10 of the FASTEST ANIMALS in the World
The fastest land animal is the cheetah which has a recorded speed of 96–120 km/h (60–75 mph). The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird, and the fastest member of the animal kingdom with a speed of 389 km/h (242 mph). The fastest animal in the sea is the black marlin, which has a recorded speed of 130 km/h (80 mph).
The fastest animal list top 10 countdown is as below:
- Kangaroo 71 km/h (44 mph):
The comfortable hopping speed for a kangaroo is about 21–26 km/h (13–16 mph), but speeds of up to 71 km/h (44 mph) can be attained over short distances, while it can sustain a speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) for nearly 2 km (1.2 mi). The faster a kangaroo hops, the less energy it consumes (up to its cruising speed).
- Jackrabbit 72km/h (45 mph):
The jackrabbit’s strong hind legs allow it to leap 3 m (9.8 ft) in one bound; some can even reach 6 m (20 ft). Jackrabbits use a combination of leaps and zig-zags to outrun predators.
- Lioness 80 km/h (50 mph):
Lions can reach maximum speeds of 35 mph (57 km/h) in short distances of approximately 90 meters, and a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) for about 20 meters. Lions are very agile and have fast reflexes. Like other predators, they hunt sick prey. Their rate of success in hunting is greatest at night. Lions hunt buffalos, giraffes, warthogs, wildebeests and zebras, and sometimes various antelopes as opportunities present themselves.
- Pronghorn 89 km/h (55 mph):
The pronghorn (American antelope) is the fastest animal over long distances; it can run 56 km/h for 6 km (35 mph for 4 mi), 67 km/h for 1.6 km (42 mph for 1 mi), and 88.5 km/h for .8 km (55 mph for .5 mi).
- Ostrich 97 km/h (60 mph):
The ostrich is the tallest and heaviest species of all living birds. Although its bulky body means that flying is out of the question, the ostrich has adapted to life on the ground with impressive agility. Ostriches are superb runners that can sprint at speeds of up to 45 mph (72 km/h) on average, with a peak 60 mph (97 km/h) during short periods, with 12 foot strides. This also makes the ostrich the fastest animal on two legs. The ostrich is also an endurance runner and can jog at 30 mph (48 km/h) for as long as half an hour.
- Sailfish 109 km/h (68 mph):
In a series of tests carried out in a fishing cam at Long Key, Florida, USA, sailfish swam and leapt 91 meters in 3 seconds, equivalent to a speed of 109 km/h., although this speed includes leaps out of the water, which do not strictly qualify as swimming speed.
- Cheetah 118 km/h (73 mph):
The Cheetah can accelerate from 0 to 96.6 km/h (60.0 mph) in under three seconds, though endurance is limited: most Cheetahs run for only 60 seconds at a time. When sprinting, cheetahs spend more time in the air than on the ground.
- Horse-fly 140 km/h (90 mph):
Horse-fly is the most widely used English common name for members of the family Tabanidae. They can fly up to the speed of 145 km/hr.
- Magnificent Frigatebird 153 km/h (95 mph):
The frigatebird’s high speed is helped by its having the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird.
- Peregrine Falcon 389 km/h (242 mph):
The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird, and the fastest member of the animal kingdom. When in its hunting dive, the stoop, it soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speeds of over 200 mph. However, it does not hold first place when travelling in level flight.
10 of THE FASTEST ANIMALS in the world (Including the world’s fastest animal, bird, insect, fish and more!)
This video features some of the world’s fastest animals (from the air, land and sea; including the fastest land animal, fastest bird on earth, fastest insect alive and fastest fish!).
Please note the list is not a categorical claim of the absolute fastest animals in order, as such a list would contain mostly birds and insects.