fastest animal

[everythingis]

what is the fastest animal in the world

[bazwillrun]

depends on how you want to define fastest, top speed, relative to size, acceleration etc.

Anyway i seem to remember somewhere reading that there was some tiny fish, might be one of the cicida, cant remember exactly. But taking into account its size and a few other things they reckoned there wasnt much to beat it on land or in the water over a particular distance .

On land i believe the cheetah is the fastest reaching a top speed of around 70mph 

[bazwillrun]

hit the return key by mistake hadnt finished.

In the air theres birds that reach over a 100mph in dives.

So if you just want a top speed with a big number i'm pretty sure its a bird cant recall which one though, some sort of bird of prey.

[sddsddean]

A Peregrine Falcon in a stoop (Diving on its prey) has been clocked at 115mph.

[burnhal]

they have been reprted at speeds faster than that in a stoop- up to 175 mph but its open to argument and interpretation. In level flight the spine-tailed swift wins at some 106mph

[kev100]

The falcon in a dive isn't really a valid answer, a hippo would achieve a speed of 120 mph if you dropped it out of a plane.

It has been claimed that the cheetah can reach speeds of 70mph although many experts disagree and say 60mph is more likely.

I dont know which side is right but if it's the 60mph lot then the fastest animal on four legs would be the American Pronghorn antelope which has been clocked at 62mph which it sustained for more than two miles, whereas if the cheetah doesn't catch what it's chasing within 300/400 yards it gives up.

No doubt this question will be around for a long time yet.

[landie]

I agree with the last answer, otherwise you would have to include man, whether skydiving or falling from a great height.

[charliep88]

I agree with the fellow who stated that a perigrine falcons speed would be a valid test of speed since it is in its own environment and can control its speed and successfully catch its prey, whereas a hippo would be just flopping around quite awkwardly til it splattered on some unfortunate bloke minding his own business perhaps enjoying a draught or two so there

[Jay70]

kev100 and landie - I would have thought that its pretty darn obvious the question is related to an animal reaching a top speed by self propultion or as a consequence of it's normal habits..  Unless Hippo's have developed liking for extreme sports or man has intervened then I think its pretty unlikely you're going to find one dropping out of an aircraft.

[kev100]

Jay that was my point a falcon in a dive doesn't reach that speed under it's own propulsion, it is gravity assisted.

[Jay70]

No Kev100 -  but is does as a consequence of it's normal habbits.