Animals
Fastest Animals
25 of the fastest animals on Earth across mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and insects, with maximum recorded speeds and conservation status.
animalsspeedwildliferecords
25 of 25 rows
Animal↕ | Type↕ | Max Speed (km/h)↕ | Habitat↕ | Notable Fact↕ | Conservation Status↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peregrine Falcon | bird | 389 | Worldwide, cliffs and cities | Fastest animal on Earth in a hunting dive (stoop) | Least Concern |
| Golden Eagle | bird | 320 | North America, Europe, Asia | Can spot prey from over 3 km away | Least Concern |
| White-throated Needletail | bird | 170 | Asia, Australia | Fastest bird in level flight | Least Concern |
| Eurasian Hobby | bird | 160 | Europe, Asia, Africa | Can catch swallows and dragonflies mid-flight | Least Concern |
| Cheetah | mammal | 120 | African savanna | Fastest land animal; reaches top speed in 3 seconds | Vulnerable |
| Sailfish | fish | 110 | Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans | Fastest fish in the ocean | Least Concern |
| Pronghorn Antelope | mammal | 98 | North American grasslands | Fastest sustained runner over long distances | Least Concern |
| Spur-winged Goose | bird | 142 | Sub-Saharan Africa | One of the fastest flying birds; also venomous | Least Concern |
| Black Marlin | fish | 105 | Tropical Indo-Pacific | Among the fastest fish; prized game fish | Data Deficient |
| Springbok | mammal | 88 | Southern African plains | Performs characteristic leaping display called pronking | Least Concern |
| Quarter Horse | mammal | 88 | Domesticated worldwide | Fastest horse breed over short distances (quarter mile) | Domesticated |
| Blue Wildebeest | mammal | 80 | East and Southern Africa | Undertakes one of the largest annual migrations | Least Concern |
| Lion | mammal | 80 | Sub-Saharan Africa, Gir Forest India | Fastest big cat over short bursts | Vulnerable |
| Thomson's Gazelle | mammal | 80 | East African grasslands | Primary prey of cheetahs; zigzags to escape | Least Concern |
| Brown Hare | mammal | 77 | Europe, Western Asia | Can outrun most predators with sharp turns | Least Concern |
| Grey-headed Albatross | bird | 127 | Southern Ocean | Fastest recorded level flight over sustained distance | Endangered |
| Greyhound | mammal | 74 | Domesticated worldwide | Fastest dog breed; bred for coursing and racing | Domesticated |
| Swordfish | fish | 97 | Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Oceans | Uses its bill to slash and stun prey fish | Least Concern |
| Ostrich | bird | 70 | African savanna and desert | Fastest running bird; also the largest living bird | Least Concern |
| Dragonfly | insect | 56 | Worldwide near freshwater | One of the fastest insects; can fly in all six directions | Varies by species |
| Kangaroo | mammal | 71 | Australia | Uses tail as counterbalance for high-speed hopping | Least Concern |
| African Wild Dog | mammal | 71 | Sub-Saharan Africa | Most successful predator by hunt success rate (80%) | Endangered |
| Leatherback Sea Turtle | reptile | 35 | All tropical and temperate oceans | Fastest reptile; dives deeper than any other turtle | Vulnerable |
| Green Iguana | reptile | 35 | Central and South America | Can run on hind legs to escape predators | Least Concern |
| Horsefly | insect | 145 | Worldwide | Among the fastest flying insects | Least Concern |
Loading community rankings...