Fastest Animals
This is a list of the fastest animals in the world, by types of animal.
Fastest organism
The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird, and the fastest member of the animal kingdom, with a diving speed of over 300 km/h (190 mph). The fastest land animal is the cheetah. Among the fastest animals in the sea is the black marlin, with uncertain and conflicting reports of recorded speeds.
When drawing comparisons between different classes of animals, an alternative unit is sometimes used for organisms: body length per second. On this basis the 'fastest' organism on earth, relative to its body length, is the Southern Californian mite, Paratarsotomus macropalpis, which has a speed of 322 body lengths per second. The equivalent speed for a human, running as fast as this mite, would be 1,300 mph (2,092 km/h), or approximately Mach 1.7. The speed of the P. macropalpis is far in excess of the previous record holder, the Australian tiger beetle Cicindela eburneola, which is the fastest insect in the world relative to body size, with a recorded speed of 1.86 metres per second (6.7 km/h; 4.2 mph), or 171 body lengths per second. The cheetah, the fastest land mammal, scores at only 16 body lengths per second, while Anna's hummingbird has the highest known length-specific velocity attained by any vertebrate.
| Rank | Animal | Maximum speed | Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peregrine falcon | 389 km/h (242 mph) 108 m/s (354 ft/s) | Flight-diving | The peregrine falcon is the fastest aerial animal, fastest animal in flight, fastest bird, and the overall fastest member of the animal kingdom. The peregrine achieves its highest velocity not in horizontal level flight, but during its characteristic hunting stoop (vertical flight). While stooping, the peregrine falcon soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speed of over 320 km/h (200 mph). Assuming the maximum size at 58 cm, its relative speed clocks at 186 body lengths per second during its hunting swoop, the equivalent of a human running at 170 m/s (560 ft/s). |
| 2 | Golden eagle | 240–320 km/h (150–200 mph) 67–89 m/s (220–293 ft/s) | Flight-diving | Assuming the maximum size at 1.02 m, its relative speed clocks at 66–87 body lengths per second, the equivalent of a human running at 60–80 m/s (197–262 ft/s). |
| 3 | White-throated needletail swift | 169 km/h (105 mph) | Flight | |
| 4 | Eurasian hobby | 160 km/h (100 mph) | Flight | Can sometimes outfly the swift. |
| 5 | Mexican free-tailed bat | 160 km/h (100 mph) | Flight | It has been claimed to have the fastest horizontal speed (as opposed to stoop diving speed) of any animal. |
| 6 | Frigatebird | 153 km/h (95 mph) | Flight | The frigatebird's high speed is helped by its having the largest wing-area-to-body-weight ratio of any bird. |
| 7 | Rock dove (pigeon) | 148.9 km/h (92.5 mph) | Flight | Pigeons have been clocked flying 92.5 mph (148.9 km/h) average speed on a 400-mile (640 km) race. |
| 8 | Spur-winged goose | 142 km/h (88 mph) | Flight | |
| 9 | Gyrfalcon | 128 km/h (80 mph)[citation needed] | Flight | |
| 10 | Grey-headed albatross | 127 km/h (79 mph) | Flight | |
| 11 | Cheetah | 109.4–120.7 km/h (68.0–75.0 mph) | Land | Fastest land-animal, fastest feline, the cheetah can accelerate from 0 to 96.6 km/h (60.0 mph) in under three seconds, though endurance is limited. |
| 12 | Sailfish | 109.19 km/h (67.85 mph) [citation needed] | Flight-swimming | |
| 13 | Anna's hummingbird | 98.27 km/h (61.06 mph) | Flight | |
| 14 | Swordfish | 97 km/h (60 mph)[citation needed] | Swimming | |
| 15 | Ostrich | 90 km/h (56 mph) | Land | |
| 16 | Pronghorn | 88.5 km/h (55.0 mph) | Land | |
| 17 | Springbok | 88 km/h (55 mph) | Land | |
| 18 | Quarter Horse | 88.5 km/h (55.0 mph) | Land | The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at speeds up to 88.5 km/h (55.0 mph). |
| 19 | Blue wildebeest | 80.5 km/h (50.0 mph) | Land | |
| 20 | Thomson's gazelle | 80.5 km/h (50.0 mph) | Land |
Invertebrates
| Animal | Maximum recorded speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Horsefly | 145 km/h (90 mph) [unreliable source?][dubious – discuss] | The pursuit maneuver used by male Hybomitra hinei wrighti, measured by interpolation of slow-motion cinematography. |
| Members of Loliginidae and Ommastrephidae | 36 km/h (22 mph) | Many of these species "fly" out of the water to escape danger. The Japanese flying squid can glide for 3 seconds over 30 metres. |
| Tiger beetle | 6.8 km/h (4.2 mph) | The Australian tiger beetle, Cicindela eburneola, is one of the fastest running insects in the world relative to body size, which has been recorded at 6.8 km/h (4.2 mph) or 171 body lengths per second. It can fly at 43 km/h (27 mph). |
| Paratarsotomus macropalpis | 22 cm/s (8.7 in/s) 0.8 km/h (0.50 mph) | 0.7 mm long mite endemic to Southern California, tracked running up to 322 body lengths per second, equivalent to a human running at around 2,092 km/h (1,300 mph). Because of this feat, it is ranked the fastest animal on the planet relative to its body size. It can also achieve this speed across a concrete surface at a temperature of 60 °C (140 °F), which is lethal to many animals. |
Fish
Due to physical constraints, fish may be incapable of exceeding swim speeds of 36 km/h (22 mph). The larger reported figures below are therefore highly questionable:
| Animal | Maximum recorded speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Black marlin | 132 km/h (82 mph)[citation needed][dubious ] | A hooked black marlin has been recorded stripping line off a fishing reel at 120 feet per second (82 mph; 132 km/h). |
| Sailfish | 109.19 km/h (67.85 mph)[citation needed][dubious ] | In a series of tests carried out in a fishing cam at Long Key, Florida, United States, sailfish swam and leapt 91 meters (300 feet) in 3 seconds, equivalent to a speed of 109 km/h (68 mph), although this speed includes leaps out of the water, which do not strictly qualify as swimming speed. |
| Swordfish | 97 km/h (60 mph)[citation needed][dubious ] | The 60 mph (97 km/h) figure listed for the swordfish is based on a corrupted version of calculations made by Sir James Gray to estimate the impact speed necessary for a hypothetical 600-pound (270 kg) swordfish to embed its sword 3 feet in the timbers of ships, as has been known to occur; the figure seems to have entered the literature without question as though someone had actually timed a swordfish at that speed. |
| Yellowfin tuna | 76 km/h (47 mph) [dubious ] | Many tuna species are capable of swimming at fast speeds colloquially cited at around 80 km/h (50 mph). The tails of tuna move fast enough to cause cavitation, which slows them down as vapour accumulates. Tuna have bony fins without nerve endings, which prevents the fish from feeling the pain of cavitation but does not fully protect them from the implosive damage. |
| Shortfin mako shark | 72 km/h (45 mph)[citation needed][dubious ] | Underwater and unimpeded by a fishing line, the Shortfin Mako has been reliably clocked at 31 miles (50 kilometres) per hour, and there is a claim that one individual of this species achieved a burst speed of 46 miles (74 kilometres) per hour. But it is extremely difficult to get a fish in the wild to swim in a straight line over a measured course. Laboratory measurements of numerous kinds of fishes — representing a wide range of body sizes — swimming against an artificial current have revealed a surprisingly uniform maximum burst speed of about 10 times the body length per second. Thus, for an average-sized, 6.5-foot (2-metre) Shortfin, its theoretical maximum speed might be something on the order of 45 miles (72 kilometres) per hour. Yet some estimates of the top-speed of a Shortfin Mako are considerably higher. |
Amphibians
| Animal | Maximum recorded speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nauta salamander | 24.14 km/h (15.00 mph) | Also known as the Andean Salamander, it is the fastest amphibian recorded. |
Reptiles
| Animal | Maximum recorded speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Perentie | 40.23 km/h (25.00 mph) | Generally considered the fastest recorded reptile |
| Green Iguana | 35.41 km/h (22.00 mph) | Green Iguanas are large arboreal lizards capable of running at high speed on the ground. |
| Leatherback sea turtle | 35.28 km/h (21.92 mph) | Leatherback turtles have the most hydrodynamic body design of any sea turtle, with a large, teardrop-shaped body. |
| Costa Rican spiny-tailed iguana | 34.6 km/h (21.5 mph) | Often cited as the world's fastest lizard in older sources. |
| Six-lined racerunner | 28.97 km/h (18.00 mph) | A small lizard found throughout the Southern United States and Mexico. |
| Black mamba | 22.53 km/h (14.00 mph) | |
| Komodo dragon | 20.92 km/h (13.00 mph) | Komodo dragons can run briefly up to 13 mph (21 km/h) but prefer to hunt by stealth. |
Birds
| Animal | Maximum recorded speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Peregrine falcon | 389 km/h (242 mph) | The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird, and the fastest member of the animal kingdom. While not the fastest bird at level (horizontal) flight, its great speed is achieved in its hunting dive (vertical flight), the stoop, wherein it soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speeds of over 200 mph (320 km/h). |
| Golden eagle | 240–320 km/h (150–200 mph) | In full stoop, a golden eagle can reach spectacular speeds of up to 240 to 320 kilometers per hour (150 to 200 mph) when diving after prey. Although less agile and maneuverable, the golden eagle is apparently quite the equal and possibly even the superior of the peregrine falcon's stooping and gliding speed. |
| White-throated needletail | 169 km/h (105 mph) | The fastest-flying bird in flapping flight. |
| Eurasian hobby | 160 km/h (100 mph) | It can sometimes even outfly birds such as the swift when hunting. |
| Frigatebird | 153 km/h (95 mph) | The frigatebird's high speed is helped by its having the largest wing-area-to-body-weight ratio of any bird. |
| Rock dove (pigeon) | 148.9 km/h (92.5 mph) | Pigeons have been clocked flying 92.5 mph (148.9 km/h) average speed on a 400-mile (640 km) race. |
| Spur-winged goose | 142 km/h (88 mph) | |
| Red-breasted merganser | 129 km/h (80 mph) | |
| Gyrfalcon | 127 km/h (79 mph) | |
| Grey-headed albatross | 127 km/h (79 mph) | |
| Anna's hummingbird | 98.27 km/h (61.06 mph) | The stated speed equals 276 body lengths per second, the highest known length-specific velocity attained by any vertebrate. |
| Ostrich (on land) | 80–90 km/h (50–56 mph) | The ostrich is the fastest bird on land, as well as the fastest running animal on two legs. The highest reliably measured running speed for ostriches is 17 m/s (61 Km/h), obtained by speedometer reading when a car was chasing an ostrich in a straight line chase to force it to move as fast as could it. Although there are reports of speeds of 20–27 m/s (72-97 Km/h) for ostriches, none are confirmed. |
| Emu (on land) | 46–50 km/h (29–31 mph) | |
| Cassowary (on land) | 46–50 km/h (29–31 mph) | |
| Roadrunner (running) | 32–43 km/h (20–27 mph) |
Mammals
| Animal | Maximum speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mexican free-tailed bat (in flight) | 160 km/h (99 mph) | They are the fastest mammal in the world and one of the fastest flying animals on level flight. |
| Cheetah | 109.4–120.7 km/h (68.0–75.0 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. See Sarah, the fastest cheetah. A widely quoted top speed figure of 71 mph (113 Km/h) has been discredited due to lax and questionable methodology. The highest speed reliably and rigorously measured in cheetahs in a straight line is 29 m/s (104 Km/h), as an average of 3 runs over a 201.2-meter (220 yards) course (starting from start line already running). Top speed data is result of dividing distance by time spent. |
| Pronghorn | 80–96 km/h (50–60 mph), | The pronghorn (American antelope) is the fastest animal over long distances; it can run at 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 0.8 km (55 mph for 0.5 mi). Its top speed is estimated as up to 96–98 km/h (60–61 mph) an "alleged top speed of 60 mph (96.6 km/h)" (emphasis added), and 98 km/h (61 mph) Pronghorns can reach a top speed of 60 mph (97 Km/h) in good conditions, and a top speed of 50 mph (80 Km/h) normally. They can reach speeds of 72 Km/h in a 2-3 Km course. Estimated by observing the odometer when the animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle. |
| Springbok | 88 km/h (55 mph) | The springbok, an antelope of the gazelle tribe in southern Africa, can make long jumps and sharp turns while running. |
| Tsessebe | 70–90 km/h (43–56 mph) | Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road. |
| Domestic Horse | 70.76–88.5 km/h (43.97–54.99 mph) | The fastest horse speed was achieved by a thoroughbred. |
| Thomson's gazelle | 81 km/h (50 mph) | Thomson's gazelles, being long-distance runners, can escape cheetahs by sheer endurance. Their speed is partially due to their "stotting", or bounding leaps. Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road. |
| Wildebeest | 80.5 km/h (50.0 mph) | The wildebeest, an antelope, exists as two species: the blue wildebeest and the black wildebeest. Both are extremely fast runners, which allows them to flee from predators. They are better at maintaining endurance for long distances than at sprinting. Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road. |
| Blackbuck | 80 km/h (50 mph) | The blackbuck antelope can sustain speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph) for over 1.5 km (0.93 mi) at a time. Each of its strides (i.e., the distance between its hoofprints) is 5.8–6.7 m (19–22 ft). |
| Grant's gazelle | 64–80 km/h (40–50 mph) | Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road. |
| Hartebeest | 70–80 km/h (43–50 mph) | Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road. |
| Impala | 60–80 km/h (37–50 mph) | Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road. |
| Lion | 80 km/h (50 mph) | While hunting, a lioness can generate top speed up to 80 km/h in short bursts. |
| Hare | 57–80 km/h (35–50 mph) | Hares can reach maximum speeds of 35 mph (56 km/h) in short distances of approximately 90 meters, and a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) for about 20 meters. |
| Jackrabbit | 58–72 km/h (36–45 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. |
| African wild dog | 60–71 km/h (37–44 mph) | When hunting, African wild dogs can sprint at 66 km/h (41 mph) in bursts, and they can maintain speeds of 56–60 km/h (35–37 mph) for up to 4.8 km (3 mi). Their targeted prey rarely escapes. |
| Kangaroo | 50–71 km/h (31–44 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). |
| Greyhound (Domestic dog) | 60–70 km/h (37–43 mph) | Greyhounds are the fastest dogs, and have primarily been bred for coursing game and racing. |
| Onager | 60–70 km/h (37–43 mph) | The onager consists of several subspecies, which most likely share the same ability to run at high speeds. |
| Zebra | 56–70 km/h (35–43 mph) | Zebras have a home range anywhere between 11 and 232 sq mi (28 and 601 km2) and they can travel 10 mi (16 km) a day while grazing. Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road. |
| Eland | 55–70 km/h (34–43 mph) | Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road. |
| Coyote | 60–65 km/h (37–40 mph) | Coyotes can easily reach 48 km/h (30 mph), and can sprint at 65 km/h (40 mph) when hunting. Even without a front foot, a coyote can still run at around 32 km/h (20 mph). |
| Big brown bat (flight) | 56–64 km/h (35–40 mph) | Big brown bats are reported to be one of the fastest bats reaching speeds of up to 40 mph. |
| Common dolphin (swimming) | 55–64 km/h (34–40 mph) | Common dolphins are the fastest marine mammals. When reaching their top speed, they take very short breaths. As an example, fin whales, which are much larger, can empty and refill their lungs in 2 seconds |
| Tiger | 56–64 km/h (35–40 mph) | Tigers live in jungles, and have been recorded going anywhere from 30 mph (48 km/h) to 40 mph (64 km/h); much like the cheetah and lion, however, they only maintain this for a short burst. |
| Hyena | 50–60 km/h (31–37 mph) | The hyena can run up to 60 km/h (37 mph); some attribute this performance specifically to the spotted hyena. They use their speed to chase their prey, sometimes traveling 15 mi (24 km) in a single chase. |
| Giraffe | 52–60 km/h (32–37 mph) | Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road. |
| African buffalo | 50–56 km/h (31–35 mph) | Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road. |
| Brown bear (Grizzly bear) | 48–56 km/h (30–35 mph) | Although it has been said anecdotally that grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) can run at 56 km/h, the maximum speed reliably recorded at Yellowstone is 48 km/h. It has been speculated that American black bears (Ursus americanus) can run at the same speed. |
| Warthog | 48–55 km/h (30–34 mph) | Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road. |
| Human | Instantaneous: 47.56 km/h (29.55 mph) Sprinting (100 m): 37.58 km/h (23.35 mph) Long distance (marathon): 20.99 km/h (13.04 mph) | Usain Bolt holds the 100 metre world record at 9.58 seconds. His absolute fastest speed during that sprint was 13.21 m/s (47.6 km/h; 29.5 mph) at one stride between 50 and 70 meters. The average speed of this race, including the brief reaction time immediately after the commencement of the race, was 10.44 m/s (37.6 km/h; 23.4 mph). At distances greater than 400 metres, the human body requires oxygen to sustain such paces, and speed significantly tapers at this point. The mile run world record is held by Hicham El Guerrouj with a time of 3:43.13, corresponding to 26.25 km/h (16.31 mph). The marathon world record is held by Kelvin Kiptum with a time of 2:00:35, corresponding to 20.99 km/h (13.04 mph). The world record for longest distance run continuously is held by Dean Karnazes, who ran 563 km (350 mi) in 80 hours 44 minutes without stopping. In the absence of significant external factors, non-athletic humans tend to walk at about 1.4 m/s (5.0 km/h; 3.1 mph) and run at about 5.1 m/s (18 km/h; 11 mph). Although humans are capable of walking at speeds from nearly 0 m/s to upwards of 2.5 m/s (9.0 km/h; 5.6 mph) and running one mile (1.6 kilometers) in anywhere between 4–15 minutes, humans typically choose to use only a small range within these speeds. Compared to other land animals, humans are exceptionally capable of endurance—over very long distances, able to outrun every other species on land except certain dogs. |
| Wombat | 40 km/h (25 mph) | Wombats can maintain that speed for 150 metres (490 ft). |
See also
Notes
References
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