The fastest animals

Fast faster the fastest ...

Most people come to the question, which animal in the course of locomotion probably reaches the highest speeds, the agile and graceful appearance of slender wild cats on the hunt in mind. In fact, the cheetah is considered the fastest land mammal on Earth and can reach speeds of up to 120 km / h while hunting. This extraordinary ability has given the African-based big cat its unique physique, which allows optimal weight distribution in the sprint. At the same time, the cheetah has musculature that can contract significantly faster than any other terrestrial mammal, which means it can accelerate to maximum speed within seconds. Its highly specialized claws and the toothed bales of the paws also provide excellent grip, allowing the cheetah in the barrel also cut out laterally. He is considered the most perfect hunting machine in the animal kingdom. However, he can only maintain his sprint speed for a maximum of twenty minutes. Then he needs a longer break to regenerate.

In terms of speed, the cheetah is far surpassed by a bird of prey. The peregrine falcon, with the exception of Antarctica on all continents of the world, reaches speeds of over three hundred kilometers per hour in the course of the dive. In order to capture his food, which consists mainly of small and medium-sized, flying birds below him, the peregrine falcon plunges from dizzying heights down and thus exploits the element of surprise. By the way, the golden eagle, which can catch its prey in flight or overwhelm even larger mammals like deer and bucks on the ground, is similarly fast in its hunt.

In the actual flight, however, the carrier pigeon is considered the frontrunner of all birds, because radar measurements have shown that they can reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour over short distances. At long distances, the Gray-headed Albatross is considered the frontrunner because scientific research has shown it can hold its nearly 130 km / h for up to eight hours.

Among the ratites, the ostrich, the largest bird in the world, holds the record. He can travel up to seventy kilometers an hour, thanks to his long, muscular legs and two-toe feet on the run from attackers. Incidentally, these speeds also reach a few mammals, such as the hare and the horse, and the greyhound, which is very popular as a pet in active people. In the water, the dolphin is considered the absolute leader, for the swimming speeds of up to ninety km / h are not uncommon thanks to its streamlined body. Almost as fast is also known as the killer whale Orca, if he makes hunting for seals, whales or seabirds.

Some species have great surprises in terms of speed thanks to unexpected abilities. Who would have thought, for example, that the chameleon, which is not known for its speedy progress, can reach spectacular speeds with its tongue. To capture his prey, the otherwise very deliberate chameleon lets his sticky tongue accelerate to six meters per second in a few milliseconds as it shoots out of its mouth. It is remarkable not only the speed that many times that of a jet fighter, but also the extraordinary accuracy of the chameleon.

Among the insects, the cockroach is considered the fastest animal on earth. While running, she can cover up to five and a half meters and thus easily keep up with a fast-moving person. Calculating the ratio of the crawl speed to the body weight of the infamous pest, a human would reach a walking speed of over 300 kilometers per hour. Among the reptiles is surprisingly a turtle as the fastest animal. Despite its impressive tank size of two and a half meters and a body weight of up to seven hundred kilograms, the world's largest turtle, as a sea creature in subtropical and tropical regions, reaches swimming speeds of almost 40 kilometers per hour. Their land-living relative, the Giant Tortoise, in comparison, travels just 0.4 kilometers an hour, almost as slow as a snail.