Species range from the fastest of fast to the slowest of slow, pros and cons with everything. The speed at which an animal can move is a product of its physical architecture, environment, and evolutionary history.
For instance, the cheetah is known as the fastest land animal, capable of achieving incredible speeds up to 60–70 mph, whereas it would take sloths about 0.15 to 0.5 mph.
Understanding the speeds of different species imparts wisdom on how they live, how they hunt, and how they move in their environments.
Some interesting facts:
- The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal in the world, attaining speeds of up to 240 mph when it dives.
- The black marlin, a type of fish, is capable of swimming at velocities reaching 82 mph.
- The pronghorn, located in North America, can sprint at 55 mph, ranking it as the second-fastest terrestrial animal.
- Kangaroos are capable of reaching speeds of as much as 44 mph in brief sprints to evade predators.
Most of the following measurements are for maximum speeds over approximate quarter-mile distances. Exceptions—which are included to give a wide range of animals—are the lion and elephant, whose speeds were clocked in the act of charging; the whippet, which was timed over a 200-yard course; the cheetah over a 100-yard distance; humans for a 15-yard segment of a 100-yard run; and the black mamba snake, six-lined race runner, spider, giant tortoise, three-toed sloth, and garden snail, which were measured over various small distances.
| Animal | Speed (mph) |
|---|---|
| Peregrine falcon | 200.00+ |
| Cheetah | 70.00 |
| Pronghorn antelope | 61.00 |
| Lion | 50.00 |
| Thomson's gazelle | 50.00 |
| Wildebeest | 50.00 |
| Quarter horse | 47.50 |
| Cape hunting dog | 45.00 |
| Elk | 45.00 |
| Coyote | 43.00 |
| Gray fox | 42.00 |
| Hyena | 40.00 |
| Ostrich | 40.00 |
| Zebra | 40.00 |
| Mongolian wild ass | 40.00 |
| Greyhound | 39.35 |
| Whippet | 35.50 |
| Jackal | 35.00 |
| Mule deer | 35.00 |
| Rabbit (domestic) | 35.00 |
| Giraffe | 32.00 |
| Reindeer | 32.00 |
| Cat (domestic) | 30.00 |
| Kangaroo | 30.00 |
| Grizzly bear | 30.00 |
| Wart hog | 30.00 |
| White-tailed deer | 30.00 |
| Human | 27.89 |
| Elephant | 25.00 |
| Black mamba snake | 20.00 |
| Six-lined race runner | 18.00 |
| Squirrel | 12.00 |
| Pig (domestic) | 11.00 |
| Chicken | 9.00 |
| House mouse | 8.00 |
| Spider (Tegenearia atrica) | 1.17 |
| Giant tortoise | 0.17 |
| Three-toed sloth | 0.15 |
| Garden snail | 0.03 |
| Gestation, Incubation, and Longevity of Selected Animals | Nature | Animal Hall of Fame |
