Surely you have ever wondered which are the fastest animals in the world and therefore, here we bring you a list with the animals that occupy the first 10 positions of this curious speed ranking.
Surely you know that the cheetah or the gazelle are very fast, but did you know that there are birds and even insects that can reach speeds that would make your hair stand on end? Check our list with the 10 fastest animals on the planet and let yourself be surprised by the wonderful world of the animal kingdom.
1. Peregrine falcon
The peregrine falcon can sustain sustained flight at about 96 km/h, but when it spots prey and decides to attack, this beautiful bird swoops down and reaches 360 km/h! a speed not suitable for sensitive.
The peregrine falcon is undoubtedly the fastest animal on the entire planet and that is why it is the first on our list of the fastest animals in the world. There are even records of specimens that have reached 389 kilometers per hour, a number even higher than the Formula 1 speed record.
two. Cheetah or Cheetah
That the cheetah is part of our list with the 10 fastest animals in the world is not a surprise. This incredible feline is famous for its speed and, in running and short distances, they can reach between 112-120 km/h!
Cheetahs are considered the fastest land predators on the planet. In the African and Middle Eastern savannahs, where they live, they like to stalk from a distance, using their incredible eyesight to sprint after their prey.
If you want more details about this beautiful feline, you can check out any of these other articles on our site:
- How fast can a cheetah go?
- Differences between cheetah and leopard
3. Sailfish
Now we go with an animal that moves through the water. It is the impressive sailfish, the equivalent of the cheetah but in the aquatic environment. This fish with such a characteristic shape can reach 110 km/h and best of all, this amazing speed means that sailfish can give incrediblejumps out of water For this reason, it is one of the fastest animals in the world.
Although sailfish are not among the largest sea fish, their dorsal fin makes them appear larger than they are, helping to ward off potential predators. In addition, they have the ability to change color to confuse their prey and hunt them more easily.
4. Tiger beetle
The tiger beetle can run so fast that it blurs its vision. The tiger beetle, named for its predatory habits, has been considered one of the fastest animals in the world because its speed of 2.5 m/s Compared in proportions, it would be equivalent to a human running at 810 km/h, crazy!
As we have already mentioned, the tiger beetle travels so fast that it has to stop to focus and see where it is going, as its eyes are not able to see clearly.
5. Mako Shark
Sharks are present in many rankings and of course, they could not be left out of the list of the 10 fastest animals in the world.
The mako shark sails the oceans at 124 km/h, an impressive speed that it uses when hunting. Called the falcon of the seas, referring to the same theme of speed, this kind of shark is considered dangerous to humans, due to their ability to jump into fishing boats. Similar to sailfish, swimming speed helps these fish make impressive leaps out of the water
Although the mako shark is not on the list of the 10 most endangered animals in the world, its species is considered "vulnerable " due to his uncontrolled trading.
6. Hummingbird
The hummingbird is a beautiful, mysterious bird that has always attracted the attention of human beings and is also one of the fastest animals in the world. Barely 10 cm long, these striking birds can reach speeds in flight of up to 100 km/h
Hummingbirds flap their wings so fast it's almost impossible to see them. Among other curiosities, they are the only birds that can fly backwards, downwards, remain motionless in the air and are so fast that it is impossible for them to walk.
If this information has surprised you and you want to know more about hummingbirds, you can review our article on hummingbird species.
7. Swordfish
The swordfish, also known as the gladiator or emperor fish, is a predatory beast that can measure up to 4 meters in wingspan and weigh 500 kg With these dimensions, it shouldn't surprise us that the swordfish is part of the select group of the fastest animals in the world.
Together with sailfish and mako sharks, this sea runner can reach 100 km/h when it starts for his prey. The speed swordfish achieve is due to the streamlined shape of their tail fin, and like the other fish on this list, swordfish can also make great leaps out of the water.
8. Siberian Tiger
In addition to being imposing and majestic, the Siberian tiger joins our list of the world's fastest animals because it can reach 90 km/h. Taking into account that its habitat is snow, this speed over short distances is a lot!
Among the most striking curiosities of this beautiful and fast animal, we can say that the tiger is the largest of the felines. Its striped fur is unique, just like the fingerprints of a human being. In fact, the stripes go not only on their fur but also on their skin.
Of course, don't get confused because the Siberian tiger is not the same as the Bengal tiger.
9. Ostrich
The ostrich is the largest bird that exists today. Ostriches are like walking dinosaurs! If you think that size is a problem for this bird, you are wrong, because despite not being able to fly and walking on two legs, this incredible animal of 150 kgcan run up to 70 km/h
What makes the ostrich worthy of a spot on our list of the world's fastest animals, is that unlike other members of this ranking, the ostrich can maintain this speed for several kilometers. Among other curiosities, you should know that baby ostrich, with only one month of life, already run at 55 km/h, difficult to catch, right? ?.
10. Dragon-fly
The dragonfly is a large insect capable of putting springs of 7 meters per second, which is equivalent to about25 km/h. But there are records that it can exceed 100 km/h This is a lot for a flying insect! That is why it is considered one of the fastest animals in the world.
But why does this animal need to fly so fast? So to take advantage of the time. Once the larval stage is over, dragonflies only live a few weeks, a month at most, so time is of the essence.
As a curious fact, we tell you that dragonflies, unlike many insects, cannot fold their wings over their body.
Other animals with breakneck speeds
We have already finished our list with the 10 fastest animals on the planet, but we want to make some special mentions that will surely catch your eye. attention:
- Although the common basilisk is not one of the fastest, we cannot fail to name it because this lizard can run at about 5 km/ h over water.
- Surely you never thought that a snail would be in a speed ranking, but although the sea cone snail is just as slow as its congeners has such a fast attack, that in the blink of an eye it has already fired its harpoon at a prey that will die in seconds from the poison.
- The worms are the fastest legless invertebrates since they can "walk" at 16 m/h on dry land. what did you not know?.
If you think we have left an animal out of our list of the fastest, do not hesitate to comment and if you like the rankings of our site, take a look at our list with the 5 most intelligent animals of the world or that of the most powerful mythological animals, they will surprise you!
