Today, we will embark on a wild journey into the world of speed, exploring the fastest inhabitants of our planet. We divide them into three categories: land, sea, and air, supplemented by a few honorable mentions.
Kings of the Land
The fastest land animal is the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), an inhabitant of the African savannas. It can reach 120 kilometers per hour. Cheetahs have a slender body and powerful muscles that allow them to accelerate from 0 to 60 kilometers per hour in just 3 seconds. It is said that they can increase their speed by 10 kilometers per hour with just one stride.
The victims of these predators can also develop serious speed. The springbok can reach up to 88 kilometers per hour.
We must not forget the world of insects. The Australian tiger beetle, although developing a "modest" speed of 9 kilometers per hour, covers an impressive 125 body lengths per second, which allows it to quickly catch flies.
Fast Swimmers
In the sea, the debate about the fastest animal is open. The black marlin and the sailfish often fall into this category. According to common opinion, the black marlin can surpass the sailfish with a speed of 128 kilometers per hour, while the sailfish reaches 109 kilometers per hour.
Lords of the Sky
The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal in the world. Even in horizontal flight at a speed of 88 kilometers per hour, it impresses, but its true potential is revealed when diving. Then falcons can exceed 320 kilometers per hour.
Among the honorable mentions are the white-throated needletail, which can fly at 170 kilometers per hour, and the golden eagle, which is second only to the peregrine falcon with over 240 kilometers per hour when diving.
The fastest flying insect is the Australian dragonfly, reaching 58 kilometers per hour. Others notable are male horse flies (145 kilometers per hour), deer fleas, and some tropical butterflies.
We have examined the current record holders, but have you ever wondered which were the fastest dinosaurs?