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Fastest animals

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Prof. Squirrel (talk | contribs) at 22:20, 10 January 2013 (Added coyote; changed units to metric as per MOS:UNITS, and bc km/h (when a whole number) is more precise than mph). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Mammals

The following animals can travel at least 65 km/h (40 mph):

Animal Maximum speed Notes
Cheetah 104.4 km/h (64.9 mph)[a] 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.[1] When sprinting, cheetahs spend more time in the air than on the ground.[7]
Free-tailed bat
(in flight) 		96.6 km/h (60.0 mph)[b] Some attribute such flying capabilities specifically to the Mexican free-tailed bat.[9] Tail wind is what allows free-tailed bats to reach such high speeds.[10]
Pronghorn 88.5 km/h (55.0 mph)[c] The pronghorn (American antelope) is the fastest animals 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).[1]
Springbok 88 km/h (55 mph)[15][16] The springbok, an antelope of the gazelle tribe in southern Africa,[16] can make long jumps and sharp turns while running. Unlike ponghorns, springboks are poor long-distance runners.[1]
Wildebeest 80.5 km/h (50.0 mph)[d] 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.[19] They are better at endurance running than at sprinting.[18]
Blackbuck 80 km/h (50 mph)[20][15] The blackbuck antelope can sustain speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph) for over 1.5 km (0.93 mi) at a time.[20] Each of its strides (i.e. the distance between its hoofprints) is 5.8–6.7 m (19–22 ft).[15]
Jackrabbit 72 km/h (45 mph)[e] 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).[28] Jackrabbits a combination of leaps and zig-zags to outrun predators.[22]
African wild dog 71 km/h (44 mph)[f] When hunting, African wild dogs can sprint at 66 km/h (41 mph) in bursts; however, they can maintain speeds of 56–60 km/h (35–37 mph) for up to 4.8 km (3 mi).[32][33] Their targeted prey rarely escapes.[30]
Kangaroo 71 km/h (44 mph)[g] The comfortable hopping speed for 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).[35] The faster the kangaroo hops, the less energy it consumes (up to its cruising speed).[34]
Horse 70.76 km/h (43.97 mph)[36] According to the Guinness World Records, the fastest speed for a race horse, 70.76 km/h (43.97 mph), was achieved by the horse "Winning Brew" in a 2008 race in Grantville, Pennsylvania.
Onager 70 km/h (43 mph)[h] The onager consists of several subspecies, which most likely share the same ability to run at high speeds.[39]
Thomson's gazelle 70 km/h (43 mph)[i] Thomson's gazelles, being long-distance runners, can escape cheetahs by sheer endurance.[41] Their speed is partially due to their "stotting", or bounding leaps.[40]
Greyhound 69 km/h (43 mph)[j] Greyhounds are the fastest dogs, and have primarily been bred for coursing game and racing.
Coyote 65 km/h (40 mph)[k] Coyotes can easily reach 48 km/h (30 mph), and can sprint at 65 km/h (40 mph) when hunting.[45] Even when missing its front foot, a coyote can still run at around 32 km/h (20 mph).[44]

Birds

Animal Maximum recorded speed Notes
Peregrine Falcon 389 km/h (242 mph)[47][48] The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird; when in its hunting dive, the stoop, in which it soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speeds of over 200 mph. However, it does not make the first when travelling in level flight.
White-throated Needletail 169 km/h (105 mph)[49][50][51] It is the fastest-flying bird in flapping flight.
Frigatebird 153 km/h (95 mph)[52]

The frigatebird's high speed is helped by having the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird.

Anna's Hummingbird 98.27 km/h (61.06 mph)[53] The stated speed equals 385 body lengths per second, the highest known length-specific velocity attained by any vertebrate.
Ostrich 97 km/h (60 mph)[54] 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)[55] on average, with the point on 60 mph (97 km/h) during short period, with 12 foot strides. The ostrich is also an endurance runner and can jog at a slick 30 mph (48 km/h) for as long as a half an hour. The ostrich kicks when angry and can inflict serious injury.

Reptiles

Animal Maximum recorded speed Notes
Leatherback sea turtle 35.28 km/h (21.92 mph)[56] Leatherback turtles have the most hydrodynamic body design of any sea turtle, with a large, teardrop-shaped body.
Six-lined Racerunner 32 km/h (20 mph)[57]
Black mamba 20.1 km/h (12.5 mph)[58]

Fish

Animal Maximum recorded speed Notes
Sailfish 109.19 km/h (67.85 mph)[59] In a series of tests carried out in a fishing camp, Long Key, ea. Florida, USA, sailfish swam and leapt 91 meters in 3 seconds, equivalent to a speed of 109 km/h., although this speed include its leaps out of water which shouldn't really count as swimming speed.[60]
Swordfish 97 km/h (60 mph)[61] The 60 mph 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-lb 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 speed.[62]

Insects

Animal Maximum recorded speed Notes
Austrophlebia costalis 97 km/h (60 mph)[63]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Different sources cite different speeds; estimates include 96–101 km/h (60–63 mph),[1] 98 km/h (61 mph),[2] 100 km/h (62 mph),[3] 104 km/h (65 mph),[4] and 104.4 km/h (64.9 mph).[5][6] There is a tendency to overestimate the speed of fast animals, and claims of the cheetah running 114 km/h (71 mph) or faster have been discredited.[6][1]
  2. ^ Estimates include 95 km/h (59 mph)[8] and 96.6 km/h (60.0 mph).[9][10]
  3. ^ Estimates include "over 53 miles (86 kilometers) per hour",[11] 88.5 km/h (55.0 mph),[1][4] an "alleged top speed of 60 miles an hour [96.6 km/h]" (emphasis added),[12] 98 km/h (61 mph),[13] and "a top speed of about 100 km/hr [62 mph]" (emphasis added).[14]
  4. ^ Estimates include 70 km/h (43 mph) (specifically the black wildebeest),[17] "approximately 80 km/h or 50 mph",[18] and "over 50 miles per hour [80.5 km/h]" (specifically the blue wildebeest).[19]
  5. ^ Estimates include 64 km/h (40 mph),[21][22] 70 km/h (43 mph),[23]: 237 [24] and 72 km/h (45 mph) (some attribute this to the antelope jackrabbit,[8] others to the white-tailed jackrabbit,[25][26] and still others to jackrabbits in general[27].)
  6. ^ Estimates include 66 km/h (41 mph)[29] and 71 km/h (44 mph)[30][31]
  7. ^ Estimates include "more than 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour)"[34] and 71 km/h (44 mph).[35]
  8. ^ Estimates include 64 km/h (40 mph),[37]: 169  69 km/h (43 mph) (specifically for the kulan subspecies),[38] and 70 km/h (43 mph) (specifically for the Persian subspecies).[39]
  9. ^ Estimates include 64 km/h (40 mph)[40] and 70 km/h (43 mph).[41]
  10. ^ Estimates include 67 km/h (42 mph),[42] 68.4 km/h (42.5 mph),[43] and 69 km/h (43 mph).[4]
  11. ^ Estimates include 64 km/h (39.8 mph),[44] 64.4 km/h (40 mph),[45] and 65 km/h (40 mph)[46]: 55 

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Carwardine, Mark (2008). Animal Records. New York: Sterling. pp. 11, 43. ISBN 9781402756238.
  2. ^ Smith, Roff (2 August 2012). "Cheetah Breaks Speed Record—Beats Usain Bolt by Seconds". National Geographic Daily News. National Geographic Society.
  3. ^ Sears, Edward S. (2001). Running Through the Ages. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 5. ISBN 9780786409716.
  4. ^ a b c "Even Usain Bolt can't beat greyhounds, cheetahs...or pronghorn antelope". ScienceDaily. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Speed sensation". Nature Video Collections. BBC Nature.
  6. ^ a b Sharp, N. C. C. (1 March 1997). "Timed running speed of a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)". Journal of Zoology. 241 (3): 493–494. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1997.tb04840.x.
  7. ^ Bardo, Matt (2012-09-08). "Cheetah's speed secrets revealed". BBC Nature. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
  8. ^ a b Feldhamer, George A.; Bruce C., Thompson; Chapman, Joseph A., eds. (21 October 2003). Wild Mammals of North America: Biology, Management, and Conservation (2nd ed.). The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 65, 140, 909. ISBN 0801874165.
  9. ^ a b Hamilton Jr, W. J. (1998). Mammals of the Eastern United States. Cornell University Press. pp. 76, 147. ISBN 9780801434754.
  10. ^ a b Tuttle, Merlin (1994). "The Lives of Mexican Free-tailed Bats". BATS Magazine. Vol. 12, no. 3. Bats Conservation International. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  11. ^ "Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)". National Geographic. Retrieved 08 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. ^ Nowak, Rachel (1 December 1992). "The Pronghorn's Prowess". Discover Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing Co. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  13. ^ Krejci, Kandace; Dewey, Tanya. "Antilocarpa americana: pronghorn". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  14. ^ McKean, Tom (September 1974). "Comparison of selected cardiopulmonary parameters between the pronghorn and the goat". Respiration Physiology. 21 (3): 365–370. doi:10.1016/0034-5687(74)90066-8. ISSN 0034-5687. Retrieved 08 January 2013. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ a b c Burton, Maurice; Burton, Robert (1 January 2002). International Wildlife Encyclopedia Set. Marshall Cavendish. pp. 226, 2499. ISBN 9780761472667.
  16. ^ a b Estest, Richard. "springbok". Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  17. ^ Kohn, Tertius Abraham; Noakes, Timothy David (1 December 2011). "Black wildebeest skeletal muscle exhibits high oxidative capacity and a high proportion of type IIx fibres". The Journal of Experimental Biology. 214 (23): 4041–4047. doi:10.1242/jeb.061572. ISSN 1477-9145 0022-0949, 1477-9145. {{cite journal}}: |first2= missing |last2= (help); Check |issn= value (help); Text "last2 Curry" ignored (help)
  18. ^ a b McGowan, Christopher (28 February 1999). A Practical Guide to Vertebrate Mechanics. Cambridge University Press. p. 162. ISBN 9780521576734.
  19. ^ a b PBS. "Animal Guide: Blue Wildebeest". Nature. Retrieved 08 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  20. ^ a b Nowak, Ronald M. (7 April 1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. JHU Press. p. 1193. ISBN 9780801857898.
  21. ^ Virchow, Dallas; Hygnstrom, Scott; Ferraro, Dennis (1 January 2003). "G03-1526 Prevention and Control of Rabbit Damage". Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.
  22. ^ a b "Jackrabbit: Lepus californicus". National Geographic. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 09 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  23. ^ Vaughan, Terry; Ryan, James; Czaplewski, Nicholas (21 April 2011). Mammalogy. Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN 9780763762995.
  24. ^ Mares, Michael A.; Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (199). Deserts. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 310. ISBN 9780806131467.
  25. ^ "Whitetailed jackrabbit". Nevada Wildlife: Fact Sheets. Nevada Department of Wildlife. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  26. ^ "White-tailed Jackrabbit". Iowa Department of Natural Resources. March 2004. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  27. ^ Deal, Kevin H. (1 June 2002). Wildlife & Natural Resource Management. Cengage Learning. p. 129. ISBN 9780766826816.
  28. ^ Ballenger, Liz. "Lepus californicus: black-tailed jackrabbit". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  29. ^ Endangered Wildlife and Plants of the World: Dee-fox. Marshall Cavendish. 2001. p. 458. ISBN 9780761471981.
  30. ^ a b World Wildlife Fund. "African Wild Dog". Species. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  31. ^ Hart, Donna L.; Sussman, Robert W. (2005). Man The Hunted: Primates, Predators, and Human Evolution. Basic Books. p. 105. ISBN 9780813339368.
  32. ^ African Wildlife Foundation. "African Wild Dog". Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  33. ^ "African Wild Dog". Animal Bytes. San Diego Zoo. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  34. ^ a b Zoological Society of San Diego. "Animal Bytes: Kangaroo and Wallaby". San Diego Zoo. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  35. ^ a b Penny, Malcolm (2002). The Secret Life of Kangaroos. Austin TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn. ISBN 0739849867.
  36. ^ "Fastest speed for a race horse". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 08 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  37. ^ Cooke, Fred; Bruce, Jenni (1 October 2004). The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520244061.
  38. ^ Reuter, Bradley. "Equus hemionus: kulan". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  39. ^ a b Grogan, Jill. "Equus hemionus onager: onager". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  40. ^ a b "Thomson's Gazelle: Gazella thomsonii". National Geographic. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  41. ^ a b Auman, Amy; Fye, Rachael; Dewey, Tanya. "Eudorcas thomsonii: Thomson's gazelle". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  42. ^ Branigan, Cynthia A. (14 April 2004). Adopting the Racing Greyhound. John Wiley & Sons. p. 17. ISBN 9780764558986.
  43. ^ Knight, Kathryn (15 July 2012). "How Cheetahs Outpace Greyhounds". The Journal of Experimental Biology. 215 (14): i–i. doi:10.1242/jeb.075788. ISSN 1477-9145 0022-0949, 1477-9145. {{cite journal}}: Check |issn= value (help)
  44. ^ a b Verts, B. J.; Carraway, Leslie N. (1998). Land Mammals of Oregon. University of California Press. p. 360. ISBN 9780520211995.
  45. ^ a b U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service. "The Coyote". Big Bend National Park. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  46. ^ North American Wildlife. Marshall Cavendish. 1 September 2010. ISBN 9780761479383.
  47. ^ Falling with the Falcon | Flight Today | Air & Space Magazine
  48. ^ Video of peregrine falcon
  49. ^ trails.com
  50. ^ travelalmanac.com
  51. ^ Newton
  52. ^ Top 10 fastest animals | OneKind
  53. ^ Courtship dives of Anna's hummingbird offer insights into flight performance limits
  54. ^ GopetsAmerica Extreme Facts About Birds Records, Fastest running bird: ostrich
  55. ^ Ostrich : Fort Wayne Children's Zoo
  56. ^ McFarlan, Donald (1991). Guinness Book of Records 1992. New York: Guinness. {{cite book}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  57. ^ The Animal Six-Lined Racerunner - KidsBiology.com
  58. ^ [1]
  59. ^ Sailfish-Sailboat-Istiophorus Lacepède
  60. ^ Sailfish - The Fastest Swimming Animal | Animal Pictures and Facts | FactZoo.com
  61. ^ Swordfish Printout- EnchantedLearning.com
  62. ^ What's the Speediest Marine Creature?
  63. ^ http://medusa.jcu.edu.au/odonata_digital_literature/Tillyard/tillyard_1917_book_searchable.pdf
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