Even though they are quick, many of Earth’s fastest animals are also among its most formidable and effective predators.. Sometimes they look like the common pigeon or the fastest hummingbird in the world.
Animals can reach their top speeds for a number of different reasons, such as to get away from predators, catch prey, or impress potential mates. No matter why e animals on this list of the 15 fastest animals are all very fast, and some of them might be closer to you than you think.
Peregrine falcon
Peregrine falcons dive out of the sky to catch their food, and when they do this, they reach their top speeds. Peregrines eat other birds. They knock them out of the sky and then eat them on the ground.
Peregrine falcons live on six continents, but people don’t often see them because their numbers are going down. They often stay with the same partner for life and can live in the wild for almost 20 years.
Speed limit: 240 mph
Rock dove
One of the frequent names for the rock dove is the common pigeon.Yes, those are the same pigeons you might see around your house. Up to 500 rock doves live together in a group. They eat everything, from plants, berries, and seeds to insects and spiders. But if rock doves live near you, you may have noticed that they aren’t too picky about what they eat. They also eat food that people have thrown away on city streets or in the trash.
Maximum speed: 93 mph
Cheetah
In terms of land speed, the cheetah is the most agile mammal on the planet.They can move 23 feet in one step and go from 0 to 45 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds. But they can only go at their top speed for about 300 yards.
Cheetahs have smaller teeth than other big cats because they need more room in their noses to take in the large amounts of air they need to run at such high speeds.
Speed limit: 80 mph
Ostrich
Ostriches are the heaviest birds that still live. When they run fast, they use their wings to steer, just like aeroplane wings. These birds can run up to five metres in one step, even though they can’t fly. Also, they lay the biggest eggs of any bird on Earth.
There are nine kinds of ostrich, but seven of them are no longer alive. Only the common ostrich and the Somali ostrich are still around.
Maximum speed: 43 mph
Wildebeest
Gnus are another name for wildebeests. They are related to antelopes and have big, curved horns. They also stand out because their torsos are big and their backsides are thin, and their back legs aren’t as strong.
Wildebeests eat grass and travel up to 995 miles every year to find the best places to eat and drink. Running accounts for around a third of those miles.
Speed limit: 50 mph
Golden eagle
Golden eagles are about the same size as Bald Eagles. Between 6 and 14 pounds, they can reach a height of 3 feet and a weight of 6 pounds. They often kill animals as big as foxes or cranes. Golden eagles jump from high places to catch their prey in their sharp claws.
It is easy for golden eagles to find their prey since they have excellent eyesight and heads that can turn 270 degrees.However, their night vision is about as bad as ours.
Speed limit: 200 mph
Free-tailed bat from Mexico
The Mexican free-tailed bats sleep in large groups of more than a million (and sometimes up to 20 million) individuals. At night, they hunt moths and other insects that come out at night. People think that the largest free-tailed bat roosts eat about 250 tonnes of bugs every night.
Mexican free-tailed bats use their amazing speed to catch these bugs out of the air and to avoid being eaten by raccoons, cats, and owls, which are among their predators. They can live up to 18 years and are very small, measuring only about 3.5 inches long. They are less than an ounce in weight.
Speed limit: 100 mph
Parvaiz Yousuf is a senior SEO writer and editor with an experience of over 6 years, who also doubles up as a researcher. With an MSc zoology degree under his belt and possessing complete Search Engine Optimization (SEO) knowledge, he works as a science journalist for a US-based website and Asian Scientist (A Singapore-based magazine). He also works as Director of Wetland Research Centre, Wildlife Conservation Fund YPJK since 2018. Besides, he has several publications to his name on cancer biology and biochemistry in some reputed journals such as Nature & International Journal of Molecular Sciences, & magazines such as Science Reporter, BUCEROS BNHS, and has an abiding interest in ornithology. He also worked as a Research Associate for JK Policy Institute.
