This is a list of the fastest animals in the world, by types of animal. The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird, and the fastest member of the animal kingdom, with a diving speed of over . The fastest land animal is the cheetah, capable of running at speeds of up to . Among the fastest animals in the sea is the black marlin, with uncertain and conflicting reports of recorded speeds.
When drawing comparisons between different classes of animals, an alternative unit is sometimes used for organisms: body length per second. On this basis the 'fastest' organism on earth, relative to its body length, is the Southern Californian mite, Paratarsotomus macropalpis, which has a speed of 322 body lengths per second. The equivalent speed for a human, running as fast as this mite, would be , or approximately Mach 1.7. The speed of the P. macropalpis is far in excess of the previous record holder, the Australian tiger beetle Rivacindela eburneola, which is the fastest insect in the world relative to body size, with a recorded speed of , or 171 body lengths per second. The cheetah, the fastest land mammal, scores at only 16 body lengths per second. Body mass can also be used to compare speed between species on a relative basis. Under this parameter the fastest animal for its body mass is the cheetah, followed by the pronghorn.
Through studies of pronghorn running on treadmills, it has been estimated that the maximum speed that could be achieved aerobically would be 72 km/h (45 mph) for about 10 minutes, so higher speeds such as those reported in Thomson's gazelles, springboks, pronghorn and cheetahs require adaptations for principal use of anaerobic energy sources such as glycogen and creatine phosphate, and could therefore be maintained for only 30–45 seconds when these energy sources are depleted. High acceleration also requires the use of anaerobic energy sources.
Fastest organism + List of animals by speed Rank AnimalMaximum speedClassNotes1Peregrine falconFalling with the Falcon | Flight Today | Air & Space MagazineVideo of peregrine falconFlight-divingThe peregrine falcon is the fastest aerial animal, fastest animal in flight, fastest bird, and the overall fastest member of the animal kingdom. The peregrine achieves its highest velocity not in horizontal level flight, but during its characteristic hunting stoop (vertical flight). While stooping, the peregrine falcon soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speed of over .Assuming the maximum size at , its relative speed clocks at 186 body lengths per second during its hunting swoop, the equivalent of a human running at .2Golden eagleFlight-divingAssuming the maximum size at , its relative speed clocks at 66–87 body lengths per second, the equivalent of a human running at .3GyrfalconFlight-diving4White-throated needletail swiftFlightThe fastest flying bird in flapping flight.5Eurasian hobbyFlightCan sometimes outfly the swift.6Mexican free-tailed batFlightIt has been claimed to have the fastest horizontal speed (as opposed to stoop diving speed) of any animal.7FrigatebirdFlightThe frigatebird's high speed is helped by its having the largest wing-area-to-body-weight ratio of any bird.8Rock dove (pigeon)FlightPigeons have been clocked flying and normally average 50 to 60 mph(80 to 96 km/h)9Spur-winged gooseFlight10Black marlinBBC Worldwide (27-05-2008). Black marlin - the fastest fish on the planet. Ultimate Killers - BBC wildlife.SwimmingA hooked black marlin has been recorded stripping line off a fishing reel at .11Grey-headed albatrossSustained ground speed for approximately nine hours with no rest on high tailwinds during an Antarctic storm.Flight12CheetahLandFastest land animal, fastest feline, the cheetah can accelerate from 0 to in less than three seconds, "faster than a Ferrari", though endurance is limited. The highest speed reliably recorded for the species is 104 km/h (65 mph).13SailfishFlight-swimmingIn a series of tests carried out in a fishing cam at Long Key, Florida, United States, sailfish swam and leapt in 3 seconds, equivalent to a speed of , although this speed includes leaps out of the water, which do not strictly qualify as swimming speed.14Anna's hummingbirdCourtship dives of Anna's hummingbird offer insights into flight performance limitsFlightThe stated speed equals 276 body lengths per second, the highest known length-specific velocity attained by any vertebrate.15SwordfishSwimmingThe figure listed for the swordfish is based on a corrupted version of calculations made by Sir James Gray to estimate the impact speed necessary for a hypothetical swordfish to embed its sword 3 feet in the timbers of ships, as has been known to occur; the figure seems to have entered the literature without question as though someone had actually timed a swordfish at that speed.16OstrichLandThe ostrich is the fastest bird on land, as well as the fastest running animal on two legs. The highest reliably measured running speed for ostriches is , obtained by speedometer reading when a car was chasing an ostrich in a straight line chase to force it to move as fast as it could. Although there are reports of speeds of for ostriches, none are confirmed.17PronghornLandThe pronghorn (American antelope) is the fastest animal over long distances; it can run at for , and for . Pronghorns can reach a top speed of in favorable conditions (flat dry lake beds), and a top speed of normally. These speeds can only be achieved for short periods of time. They can reach speeds of in a 2–3 km course. Estimated by observing the odometer when the animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle.18SpringbokLandThe springbok, an antelope of the gazelle tribe in southern Africa, can make long jumps and sharp turns while running.19Quarter HorseLandThe American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at speeds up to .20Blue wildebeestLandThe wildebeest, an antelope, exists as two species: the blue wildebeest and the black wildebeest. Both are extremely fast runners, which allows them to flee from predators. They are better at maintaining endurance for long distances than at sprinting. Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road.21Thomson's gazelleNatural History Magazine (March 1974). The American Museum of Natural History; and James G. Doherty, general curator, The Wildlife Conservation SocietyLandThomson's gazelles, being long-distance runners, can escape cheetahs by sheer endurance. Their speed is partially due to their "stotting", or bounding leaps. Estimated by observing the odometer when an animal ran at its maximum speed, alongside a vehicle on a road.
Invertebrates AnimalMaximum recorded speedClassNotesAustrophlebia costalisFlightFastest verified insect flight.Members of Loliginidae and OmmastrephidaeFlight-swimmingMany of these species "fly" out of the water to escape danger. The Japanese flying squid can glide for 3 seconds over 30 metres. Tiger beetle Land The Australian tiger beetle, Rivacindela eburneola, is one of the fastest running insects in the world relative to body size, which has been recorded at or 171 body lengths per second. It can fly at . Paratarsotomus macropalpis Land 0.7 mm long mite endemic to Southern California, tracked running up to 322 body lengths per second, equivalent to a human running at around . Because of this feat, it is ranked the fastest animal on the planet relative to its body size. It can also achieve this speed across a concrete surface at a temperature of , which is lethal to many animals.Mite Paratarsotomus macropalpis is World's Fastest Terrestrial Animal, Study Says, Sci-News.com, 28 April 2014. Retrieved May 2014.
Fish Due to physical constraints, fish may be incapable of exceeding swim speeds of . The larger reported figures below are therefore highly questionable:
Animal Maximum recorded speedClassNotes Black marlin Swimming A hooked black marlin has been recorded stripping line off a fishing reel at . Sailfish Swimming In a series of tests carried out in a fishing cam at Long Key, Florida, United States, sailfish swam and leapt in 3 seconds, equivalent to a speed of , although this speed includes leaps out of the water, which do not strictly qualify as swimming speed. Swordfish Swimming The figure listed for the swordfish is based on a corrupted version of calculations made by Sir James Gray to estimate the impact speed necessary for a hypothetical swordfish to embed its sword 3 feet in the timbers of ships, as has been known to occur; the figure seems to have entered the literature without question as though someone had actually timed a swordfish at that speed.Yellowfin tuna Swimming Many tuna species are capable of swimming at fast speeds colloquially cited at around . The tails of tuna move fast enough to cause cavitation, which slows them down as vapour accumulates. Tuna have bony fins without nerve endings, which prevents the fish from feeling the pain of cavitation but does not fully protect them from the implosive damage.Shortfin mako shark Swimming Underwater and unimpeded by a fishing line, the Shortfin mako has been reliably clocked at , and there is a claim that one individual of this species achieved a burst speed of . But it is extremely difficult if not outright impossible to get a fish in the wild to swim in a straight line over a measured course. Laboratory measurements of numerous kinds of fishes – representing a wide range of body sizes – swimming against an artificial current have revealed a surprisingly uniform maximum burst speed of about 10 times the body length per second. Thus, for an average-sized, shortfin, its theoretical maximum speed might be something on the order of . Yet some estimates of the top-speed of a shortfin mako are considerably higher.Great white shark Swimming White sharks are estimated to swim but can sprint up to .
Amphibians AnimalMaximum recorded speedClass Notes Nauta salamanderLandAlso known as the Andean Salamander, it is the fastest amphibian recorded.
Reptiles Animal Maximum recorded speedClassNotesPerentieLandGenerally considered the fastest recorded reptile.Green Iguana Land Green Iguanas are large arboreal lizards capable of running at high speed on the ground.Leatherback sea turtle SwimmingThese turtles have the most hydrodynamic body design of any sea turtle, with a large, teardrop-shaped body.Costa Rican spiny-tailed iguanaLandOften cited as the world's fastest lizard in older sources.Six-lined racerunner Land A small lizard found throughout the Southern United States and Mexico.Black mambaLandKomodo dragon LandKomodo dragons can run briefly up to but prefer to hunt by stealth.
Birds