If you jumped off your couch right now and went for a run, odds are you’d be lucky to hit 10 mph. If you’re a sprinter, you might make it up to 15 mph. If you’re Usain Bolt (the greatest sprinter of all time), you might even be able to run fast enough to break the speed limit in a school zone.
Sadly for humans, we’re not even close to beating the speed record of the world’s fastest animals. In a foot race, the world’s fastest human can’t match up to most animals — not even a domestic cat! The fastest animals in the world can rival the speed of sprinters, cyclists and even cars on the freeway. On land, in the air and under the sea, these are 25 of the speediest creatures on Earth.
25. Coyote
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Scientific name: Canis latrans
Class: Mammal
Average speed: 30 miles per hour
Maximum speed: 40 miles per hour
Coyotes are one of the most familiar animals on this list. They’re common in the U.S., and they’re also one of the fastest animals in the country. Unlike dogs, they run with their tails down and have hardly any natural predators.
They eat whatever they can find, but they’re not complete savages, either. At night, they communicate with pack members using a series of distinctive calls, and they mate for life.
19. Yellowfin Tuna
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Scientific name: Thunnus albacares
Class: Amphibian, bird, fish, invertebrate, mammal or reptile
Average speed: 10 miles per hour
Maximum speed: 50 miles per hour
When you usually see tuna fish in a can, it’s hard to envision it as a fast animal. But the yellowfin tuna is actually one of the fastest sea animals. It cruises along fairly slowly, but tuna fish are more than capable of kicking into high gear when chased by a predator.
The key to their speed is that they’re warm-blooded, which is an uncommon trait in fish. Tunas also fold their fins into slots and engage two rows of small, stabilizing finlets to transform their bodies into living, breathing, predator-evading missiles.
16. Lion (Tie)
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Scientific name: Panthera leo
Class: Mammal
Average speed: 35 miles per hour
Maximum speed: 50 miles per hour
If you’ve ever seen a lion stalking its prey in the grass, you might wonder why it even bothers when it can run at 50 mph. Why not just chase your dinner, lion? Unfortunately for them, lions are fairly heavy-bodied cats.
They’re built for power and short bursts of speed, not long chases. Since they can’t run fast for long, they need to get as close to their prey as possible before closing in for the kill. They’re one of the fastest animals in Africa and the largest predator on the continent.
15. Blue Wildebeest
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Scientific name: Connochaetes taurinus
Class: Mammal
Average speed: 38 miles per hour
Maximum speed: 50 miles per hour
Much like antelopes and gazelles, the wildebeest is considered a tasty meal by some of the fastest, hungriest predators, particularly lions. Because of this, speed is essential to the wildebeest’s survival.
They’re known for having poor vision, but they can easily keep pace with lions once they realize they’re being stalked. They’re also more adept at running long distances than lions, and they practice their marathon skills on their annual migration.
14. Thomson’s Gazelle
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Scientific name: Eudorcas thomsonii
Class: Mammal
Average speed: 40 miles per hour
Maximum speed: 50 miles per hour
Gazelles are smaller than most people realize, but these diminutive creatures can reach their top speed of about 50 mph in less than 20 seconds.
While the gazelle is much slower than a cheetah, it’s still one of the fastest land animals, and it has a major advantage long distance. If it can evade a hungry cheetah for long enough, the big cat will tire out and give up. Since evasion is important to its survival, the Thompson’s gazelle is an expert at maneuvering.
9. Ostrich
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Scientific name: Struthio camelus
Class: Bird
Average speed: 45 miles per hour
Maximum speed: 60 miles per hour
Ostriches are the laughing stock of the bird world. They’ve been known to stick their heads in the sand when they’re scared, and their giant, poofy bodies and long necks look undeniably silly. Ostriches can’t fly, but they’re surprisingly superb sprinters.
They can sustain speeds of more than 30 miles an hour for miles upon miles, making them one of the fastest land animals on Earth. Pin an ostrich against Usain Bolt in a marathon, and the ostrich would win with ease. Funny fact: Ostriches are the only bird that secrete urine and feces separately.
7. Cheetah
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Scientific name: Acinonyx jubatus
Class: Mammal
Average speed: 50 miles per hour
Maximum speed: 75 miles per hour
Cheetahs are popularly said to be the fastest animal in the world. That’s not really the case, but they are one of the fastest land animals. Take one look at the cheetah, and you can see why it’s so good at running. It’s built like an Olympic sprinter: light, lean and with long, thin legs.
Everything about the cheetah contributes to its speed. The signature black stripes running down its face help reduce glare from the sun, and the cheetah’s claws serve to help the powerful cat grip the ground as it runs.
6. Gyrfalcon
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Scientific name: Falco rusticolus
Class: Bird
Average speed: 50-68 miles per hour
Maximum speed: 80 miles per hour
With a wingspan of up to 48 inches, the gyrfalcon is the biggest falcon ever discovered. Because of their massive size, gyrfalcons are top predators. Not many animals would dare try to take one down, aside from its competitor in the heavens, the golden eagle.
In a dive, these birds can reach incredible speeds, but they generally prefer to avoid diving, opting to catch their prey during sustained flight instead. Fun fact: To cool off and stay clean, gyrfalcons like to take baths in melting ice water.
5. Black Marlin
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Scientific name: Istiompax indica
Class: Fish
Average speed: 22 miles per hour
Maximum speed: 82 miles per hour
Few fish are as terrifying to run into as the black marlin. To start, the black marlin is massive. It’s about the size of a shark, reaching around 15 feet in length and over 1,500 pounds. If that’s not scary enough, they’re also the fastest sea animal in the world when they want to be.
Their streamlined body shape is wider in the middle and thin at the ends, so they slice through the water like a knife at speeds of up to 82 mph. They migrate for thousands of miles, but they’re most commonly found near islands and coral reefs in shallow waters.
4. Rock Dove
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Scientific name: Columba livia
Class: Bird
Average speed: 20-30 miles per hour
Maximum speed: 92.5 miles per hour
For looking so ordinary, the humble pigeon is surprisingly speedy and smart. They were initially raised for their meat, but when people realized their potential, they began domesticating them.
Pigeons were actually the first birds to be domesticated around 4,500 B.C. They have been trained to carry messages for centuries, and some of them have clocked speeds of nearly 100 mph. They might steal food off your plate, but being one of the fastest birds in the world is the reason they get away with it.
