by Nancy Pingree Hoover

Created on: January 15, 2010   Last Updated: January 16, 2010

The Fastest Animals In The World

Animals have always been a part of human culture since the beginning of time. We admire animals for their beauty, we envy their speed; we try to imitate their grace, and we enjoy their companionship.  We even call them “family.”

We as humans have always admired speed. We have a need for speed. Humans are an inpatient bunch who wants everything “yesterday.” We like fast cars, fast sports, fast paced TV shows, fast movies, fast paced books, and fast food. So, in honor of our addiction to speed, let’s take a look at the fastest animals in the world. Can you guess who they are?

NOTE: For the purpose of this article, I have defined animals as any living creature that is not human, be they bird, mammal, fish, or reptile.

Cheetah

The Cheetah, always loved for its beauty and sleek gracefulness, is well known for its incredible bursts of speed. Cheetahs have been clocked at speeds of 70 mph. We’ve all watched on TV or in movies, the sleek figure of this spotted cat chasing a zebra or antelope on the African Savanna.

A Cheetah’s build resembles that of a Greyhound and this sleek build comes with a price. The Cheetah’s lung capacity is not big enough to allow them to run at speed over distances longer than a sprint, or approximately 1500 ft. Long enough to get the job done and that’s it, which is all that’s necessary.

 Falcon

The Peregrine Falcon’s beauty is surpassed only by its speed and agility. This bird is an awesome sight in the air when it is hunting. Once the Peregrine spots its prey, another bird or bat, it pulls its wings back and falls into an impressive dive that reaches speeds of  up to 200 mph. Their targeted prey never survive the impact of that dive to know what happened to it, which is fortunate considering the strength and sharpness of the Peregrine’s beak.

The Peregrine Falcon lives all over the world except for the coldest of climates. They prefer open spaces but are highly adaptable as people in New York City can attest where a Peregrine Falcon raised her clutch of chicks on the ledge of a building.

Spiny-Tailed Iguana

The Spiny-tailed Iguana has been recorded as the fastest reptile on earth, with speeds of up to 21.7 mph. Their speed is their primary means of defense, but if necessary they will also use their long tail as well as bite their attacker. This iguana grows up to 4 feet 11 inches long and is native to Mexico and South

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