Top 10 Fastest Animals in the World 1. Peregrine Falcon (Bird): The Peregrine Falcon is i nfamous for its speed and is a bird of prey. It is the number one fastest animal in the animal kingdom. It has been used in falconry throughout historyand is still considered to be a prized bird. Its length is about 15 inches (about the size of a crow) and a wingspan of 40 inches. It can befound in the North American mountains. It is famous for its hunting stoop. Its diet mainly includes small birds and sometimes it also hunts small mammals. Its own predators include the Eagles, Owls, Gyrfalcons and otherPeregrines. The speed of 389 km/h makes it world’s fastest bird as well as animal. 2. White Throated Needle Tail (Bird) The White Throated Needle Tail, previously known as Spine Tailed Swift, is a bird with a very swift flight. It has long wings, short tail, and protruding feather shafts. Its maxim size is 22 cm. The White Throated Needle Tail likesto spend most of its time in the air but roostsin the trees. Its diet mainly includes flying insects. It is found in Australia and its speed is 169 km/h. 3. Eurasian Hobby (Bird) Considered as the great hunter of the skies, the Eurasian Hobby is a small falcon whose speed is 160 km/h. It is known for its spectacular aerobatic skills. Its long and pointed wings help it in its flying feat. While flying, these falcons are capable of bursts of speed and almost impossible turns. Their deadly speed allows them to prey on small birds. A Eurasian Hobby measures up to 12-14 inches in length. It can be found in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Main threats to Eurasian Hobby include illegal hunting and habitat destruction. 4. Frigatebird (Bird) Frigatebirds are sea birds adept at flying withthe speed of 153 km/h. Their flying capability is aided by a large wingspan (215 cm-largest than any other bird). For this reason, they canalso stay airborne for even a week. They are black all over with a red throat pouch which is characteristic of their male. Their majority can be found in Pacific Ocean but some are also found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. As they spend most of their time in the air, they have a few predators including humans, stoats, and domestic cats. 5. Black Marlin (Fish) Black Marlin is the fastest water animal and one of the great predators. It has a shorter dorsal fin than sailfish and is more solidly built. It has an elongated body and a spear like snout. Its name comes from its similarity to a sailor’s marlinspike. Its maximum length is recorded to be 4.65m. It is a commercial game fish and highly valued when caught. It is found in Indo-Pacific and east-Pacific oceans and its speed is 130 km/h. 6. Cheetah (Mammal) A Cheetah is the fastest animal on land and has many adaptive features which allow it to master speed. It not only has a light and lean body but also large heart and lungs, strong arteries, large nostrils, and strong muscles; allthe features that ensure efficient use of oxygen and maximization of acceleration. When near maximum speed, a cheetah covers three strides in one second. These animals are mostly found in Africa and Asia. However, they have been ranked as one of the endangered species with only about 10,000 animals remaining. Due to a lack of genetic variation, the Cheetahs have difficulty in adaptation and therefore, are susceptible to ecological and climatic changes. It is interesting to note that most of the lists on this topic make Cheetah the fastest animal in the world but it isn’t. It is the fastest mammal on land with the speed of 120 km/h. 7. Sailfish (Fish) Sailfish is one of the fastest fish of the Oceans. Its average length is about 6 feet. Sailfish has an elongated upper jaw which resembles a spear and is almost twice the size of its lower jaw. This feature allows the Sailfish to have good hydro-dynamics. Its name comes from its dorsal fin which looks like a sail of a ship. Also, it is a common sport-fish. Its main habitats are Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans. Its main predator is the Dolphin fish (mahi mahi) and its speed is 109.19 km/h. 8. Anna’s Hummingbird (Bird) Anna’s Hummingbird is a medium sized (3.9-4.3 inches) hummingbird named after a Duchess. It is native to North America. These birds not only fly fast but are also gorgeous looking with emerald green flanks and reddish-pink throat complemented by a long slender beak. They are the only birds known to fly backwards. Male Anna’s Hummingbirds are infamous for their splendid courtship where they fly up to 130 feet in the air and dive towards their female, their tail feathers making a unique noise. Their predators include tree-snakes, curved-billed thrashers, and road runners, to name a few. With the speed of 98.27 km/hr Anna’s Hummingbird takes 8th position in this list of top 10 animals.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 11:18:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015