Each animal on the planet has its own element, someone swims, someone flies, someone moves on the ground in various ways. For some of them, speed does not play a big role, for others it is a vital advantage. If we talk about the fastest runners, then the record holder is a long-legged cheetah, capable of speeds up to 115 km / h.
50 km / h is not a problem
Moving daily at a fairly low speed, many animals in case of danger can turn on the special reserves of their bodies and achieve incredible performance. So, a hare-hare, running away from a predator pursuing it, is able to accelerate to a speed of 60 km / h, which often saves it from the teeth of a fox or a wolf. Such speed is not available to these predators and helps the hare to escape, remaining safe and sound.
However, the hare is not the fastest runner on the planet. During the pursuit of the beast, the greyhound develops a speed of up to 64 km / h. This allows her to pursue such fast animals as the elk, which is capable of running at speeds up to 70 km / h.
Over 80 km / h
Thompson's gazelle is capable of running at a speed slightly exceeding 80 km / h. She needs this in order not to become a dinner for predators. The Wildebeest, which also tries to break away from its pursuers at a speed of 80 km / h, can be compared with it.
The king of all animals, the lion, is not inferior to them. Its speed is comparable to that of a gazelle and antelope, but the cunning and heavy predator practically does not use it, preferring collective hunting and careful sneaking up to its prey.
Among all these sprinters, the horned antelope stands out, which can accelerate to a speed of 100 km / h and maintain it for several minutes, and after that it can move at a speed of 60 km / h for about half an hour. A strong enduring heart in many cases helps the antelope to leave its pursuers with nothing. Among all the representatives of the animal world, she would be a champion, if not for another runner.
Champion
The cheetah is the fastest animal on the planet. It is capable of accelerating to 115 km / h, which is an absolute record. This predator is so swift that in just 2 seconds it reaches a speed of 70 km / h and already in this calmly outstrips almost all representatives of the animal world.
The streamlined silhouette of this wild cat, powerful paws, no fat deposits and a comfortable weight (only about 50 kg) are ideal conditions for developing high speeds.
But the incredibly fast sprinter cheetah can run at high speed for no more than 15 seconds, after which it takes a significant amount of time to recuperate. That is why this predator needs swiftness, because if the cheetah does not catch up with its prey on the first try, then the second can wait for a very long time. If the victim managed not to fall into the clutches of the beast in the first half a minute, the cheetah will not chase her, because he simply does not have enough strength for it.
