The Fastest Animals In The World (Faster Than A Ferrari!?)

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Key Points:

• The peregrine falcon can reach an amazing speed of 242 mph in descent.
• The fastest insect? If you thought it was the pesky housefly, you’d be correct.
• Amazingly, the fastest mammal (not on land) is the spooky Mexican free-tailed bat, clocking in at 99 mph.

What is the fastest animal in the world? The answer isn’t straightforward. Many factors — like gravity, wind, and animal size — must be considered. To boot, researchers have yet to clock the speeds of every earthly species. Plus, there’s still some disagreement in the scientific community regarding the methodologies used for some of the current standings.

Fastest Bird: Peregrine Falcon — Top Speed 242 MPH

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), aka the duck hawk, is the fastest animal on earth. Known as “the living missile,” these falcons live everywhere, except in extreme polar areas and New Zealand, and reach diving speeds of 200 miles per hour. To date, the highest measured descent for a peregrine falcon is 242 miles per hour. When they’re not hunting, peregrines coast along between 40 and 60 miles per hour.



Large keel bones, pointed wings, stiff feathers, and exceptional respiratory systems all contribute to peregrines’ speed. Its big keel bone increases flapping power; the pointed wings create a streamlined airfoil effect; and the animal’s stiff, slim feathers reduce drag. Peregrines also have one-way airflow into their lungs and air sacs that remain inflated even when exhaling, which allows for optimal oxygen distribution. Additionally, the bird’s 600 to 900 beats-per-minute heart rate means they can flap their wings up to four times per second, increasing their power and diminishing fatigue.



In addition to lightning-fast dives, these falcons enjoy the fastest visual processing speed of any animal tested. They can spot prey from over a kilometer away! To put that in perspective: if you show humans a succession of still pictures at 25 frames per second, we’ll see a fluid “film.” For peregrine falcons to experience the same “film” effect, the frame-per-second rate would need to be 129.



The IUCN currently lists peregrine falcons as “Least Concerned.” However, the species wasn’t always in the clear. DDT, the pesticide, almost wiped them out. During the 20th century, the species suffered mass casualties on account of the chemical and was added to the U.S. Endangered Species list. However, thanks to DDT restrictions and other conservation efforts, the falcons were removed from the list in 1999.

Visit the falcon encyclopedia page to learn more. 

Fastest Land Animal: Cheetah — Top Speed 70 MPH

Found in North, Southern, and East Africa, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) holds the title of the fastest land animal. A natural-born sprinter, cheetahs can reach a top running speed of 70 miles per hour. More impressively, the feline can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just three short seconds! That’s better than a sports car!



Several physiological factors make cheetahs speed demons. For starters, they’re the slimmest of the big cats, sport long legs, and have small, lightweight heads. These factors make cheetahs aerodynamic dynamos. Also, when cheetahs run, they don’t move their heads, which adds to their aerodynamism.



Cheetahs’ spines, however, are the linchpin to the animal’s speed. They’re long, extraordinarily flexible, and act as a spring coil that allows the animal to maximize every stride. Lastly, cheetah muscles have a high percentage of what mammalogists call “fast-twitch fibers,” which augment their power and speed.



Cheetahs, however, cannot sustain high speeds for long. They’re sprinters, not marathon runners. It can take 30 minutes for a cheetah to recover from a 330-foot burst, which is about the length of a soccer field.



The largest cheetahs grow to 136 centimeters (53 inches) tall, 149 centimeters (4.9 feet) long, and they weigh between 21 and 72 kilograms (46 and 159 pounds).



Currently, the IUCN lists cheetahs as “vulnerable.” Due to heavy poaching, game hunting, and habitat destruction in the 20th century, the cheetah population has dwindled to about 7,100. Additionally, cheetahs are often exploited on the illegal pet trade market, and climate change is proving devastating to the species.

Learn more at our cheetah encyclopedia page. 

Fastest Mammal: Mexican Free-Tailed Bat — Top Speed 99 MPH

A recent and controversial addition to the Fast Animal Hall of Fame is the Mexican free-tailed bat, aka the Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis). Found in North and South America, the Mexican free-tailed bat is the official flying mammal of Texas. They mainly live in caves and sometimes in buildings with outside ceiling access.



In 2009, researchers conducted a Mexican free-tailed speed test by attaching navigation tags to several animals. The scientists then tracked the subjects with an aircraft and recorded one bat whizzing through the air, horizontally, at 99 miles per hour. The results catapulted the Mexican free-tailed bat to the top of the fastest mammals list.



However, not everyone is confident in the outcome. Some people dispute the claim because the test didn’t adjust for wind and ground speeds. Plus, the results allowed for a 50- to 100-meter margin of error.



If the Mexican free-tailed bat loses its speed record, the animal still holds a bat superlative: it can fly higher than any other member of its order, Chiroptera. The winged mammals can cruise along at an altitude of 3,300 meters.



Mexican free-tailed bats are usually about 3.5 inches long and weigh between .25 to .42 ounces.



The IUCN classifies Mexican free-tailed bats as “Least Concerned,” but that doesn’t paint the whole picture. Due to increased habitat destruction, Mexican free-tailed bat numbers are rapidly declining. California lists it as a “species of special concern.”

Read more about the amazing abilities of bats here. 

Fastest Water Animal: Black Marlin — Top Speed 80 MPH

The fastest fish is the black marlin (Istiompax indica). A resident of the tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the speedy fish can clock 80 miles per hour. Comparatively, black marlins swim faster than cheetahs run. To record their speed, researchers measure how quickly a fishing line comes off the reel when anglers snag one.



Several physical features make black marlins fast. Their long, thin, sharp bills — ideally shaped to slice through the water quickly — and rigid pectoral fins are exceptionally aerodynamic. Plus, they can deftly maneuver their crescent-shaped tails to create power.



In addition to swimming fast, black marlins travel far. One animal fitted with a tracking tag in California was caught 10,000 miles away in New Zealand!

Black marlins can also dive to depths of 2000 feet but typically don’t go below 600 — and the longest ever recorded was 15.3 feet.



According to the IUCN, black marlins are “Data Deficient,” meaning there’s insufficient information to adequately assess the species’ conservation status. Regardless, they’re commercially fished and sought as prized game.

Fastest Insect: Male Horsefly — Top Speed 90 MPH

Horseflies (Tabanus sulcifrons), aka gadflies, currently sit atop the fastest insect list. Found worldwide, except in Iceland, Greenland, and Hawaii, horseflies can reach speeds of up to 90 miles per hour — but males are faster than females.

Like the Mexican free-tailed bat, researchers dispute the horsefly‘s speed status. Jerry Butler, a scientist from the University of Florida, produced the 90 miles per hour result. Some folks, however, feel that his methodology allowed for erroneous conclusions. People who reject Butler’s findings usually list the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) as the fastest insect, with a reliable miles-per-hour rate of 21.

We should note that scientists have yet to do extensive insect-speed studies. As such, the horsefly’s standing is liable to change.

In the late 19th century, American entomologist Charles Townsend claimed that deer botflies (Cephenemyia stimulator) could reach speeds of 1,287 kilometers per hour. That’s faster than the speed of sound! But after advancements in tracking technology led to better studies, other entomologists burst Townsend’s bubble. They proved that deer botflies only reached speeds of about 25 miles per hour.

Horseflies have a body length between 0.2 and 1.0 inches — about half as long as a golf tee. The largest ones have wingspans of up to 2.4 inches.

Horseflies are so abundant they don’t have an IUCN classification.

Nearly 9 million species populate the planet. Some are fast, some are slow. Some are huge, and some are minuscule. But the one thing we all share is the same planet. So take time to read up on other species — because the more you know, the better planet custodian you’ll be!

Fastest Snake: Sidewinder Snake — Top Speed 18mph

If you were wondering what the fastest snake in the world might be, it’s the sidewinder snake, clocking in at a max speed of 18 mph.  The reason they move faster than any other snake is because of their unique movement. They use their bodies to create ridges in sand, and then their bodies push against them. This motion results in their incredible speed. The ability also lies in the sidewinder’s scales, which have a rough, sturdy texture. This adaptation helps the snake to move through the hot sand of its desert habitat. 

Visit our endangered animals listing page to learn more about which species need your help most!

Summary of the 5 Fastest Animals in the World

You learned it here! But let’s recap the 5 animals that rank as the fastest in the World:

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