Animals Birds Fish Insects Mammals Reptiles Top 10

The fastest animals – birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and insects

The fastest birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and insects

Some time ago we prepared, gradually supplemented, the world’s biggest statement of the fastest animals. Recently we have presented a list of the fastest animals on land, in water and in the air. Today’s list includes the fastest animals in the following groups: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects.

The fastest birds

We all know perfectly well that birds reign in the sky and although some insects can fly at speeds above 100 km/h, nothing can threaten their dominance. Birds are also the fastest animals in general.

No	Animal	Top Speed [km/h]	Top speed [mph]	Class	Where
1	Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)	389	242	bird	air
2	Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)	320	199	bird	air
3	Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)	209	130	bird	air
4	Common Swift (Apus apus)	171	106	bird	air
5	Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo)	160	100	bird	air
6	Frigatebird	153	95	bird	air
7	Rock dove / rock pigeon (Columba livia)	149	92.5	bird	air
8	Spur-winged goose (Plectropterus gambensis)	142	88	bird	air
9	Grey-headed albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma)	127	79	bird	air
10	Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna)	98	61	bird	air
11	Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus)	72	45	bird	land
12	Greater rhea (Rhea americana)	60	37	bird	land
13	Darwin’s rhea (Rhea pennata)	60	37	bird	land
14	Cassowary (Casuarius)	50	31	bird	land
15	Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)	48	30	bird	land
16	Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua)	35	22	bird	water
17	Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)	32	20	bird	land

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The fastest fish

The seas, lakes and oceans are full of various creatures. The largest among them are mammals – we all probably know huge whales or predatory killer whales. However, the fish swim fastest. Below we present a list of the fastest fish. The fastest of them, swim faster than the cheetah runs.

No	Animal	Top Speed [km/h]	Top speed [mph]	Class	Where
1	Black marlin (Istiompax indica)	130	81	fish	water
2	Indo-Pacific sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus)	110	68	fish	water
3	Sailfish	109	68	fish	water
4	Swordfish (Xiphias gladius)	97	60	fish	water
5	Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri)	97	60	fish	water
6	Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)	80	50	fish	water
7	Striped marlin (Kajikia audax)	80	50	fish	water
8	Shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus)	72	45	fish	water
9	Flying fish	70	44	fish	water
10	Blue shark (Prionace glauca)	69	43	fish	water
11	Bonefish (Albula vulpes)	64	40	fish	water
12	Barracuda	43	27	fish	water

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The fastest mammals

No	Animal	Top Speed [km/h]	Top speed [mph]	Class	Where
1	Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)	120	75	mammal	land
2	Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis)	100	62	mammal	land
3	Free-tailed bat	97	60	mammal	air
4	Thomson’s gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii)	94	59	mammal	land
5	Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)	89	55	mammal	land
6	Quarter Horse	88	55	mammal	land
7	Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)	80	50	mammal	land
8	Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra)	80	50	mammal	land
9	Serval (Leptailurus serval)	80	50	mammal	land
10	Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica)	80	50	mammal	land
11	Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)	80	50	mammal	land
12	Caracal (Caracal caracal)	80	50	mammal	land
13	Cougar (Puma concolor)	80	50	mammal	land
14	Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra)	80	50	mammal	land
15	Hare	80	50	mammal	land
16	Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)	76	47	mammal	land
17	Virginia deer (Odocoileus virginianus)	75	47	mammal	land
18	Dog Greyhound	74	46	mammal	land
19	Black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)	72	45	mammal	land
20	Elk, Wapiti (Cervus canadensis)	72	45	mammal	land
21	African wild dog (Lycaon pictus)	71	44	mammal	land
22	Kangaroo (Macropus)	70	44	mammal	land
23	Gray wolf (Canis lupus)	70	44	mammal	land
24	Onager (Equus hemionus)	69	43	mammal	land

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The fastest reptiles

No	Animal	Top Speed [km/h]	Top speed [mph]	Class	Where
1	Perentie (Varanus giganteus)	40	25	reptile	land
2	Bearded dragon (Pogona)	40	25	reptile	land
3	Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)	35	22	reptile	water
4	Green iguana (Iguana iguana)	35	22	reptile	land
5	Lizard Six-lined Racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus)	32	20	reptile	land
6	Alligator	24	15	reptile	land
7	Snake black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)	23	14	reptile	land
8	Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis)	21	13	reptile	land
9	Freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnsoni)	17	10	reptile	land
10	Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)	0.3	0.2	reptile	land

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The fastest insects

No	Animal	Top Speed [km/h]	Top speed [mph]	Class	Where
1	Horse fly	140	87	insect	air
2	Moth Dark sword-grass (Agrotis ipsilon)	110	69	insect	air
3	Dragonfly	39	24	insect	air
4	Housefly	7	4	insect	air
5	Mosquito	2	1.2	insect	air