Top 20 Ridiculously Fast Animals

It should come as no surprise that an animal with a bus service company named after it is remarkably fast. Greyhounds can reach speeds of up to 45 miles an hour, making them the fastest dog breed in the world. A combination of spinal flexibility, a slim build, and long, powerful legs enables them to reach this exceptional speed. When sprinting, greyhounds move with graceful strides, with all four of their limbs contracting and extending without touching the ground. As a result, they end up spending more time in the air than on the ground. This unique running style is known as a double suspension gallop.

When it comes to hopping, no animal can outdo the kangaroo. Although they are the only mammals who move around primarily by hopping on two legs, they certainly are not at a disadvantage. These creatures can maintain an extraordinary hopping speed of 25 miles per hour for over a mile, and in short bursts, they can hit up to 40 miles per hour. Their enlarged hind feet, powerful tail and efficient energy distribution are the major factors that make this possible. While their hopping ability is impressive on its own, it’s even more incredible when you realize that they can also leap up to 10 feet in the air.

The most popular horse breed in the United States, this creature displays electrifying speed over a quarter-mile distance, consistently outrunning any other horse breed in the world. It is for this reason that it is known as the American Quarter Horse. We're talking quick bursts as high as 55 miles per hour, particularly among trained racehorses. Their muscular legs and powerful haunches are key to achieving this remarkable speed and agility, allowing them to make sharp turns and sudden stops, even when they’re moving so fast. It’s not just their top speed that’s impressive, but also how quickly they can accelerate over such short distances.

Also known as the Indian antelope, the blackbuck can outrun almost any other mammal with ease. Once widespread, the population of the blackbuck declined significantly during the 20th century due to hunting, deforestation, and habitat destruction. In the expansive grasslands and sparse forests where they exist today, blackbucks rely on their extraordinary velocity to survive, which can reach up to 50 miles per hour. They are also equipped with sharp eyesight, which helps them stay vigilant, and when faced with danger, they use their incredible speed to swiftly escape any potential threats.

It may not be the fastest land animal, but the European Hare definitely gives its competitors a run for their money. A relative to the more common European rabbit, the hares have longer ears and legs, and are known for their speed and agility. During mating season, female hares have a peculiar habit of fighting off, or boxing with males, if they aren’t ready to mate. But when a doe IS ready, the males need to be in peak condition because only the one fast enough to catch her gets the chance to breed. Hares are capable of running up to 43 miles per hour, which also gives them a fighting chance of evading their many predators.

A favorite animal for many, the lion holds a special place in popular culture. They are seen as masters of their domain, and symbolize strength, courage and wisdom. Between Aslan[a] from “The Chronicles of Narnia” and Mufasa of “The Lion King,” we grow up seeing lions as figures worthy of reverence. So… why do they always seem to lounge around like house cats in the real world? In fact, lions spend roughly 20 hours a day resting to conserve energy for the hunt! And when these fierce predators spot prey, they can run up to 50 mph, though only for short periods of time. Regardless, you wouldn’t want to be this King of the Jungle’s target.

While it’s difficult to find it in our hearts to forgive wildebeests for what they did in “The Lion King”, we’ve got to hand it to them - they certainly are fast. The blue wildebeest is particularly swift, and can be found in about 10 African countries including Tanzania[b], Zambia, and Zimbabwe. According to experts, the blue wildebeest runs at approximately 50 miles per hour, which is roughly the same estimate given to lions, making for a pretty exciting hunt. The males, or “bulls,” are known for their particularly outlandish and territorial behavior during the mating season, which has earned them the unflattering nickname, “clowns of the savanna.” Poor guys.

Located in Eastern Africa, the Thomson’s gazelle has the ability to zoom through savannas and grasslands at speeds of up to 55 miles an hour. These gazelles accelerate to such high velocities using long strides, and are able to move rapidly in a zig-zag fashion. Their light yet sturdy legs, along with powerful hind muscles, make them exceptional runners. And they’re not just short-distance sprinters; these fellows can keep up their pace over long distances. Their incredible speed helps them escape many predators, leaving them mostly susceptible to cheetahs, which are much faster. However, because of the gazelles’ endurance, they are sometimes also able to outrun the cheetahs.

This swift antelope, native to southern and southwestern Africa, is a true speed demon. The springbok’s top speed clocks in at 55 miles per hour, with an elegant running style consisting of repeated high leaps, known as pronking. This practice allows them to jump as high as two meters above the ground. They’re also able to execute quick, sharp turns, which help them swiftly escape from predators. The numbers certainly don’t lie when it comes to the springbok’s speed. But even more striking than that is the absolutely graceful way in which they move, which makes them one of the coolest speedsters in the animal kingdom.

Also known as the needle-tailed swift, the white-throated needletail is a bird like no other. It holds the record for the fastest flapping flight speed in the world. To put it simply, if you account for factors like wind and exclude the effects of aerial maneuvers such as soaring and diving, this bird can outpace any other in level, horizontal flight. It is believed that they can fly at speeds of up to 105 miles per hour, although this remains unverified, as the studies have not yet been published. If true, then they are just slightly faster than the homing or messenger pigeon, which can sometimes reach speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, in short distances.

Often considered the second fastest land animal on the planet, the pronghorn is substantially faster than any of its North American predators. It is believed that it evolved to run at such extreme speeds to escape from predator species that have since gone extinct, like the American cheetah. Although often referred to as the pronghorn antelope, it is technically not an antelope at all. With a top speed estimated at 55 miles per hour, it is the fastest animal in the Northern Hemisphere. Globally, it is second only to the cheetah, but unlike that animal, the pronghorn can maintain its top speed for much longer durations.

If we had to bet on a real goose to win a game of duck-duck-goose, our money would be on the spur-winged goose. This species holds the title of fastest-flying goose, with a max recorded speed of 88 miles per hour, according to the Guinness World Records. Its large, powerful wings not only make it swift, but also contribute to it being ranked as one of the largest goose species in the world. Whether soaring through the sky or cruising across wetlands, the spur-winged goose’s speed and agility give it an advantage that few birds have.

One of the fastest fish in the world, the Black Marlin’s highest recorded speed is reportedly around 80 miles per hour, although this is likely exaggerated. While not as intimidating as a shark or killer whale, it is still considered a pretty serious predator, eating a diet of small to medium-sized fish and squid. The females, which are significantly larger than the males, top out at 15 feet long and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, which when paired with their speed, makes them a force to be reckoned with. While the more recognizable swordfish may share anatomical similarities with the marlin, it can’t really keep up, apparently peaking at just 60 miles per hour.

The sailfish lost its position as the undisputed fastest fish in the sea in the 21st century to one specific Black Marlin, but many argue that it should keep its title. The sailfish has been recorded swimming up to a speed of 68 miles per hour, which is faster than the average recorded black marlin, making it, generally speaking, the fastest fish one will encounter in the ocean. But why nitpick? The sailfish usually keeps its sail folded over itself while swimming, unless agitated, scared or hunting. When unfurled, it makes a striking figure as it races through the ocean.

Sure, they might not be able to fly, but what these gigantic birds lack in flight skills they more than make up for with their remarkable size and impressive set of legs. Running up to 43 miles per hour on average, with some reported at 60 miles per hour, they use their wings as stabilizers while running at high speeds. This enables them to make sharp, calculated turns. The ostrich is the largest living species of bird, and also lays the largest eggs: one ostrich egg is actually equivalent to two dozen chicken eggs in terms of volume. So they go big on everything.

Frigatebirds are perhaps the most impressive gliders in the sky, effortlessly using wind currents to propel themselves forward— at times for weeks on end. In a similar fashion, the gray-headed albatross harnesses the wind to its advantage, helping it move as fast as 79 miles per hour (xref). However, that’s simply not as fast as the frigatebird, which can notch top speeds of 95 miles per hour. There’s an effortless nature with which they move, which makes it hard to conceptualize how they achieve such rapid motion with very little flapping. This incredible speed is made possible by their large wing-area-to-body-weight ratio, the highest of any bird species.

A relatively small falcon, the Eurasian Hobby, or just “Hobby” to its friends, is all about speed and agility and can reach a velocity of up to 100 miles per hour while in flight. As part of the breeding ritual between male and female hobbies, a pair can often be seen performing highflying acrobatic feats. During this courtship, the male hobby will often pull off high-speed hand-offs of captured prey to the female to demonstrate his hunting abilities and prowess. This is an important quality for the male to possess, as he will be responsible for hunting during the 27 to 33 day incubation period.

Believe it or not, the fastest horizontal flight speed of any animal does not belong to a bird. It’s a bat—the Mexican free-tailed bat, also known as the Brazilian free-tailed bat. Research has found that these fellas can fly at about 100 miles per hour—faster than any other documented avian creature in level flight. While there is some uncertainty about the influence of wind on this recorded speed, researchers believe their data reflect the bats' speed without wind. The Mexican free-tailed bat’s aerodynamic body shape and relatively long wings are believed to be key factors contributing to its astonishing speed.

The cheetah isn’t the king of the jungle, but it certainly wears the crown for world’s fastest land animal. Capable of running up to 75 miles per hour and going from 0 to 60 miles per hour in three seconds, this big cat certainly deserves the title. Through its evolution, the cheetah’s abilities as a hunter have been absolutely maximized. It has a slender body, muscular chest, narrower paws than other big cats and an oversized, extra sharp dew claw that it uses to trip its prey. It shares various other characteristics more commonly found in small cats as well, such as a flexible spine. But you'll never see Garfield racing around like The Flash.

Meet the fastest animal on our planet. The peregrine falcon is only about the size of a large crow, but this bird of prey is especially known for its prowess as a hunter. To catch its prey, which is most often medium-sized birds, it climbs in the air then launches into a sharp dive. It is during this dive that the peregrine falcon achieves its remarkable speed. An average dive reaches 200 miles per hour, but the fastest recorded peregrine hit 242 miles per hour! Its closest competition, the golden eagle, lags behind a bit, averaging 150 to 200 miles per hour, when diving. Close, eagle, but no cigar!


Let us know in the comments what slow animals fascinate you!