If you love animals as much as we do at AnimalPlanet, we are sure you have already wondered which are the fastest animals in the World. Look no further for the answer because we have you covered! And we bring you the Top 10 fastest animals in the World.
We are sure that you already know that the cheetah or the gazelle is swift. But did you know that some birds and insects reach mind-blowing speeds? If the answer is no, check out our Top 10 Fastest Animals in the World and be amazed by the animal kingdom’s wonderful World.
Contents
What are the ten fastest animals in the World?
Among all the animals in the World, the ten fastest animals in the World are:
- The peregrine falcon with a nose-down speed of 360 km / h!
- The cheetah with a speed that goes from 112 to 120 km / h!
- The sailfish swordfish with a speed of 110 km / h!
- Cicindelinae with a speed of 2.5 m / s or 810 km / h!
- Mako shark with a speed of 124 km / h!
- Hummingbird with a speed of 100 km / h!
- Swordfish with a speed of 100 km / h!
- Siberian tiger with a speed of 90 km / h!
- Dragonfly with peak speeds of 100 km / h!
- The ostrich with a speed of 70 km / h!
In the following paragraphs, we will detail these animals’ specific characteristics belonging to the ten fastest animals in the World.
Peregrine Falcon
The peregrine falcon can manage to maintain a flight at 96 km / h, but when this predator of the sky spots a prey and decides to attack, this magnificent bird dives and can reach 360 km / h! An impressive speed that can be compared to that of a fighter plane!
The peregrine falcon is undoubtedly the fastest animal that lives on Earth, which is why it is the first of our Top 10 fastest animals in the World. We have timed peregrine falcons at over 389 km / h. Yes, they fly faster than Formula 1. We can say it without batting an eyelid. Yes, the peregrine falcon is the fastest animal in the World.
Top 10 fastest animals in the World – Peregrine Falcon
Cheetah
That the cheetah is among our Top 10 fastest animals in the World is no surprise to anyone. This incredible feline is renowned for its speed. It can reach speeds between 112 km / h and 120 km / h over short distances!
Cheetahs are considered to be the fastest land predators living on Earth. They live in the African savannah and that of the Middle East. They like to approach their prey little by little, using their incredible sight to launch in pursuit of them at full speed. The cheetah is, without a doubt, the fastest animal on the earth world!
Here is a small article going into more detail on cheetah speed: How fast can a cheetah reach?
Top 10 fastest animals in the World – cheetah
Sailfish swordfish
We continue our Top 10 fastest animals in the World with a marine animal. This is an impressive Sailfish. It is the equivalent of the cheetah in the aquatic environment. This fish with such a characteristic shape can reach 110 km / h! A speed that allows the sailfish swordfish to make incredible jumps out of the water!
Although the Sailfish are not among the most significant marine animals, Their dorsal fin makes them appear much more significant than they are. This fin allows them to ward off predators, plus they can change colour to blend in with the surroundings. All these attributes make him an exceptional animal and an incredible hunter among all the World’s animals. Swordfish is unequivocally one of the fastest marine animals in the World!
Top 10 fastest animals in the World – Swordfish
Cicindelinae
Now let’s move on to the insect kingdom! This tiny insect can run so fast that it can even lose sight of it! The Cicindelinae, nicknamed the tiger beetle for its incredible predation abilities, has been considered the fastest animal in the World, as its speed is 2.5m / s! If we put it on our scale, that would be equivalent to running at more than 810km / h!
As we said above, the tiger beetle spins at such a speed that it is forced to stop to allow its eyes to take stock because they cannot see with clarity.
Top 10 fastest animals in the World – Cicindelinae
Mako shark
Sharks are also part of our Top 10 fastest animals in the World! You will understand why at PlaneteAnimal, we could not leave them outside this top 10!
The mako shark roams the oceans at over 124km / h, an incredible speed that it uses to hunt! It is nicknamed the sea falcon for its astonishing water speed! This kind of shark is considered dangerous for humans due to its ability to jump inside fishermen’s boats. In the same way as the Sailfish, it can perform impressive jumps out of it. Extraordinary water.
Although this shark is not on the list of endangered animals, its species is considered vulnerable due to human hunting.
Top 10 fastest animals in the World – Mako shark
Humming-bird
A beautiful, mysterious bird that has always been among humans’ favourite birds and is among our Top 10 fastest animals in the World. These birds, which measure barely 10 cm, can fly at more than 100 km / h!
Hummingbirds move their wings so quickly that it’s almost impossible to see them with the naked eye! It is the only bird that can fly backwards, downwards or cause a standstill in the air! They are so fast that they can’t walk.
Check out our article on the magnificent Mayan legend about hummingbirds.
Top 10 fastest animals in the World – ColibrÃ
Swordfish
The swordfish is also known as the gladiator or emperor fish, is a predator that can measure 4 meters in wingspan and weigh 500 kg! With this scale, you must be surprised when you are told that it is part of our Top 10 fastest animals in the World.
With the Sailfish and the mako shark, this seabed runner can reach 100 km / h when chasing its prey! It can reach such speed thanks to its dorsal fin, which gives it an aerodynamic shape. Like the other marine animals mentioned above, it can also leap out of the water spectacularly!
Top 10 fastest animals in the World – swordfish
Siberian tiger
Besides being one of the most imposing and majestic land animals, the Siberian tiger belongs to our Top 10 fastest animals in the World! Indeed at top speed, it can easily reach 90 km / h! Considering he lives in snowy regions, you can certainly understand why this is an extraordinary performance!
Among this magnificent animal’s less common characteristics, we can tell you that the Siberian tiger is the largest feline in the World! In the same way as the imprints of a human being, his coat is unique! His stripes do not only appear on his coat but are also printed on his skin!
Suppose you are interested in the matter, and your curiosity is like the universe expanding. In that case, we leave you here an article in which we detail the differences between the Siberian tiger and the Bengal tiger.
Top 10 fastest animals in the World – Siberian Tiger
Ostrich
The ostrich is a giant bird that exists today. Ostriches are like dinosaurs! And if you think its size is an obstacle to its velocity, well, you’d be wrong! Because even if they cannot fly and walk on their long legs, these incredible animals weighing 150 kg can reach 70 km / h!
What allows the ostrich to join our Top 10 fastest animals in the World is that unlike the other members of our list, the ostrich can maintain this speed for miles! Another remarkable fact about these animals is that baby ostriches as young as one month old can run up to 55 km / h! Incredible, isn’t it?
If you wonder if having an ostrich as a pet is a good idea, we invite you to consult our article The ostrich as a pet – yes or no?
Top 10 fastest animals in the World – the ostrich
The dragonfly
We end our Top 10 fastest animals in the World with another insect. This insect did not ignore you. We are sure we are indeed talking about the dragonfly! This tiny insect is capable at a top speed of reaching 7 m / s, which is equivalent to almost 25 km / h! We also recorded peak speeds of the dragonfly to more than 100 km / h! This is no small feat for such a tiny insect!
But why does the dragonfly need to be so fast? Well, to enjoy life. Once its larval state is over, they only live a few weeks, at most a month, fly fast to cross life against the tide!
Another interesting fact about dragonflies is that they cannot fold their wings over their bodies!
Top 10 fastest animals in the World – the dragonfly
Other animals with dizzying speeds
While we’re done with our Top 10 Fastest Animals in the World, we want to honour a few animals that rate your attention:
Although common basil is not very fast, we cannot fail to mention it. Indeed, this little lizard can run at 5 km / h on the water!
We are sure and almost certain that you would never have thought that a snail would make one of the Top 10 Fastest Animals in the World! Nature is impressive and will never stop surprising us. Because although this conical marine snail is as slow as its congeners, its attack is crazy. In the blink of an eye, its harpoon appears and sinks into its prey’s flesh, which will eventually succumb to poison in a few seconds.
Earthworms are the fastest legless invertebrates because they can walk at 16km / h on dry land! Huh, that you didn’t know that?
