The Fastest Animals In The World That All Kids Should Know
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Every animal on this planet is associated with running, flying, swimming, or any other locomotive movement.
Most animals are geared for running because they are either predators that chase or prey that run away. Animals tend to run in order to survive.
In the wild, speed is critical for the survival of an animal. The game of chasing between prey and a predator depends primarily on how fast they can outrun each other. So, without much ado let us take a look at some of the fastest running animals in the world that can easily win any running competition!
If you liked this article, why not read about these fun facts articles about rarest animals and famous animals here at Kidadl?
The Fastest Land Animals On Earth
If you think that the fastest human runners are fast, then we should be thankful that we are not called upon to outrun lions, tigers, leopards, or cheetahs. It's time to look at some of nature's natural speedsters. Some of these are predictable, but some of them might actually surprise you.
Cheetah: The Cheetah can accelerate its speed from standing to over 59 mph (95 kph) in 3 seconds. It is hence easily considered to be the fastest land animal belonging to the family of cats.
The top speed recorded by a cheetah is almost 74.5 mph (120 kph) which paves the way for it to be the fastest land animal on Earth. Cheetahs are built for grace and agility.
Pronghorn: Even though the cheetah is considered to be the fastest sprinter in the animal kingdom, the Pronghorn or the American Antelope is thought of as the fastest land animal with the capability of running long distances. They can run up to top speeds of 60 mph (96 kph).
Although a pronghorn cannot be considered faster than cheetahs, they sure maintain high speeds for a longer period of time and for long distances than cheetahs on the ground.
Springbok: Springbok is a medium sized species of gazelle. Often synonymous with the South African National Rugby Team, these animals are endemic to Southwestern Africa. They are extremely fast runners with their speeds going up to around 55 mph (88.5 kph). Springboks also have the ability to leap up to 13 ft (4 m) in the air.
Quarter Horse: This American breed of horse is known to excel at sprinting and running over short distances. The name 'quarter horse' comes from horses' success in racing across quarter mile courses in the 17th century.
They tend to quickly reach high top speeds, and they are also the fastest breed when it comes to acceleration. Quarter horses can attain a speed of 54 mph (86 kph).
Wildebeest: Wildebeest are most commonly found in Tanzania. They tend to have a lightweight body and lean legs that help them to escape the claws of predators. Wildebeest can run up to a speed of 40 mph (64 kph). Blue wildebeest are undoubtedly one of the fastest land animals in the world.
Lion: The lion is an extremely social animal who lives in a group known as pride. During chasing, a lion can attain a maximum speed of 40 mph (64 kph).
Some Of The Fastest Marine Animals
Just like we have animals that rule the criteria of speedrunning on land, we also have several creatures and the fastest fish that are capable of reaching impressive speed underwater.
Blue Marlin: They are said to be the largest among the billfish family and can put up an incredible fight when hooked. They are native to the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. They are powerful swimmers who can exceed the top speed of 50 mph (80 kph).
Mahi Mahi: They are found in warm tropical climates and are also known as dolphinfish, but they are not marine mammals and have no relation with the dolphin family. They have an ideal body for swimming which makes them reach speeds of up to 57.5 mph (93 kph).
Sailfish: Sailfish live in both the Atlantic and Pacific ocean and are popular among sport fishermen. These fish are strongly for tailed, and their fins have double keels. They are quite difficult to study as they migrate frequently and are found hundred of miles away from the shore. Sailfish can travel up to 68 mph (109kph).
Black Marlin: The black marlin is a popular game fish and is quite well regarded for its size, power, and persistence. It can travel up to a whopping speed of 80 mph (129 kph) in a water body, which makes it the fastest fish in the world.
Some Of The Fastest Birds On Foot And Flight
While we have seen a list of the fastest animals in the world on land and in water, the following is a list of some of the fastest birds which can achieve record breaking speeds above the ground.
The Eurasian Hobby: It is a kind of small falcon that resides in Africa, Europe, Central, and East Asia. It is a bird of prey or a raptor, and it flies powerfully with such a speed that it sometimes eats its food while flying midair. They can reach a flight top speed of up to 100 mph (161 kph).
The Swift: Swifts are said to spend almost the whole of their lives flying. Swifts have been reported to reach the top speed of up to 106 mph (170 kph) in the air.
The Gyrfalcon: Gyrfalcon is the largest bird in the falcon species. They are mainly found in the Arctic and some areas of North America, Greenland, Europe, and Asia. Gyrfalcons are used by falconers for hunting. Gyrfalcon is said to achieve high speeds in the air of up to 130 mph (209 kph).
The Golden Eagle: They are one of the largest and the most widespread eagles in the northern hemisphere. It is such a massive and skilled hunter who hunts through diving and can even hunt wolves.
In a full stoop, a golden eagle can reach up to the top speed of 200 mph (320 kph) while diving which makes it the second fastest living thing on Earth.
The Peregrine Falcon: The peregrine falcon is considered to be the fastest animal on the planet.
Peregrine falcons are also known to have the fastest vision in all of the animal kingdom and can register nearly 130 frames per second. It can fly to a great height and then pulls its wings close and dive, and then it can reach a record-breaking speed of 242 mph (389 kph).
This speed is faster than any other living thing on Earth, which makes the Peregrine falcon the fastest bird as well as the fastest animal of any kind.
The fastest bird on foot is the Ostrich. It can reach up to a velocity of 45 mph (72 kph). They are not only the fastest running bird but also the fastest two-legged animal on the planet.
The second fastest running bird is the Australian Emu, which reaches up to a speed of 30 mph (48 kph).
Speeds Of The Quickest Mammals That Exist
Some of the other fastest mammals in the world are free tailed bats which are the second fastest mammals after the cheetah and fly at a speed of 60 mph (96.5 kph).
These bats are free tailed in nature which allows them to reach such speeds. Other animals which are deemed to be the world's fastest mammals are giraffes, with a speed of 37 mph (60 kph); an antelope, attaining a speed of 60mph (98 kph); kangaroos, with a speed of 43 mph (70 kph).
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting famil -friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the fastest animals in the world then why not take a look at the most popular animals, or scavenger animals facts pages?
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