grant's gazelles.

1. The brown hare is a cute and very agile animal. Inhabits steppe zones from the Arctic to North Africa. Inhabits North America, Europe and Asia. Catching a hare is not an easy task: at its peak, the animal can rush at a speed of 60 km/h.

In order not to run around again, the brown hare prefers not to be seen by hunters, and also constantly confuses the trail. In case of danger, he is able to overcome water obstacles.

1. Black marlin is the fastest fish on the planet. According to unconfirmed reports, the sailfish can move faster than 130 km/h. This indicator was obtained by measuring the speed of unwinding of a reel of fishing line.

Recent research has discovered a gland in the marlin's upper jaw that secretes an oily substance. It envelops the front of the fish, reducing water resistance. The “sailfish” has practically no natural enemies and grows up to 5 m and 750 kg, so this fish is a coveted trophy in sport fishing.

1. The needle-tailed swift is the fastest bird in the world and, in fact, the fastest animal. In flight, it can reach speeds of up to 170 km/h. In its family it is a fairly large bird: weight - up to 175 g, length - up to 22 cm.

It never lands on the ground, so the species is poorly studied. Distributed in East and Southeast Asia, the needle-tailed swift sometimes flies to Europe. They live in large flocks.

1. The peregrine falcon is a proud and large falcon. Many consider it the fastest bird, but in horizontal flight the peregrine falcon is inferior to the swift. But in diving, the flying predator has no equal.

According to various sources, when attacking a victim, the peregrine falcon reaches a speed of 320–390 km/h. A bird weighing just under a kilogram at such a speed can tear off the head of its prey or pierce the skull with its claws.

The falcon is distributed on all continents except Antarctica. The basis of the peregrine falcon's diet is sparrows, pigeons, ducks, and occasionally bats, squirrels and hares.

1. Horsefly. Anyone who has been haunted by this fly knows how difficult it is to get rid of it. This is not surprising, because this infection flies at a speed of 140 km/h. The data is not accurate, since the insect moves along an unpredictable trajectory.

The horsefly is one of the largest blood-sucking insects, whose size reaches 2–3 cm. The fly was given its name because of its “blindness” when feeding. The insect practically does not pay attention to anything, so it is difficult to drive it away.

Speed ​​for animals is a survival tool. But if you want to be the best, you have to pay something.

It is interesting that in this regard parallels can be drawn between the cheetah and humans. The cat gave everything for the sake of speed, and the man - for the sake of intelligence. Of course, no one was given a choice, however, as time has shown, our survival tool turned out to be more effective.

Reading time: 3 minutes. Published 07/18/2019

Many of us know that the cheetah and gazelle can reach very fast speeds. But did you know that there are birds and other animals that reach absolutely incredible speeds? If you love animals as much as we do, then you've probably wondered what the fastest animals in the world are?

We present you the list TOP 5 Fastest animals on the planet.

The peregrine falcon can fly at a speed of 96 km/h, but when the falcon spots prey and decides to attack, this magnificent bird in a dive can reach a colossal speed of up to 322 km/h! Impressive speed, isn't it?

The Peregrine Falcon is undoubtedly the fastest animal on Earth and therefore he was included first on our list. These birds of prey have been spotted flying at speeds of over 389 km/h, which is a confirmed fact. And this is even faster than formula 1.

The fact that the Cheetah is considered one of the fastest animals on the planet is no secret. No representative of the cat family can compare with cheetahs in speed and agility. This incredible predator is famous for its lightning speed over short distances, which can reach between 112 and 120 km/h.

Cheetahs live preferentially in North and East Africa. In addition, in wide and flat expanses, a cheetah can easily develop its super speed in pursuit of prey. In bushes and thickets, a cheetah can always rest and hide from its enemies.

The next one who can boast of speed between animals is the hare. It can exceed 80 kilometers per hour, and has a very fast and sharp launch, which allows it to hide from many predators.

In addition to running fast, this animal has good agility. But the most important thing is cunning. A cunning and intelligent animal can easily confuse a predator due to its unpredictable jumping amplitude and running method.

During an attack by predators, moose can reach speeds of up to 73 km/h. And this is with a weight of 700 kg and a height of 2.5 m. Massive antlers weighing up to 40 kilograms have a span of up to 2 meters. Therefore, predators do not often decide to attack such large herbivores.

Moose not only run well, but they can also swim well. Every day this large animal travels, covering distances of up to 15 km in search of food.

Zebra

Zebra is also considered one of the fastest animals in the world. At the time of attack, the mammal is capable of reaching speeds of up to 64 km/h. It is speed that helps the animal escape from predators.

These are quite heavy representatives of mammals weighing up to 400 kg. Zebras can travel up to 800 kilometers per year in search of food and water.

Despite the fact that man is much smarter than all the animals that exist on our planet, he has never been distinguished by strength or speed. This cannot be said about animals, which can easily overcome a person and overtake him at any distance. Today we will show you the top 10 fastest animals in the world. So, gentlemen, let's begin.

10. Hyena (60 km/h)

Everyone knows hyenas. This is a relatively small animal, up to 1.7 meters long and up to 0.8 m high. It lives in hot countries, including Africa. The hyena is a predator. Unlike many other animals, it does not disdain carrion. The wild animal is also famous for its grip - the jaw pressure is as much as 70 kg per square centimeter, which makes it easy to gnaw through bone! There is an opinion that hyenas very often strive to snatch prey from the same lions, although in fact everything happens exactly the opposite - it is the lions that “terrorize” the hyenas. The paws of these animals are powerful, which apparently has a beneficial effect on their speed - it reaches 60 km/h.

9. Gray fox (65 km/h)

And this is a very rare animal that can only be found in America (South, Central and North). The fox has a very interesting appearance, although it is similar to its European relative. But what really differs is the fur - on top it has a gray tint, and on the belly it is reddish-yellow. The tail is huge, often reaching the size of the animal itself. The height of a fox is on average no more than 40 centimeters. She is very agile, can run fast and, most interestingly, is an excellent tree climber. It survives only in a relatively warm environment; in frosts it can die, since the undercoat is poorly developed.

8. Coyote (65 km/h)

Coyotes belong to the canid family and are similar in appearance to dogs and wolves, although smaller than the latter. Distributed in America, you won’t find coits in Europe, except perhaps in a zoo.

The animal prefers to live on plains and deserts, but avoids forests. Oddly enough, it can be found not only in desert areas, but also in some suburbs. It is nocturnal and rarely seen during the day. It feeds on marmots, gophers, hares, rabbits and small rodents.

Among wild canids it has one of the highest speeds. In addition, it has developed sense organs. For example, it is able to see at a distance of 200 meters, and is the same both day and night.

7. Elk (70 km/h)

Elk belongs to the deer family and is the largest animal among its kind. Thus, the mass of males can reach 700 kg, body length - 3 m, height - about 2.5 m. They have huge horns, whose span reaches 200 centimeters, and weight - about 30-40 kg. Found in America, Russia and Europe. Unlike the animals we described above, moose feed exclusively on plant foods: grass, moss, bark, berries, leaves, mushrooms, and so on.

In addition to the fact that moose are excellent runners, they are excellent swimmers and, you won’t believe it, they even hold their breath underwater! True, they only last for a minute, but this is a great result!

6. Thompson's Gazelle (80 km/h)

Thompson's gazelle is distributed exclusively in Tanzania, Kenya, and South Sudan. It was discovered by a Scottish scientist, after whom it was named.

Gazelle has relatively small dimensions. For example, its maximum weight barely reaches 30 kg, and its height at the withers is no more than 70 cm. However, it has excellent speed, which allows it to avoid encounters with various predators. It is said that there are herds consisting of several thousand animals, although usually a colony contains no more than 100 animals.

5. Lion (80 km/h)

Now we have reached the king of beasts. Today, lions are found in a limited area, but previously this family, a member of the cat family, could be seen over a much larger area. Alas, persecution by humans has significantly reduced the population of these graceful animals.

Despite their excellent speed, cheetahs are quite weak animals. For example, the same leopards or hyenas can take away their prey, since “runners” need some time to recuperate after a hard race (about half an hour). However, cheetahs are not so stupid. If they cannot eat their prey in one sitting, they drag it up a tree, where they leave it until they become hungry again.

For you and me, running is necessary only for sports or maintaining good physical shape, but for the animal world, running is necessary to survive, or vice versa, to feed ourselves. And it’s really interesting, how fast are they? We offer a small selection - the fastest animals of our Mother Earth.

The fastest ground

The fastest animal in the world is the cheetah; for it, a speed of 100 km/h is not the limit. But such speeds require enormous amounts of energy, so the cat will not run far. The lightning attack lasts several seconds, otherwise the animal's heart will stop.

In second place is the cheetah's prey - the wildebeest.

These animals prefer to stay in a herd, and when migrating they move 50 km/h. But if they are in danger, then a huge herd of up to 500 heads rushes at speeds of up to 90 km/h. Grant's graceful gazelles can reach approximately the same running speeds.

Lions are also capable of running up to 70 km/h, but they are lazy, preferring to rest in the shade of trees while slower lionesses hunt.

Hyena dogs can afford high speeds over long distances. Their light weight prevents the body from overheating, and they drive the victim to exhaustion at speeds of up to 70 km/h.

When it comes to pets, the fastest dog in the world is the Greyhound, but opinions vary and many believe it is the English Hunting Hound.

For them, over a short distance, a speed of 55 km/h will not be difficult. Their domestic cat is the fastest Egyptian Mau, their limit is 50 km/h.

The fastest bird is the peregrine falcon.

This predator in a diving flight is capable of reaching unimaginable speeds - over 300 km/h. This is the fastest living creature in the world.

Undersea world

It would seem that the density of water will not allow it to develop such speeds, but the sailfish at the moment of attack develops it up to 100 km/h.

Among waterfowl, the record belongs to the leatherback turtle, whose speed reaches 35 km/h.

Other fast inhabitants of the underwater world can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h. These include sharks, killer whales, tuna, mackerel, and the like.

World of insects

In their microcosm, speeds are relative. So the American cockroach can run up to 5 km/h, the speed at which we walk.

But if we translate this speed into our dimensions, it will be at least 300 km/h! This is a record for terrestrial insects. But among the flying ones, the dragonfly is considered the fastest, capable of flying at a speed of 55 km/h.

They are only slightly inferior to horseflies and hawk moths.

The ability to move quickly is the only way for some animals to survive. To do this, some have to quickly run away from the enemy, while others have to chase the victim. Many representatives of the animal world are able to run faster than humans can imagine. What animals are the fastest in the world?

Lions are capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 km/h over short distances, but only females have this feature, while males have a maximum speed of 57 km/h. But the latter are distinguished by a faster reaction to the environment. At the same time, lions never attack the prey until they approach at least 30 m, since they get tired very quickly from acceleration.

Brown hare

The main feature of hares is a sharp and fast start with a possible acceleration of up to 80 km/h, which allows it to escape pursuit by many predators. These animals have good reaction, agility and cunning, and are also capable of unpredictably changing the manner and amplitude of running (for example, running in a zigzag), which quickly exhausts its opponent.

Zebras

Graceful zebras are able to run at speeds ranging from 57-80 km/h, which allows them to often escape from predators. Each animal has a unique color, which is never repeated and is a defining feature for small foals, by which they find their mother.

American Saddle Horses

The maximum recorded speed of these animals is 77 km/h, which allows them to show excellent results in horse races over short distances - a quarter mile. It is precisely by participating in such distances that they owe their name Quarterhorse. They have a broad, short head and a compact body with a broad, muscular chest and a body height of about 144-162 cm.

Greyhounds

The average running speed of a greyhound is 65 km/h, and over short distances it can accelerate to 89 km/h. These dogs are distinguished by perfectly developed muscles, incredible grace and a non-aggressive character. They need constant communication and cannot stand restrictions on their freedom of action.

Wildebeest

These animals reach speeds of up to 90 km/h, and due to their rapid acceleration from a standstill, they are able to escape from lions and leopards. This species of antelope lives in Africa and feeds exclusively on plants, so periodically the animals are forced to migrate from their habitats during periods of drought. Despite their rather large dimensions (weight up to 250 kg and height up to 1.5 meters), speed is sometimes their only chance to save life.

Animals with a unique color and beautiful eyes were named after the Scottish scientist who first discovered them. They live only in Tanzania and Kenya and prefer a herd lifestyle, where their number can reach from 100 to 1000 individuals. Thompson's gazelles run at an average speed of about 85 km/h, but are capable of accelerating up to 95 km/h. The weight of adult individuals reaches 30 kg, and the height is about 70 cm.

The maximum running speed of a gemsbok is 114 km/h. At the same time, it can accelerate to maximum performance in 3-5 seconds. These animals live in Namibia. They have good endurance, so they are able to maintain a good speed of movement for a long time.

The unique animals resemble roe deer and can easily reach speeds of up to 115 km/h. This is largely possible due to the large paws with soft pads that absorb shock, as well as the large size of the respiratory and heart organs, which makes it possible to absorb large amounts of air and quickly pump blood throughout the body. They live in Canada and parts of North America. Pronghorns can also jump 6 meters long and 2 meters high, allowing them to jump over moving vehicles with ease.

The honorary holder of the title of the fastest animal on Earth is the cheetah. It is capable of reaching crazy speeds of up to 120 km/h and accelerating to 75 km/h in 2 seconds. Cheetahs are distinguished by their athletic build, powerful paws and complete absence of fat deposits on their bodies. The weight of adult individuals is only 45-67 kg with a body length of about one and a half meters. The main weak point of cheetahs is their low endurance, so they can move with lightning speed only over short distances (up to 400 m) and need about half an hour of rest after each such forced march.

It is worth noting that the highest speed of a person is recorded at 37 km/h, so any representative of the list of the fastest animals on Earth can easily overtake a person at any distance.