Research shows that human beings can run as fast as 40 mph but the sprint speed is approximately 13 mph. Adult eagles can have up to a 7-foot wingspan. Here are some of the fastest animals in the world. Their long pointed wings with powerful muscles give them great speed. The falcon is a very adept hunter due in large part to its tremendous diving speed. Female cats in heat, including African and Asian lions, will copulate with multiple partners up to several hundred times in … It can also dive to a depth of over 2,000 feet. It is not easy to measure how fast different animals run, partly because most of the animals are wild and partly because of the varying speed between individuals. it can maintain the maximum speed for 500 meters and can accelerate from 0 to 110 km/h in less than five seconds. It is both the fastest animal on the planet as well as the fastest bird. The Peregrine falcon is the fastest member of the animal kingdom and the fastest aerial animal. This qualifies them as among the fastest animals in flight. They can also turn mid-air while sprinting, making it difficult for the prey to outrun them by changing direction. Alastair Pollock Photography/Getty Images. Though not quite as fast as the peregrine falcon, eagles are able to reach diving speeds of approximately 200 miles per hour. The fastest land animal is the cheetah, which has a recorded speed of between 109.4 km/h (68.0 mph) and 120.7 km/h (75.0 mph). Black Marlin is the fastest fish in the world and can swim faster than a cheetah can run. In addition to their speed, they are also known as great jumpers. The golden eagle has a great vision and can spot its prey at an altitude of 10,000 feet. It can soar in the air for long while looking for the prey. They have a high aerobic capacity so are able to efficiently use oxygen. The absolute fastest animal on the planet is the peregrine falcon. How about the fastest bird or the fastest animal in the ocean? While humans can't reach anywhere near the speeds of the fastest animals, for comparison purposes, humans can reach top speeds of approximately 25 miles per hour. Regina Bailey is a board-certified registered nurse, science writer and educator. According to the new modern methods, humans can predict the speed of animals with almost 90% accuracy. For many years, scientists held white-throated needletail swift as the fastest-flying bird in the world at a flight speed of up to 169 km/h. Woolly spider monkey males line up peaceably to take their turns with females who are in heat. Birds have an advantage when it comes to speed for obvious reasons. It is capable of attaining a speed of up to 389 km/h while stooping. No matter an animal's habitat or position on the food chain, speed is an adaptation that can mean the difference between survival or extinction. The Peregrine falcon is the fastest member of the animal kingdom and the fastest aerial animal. Others would also put the swordfish in this category suggesting that they can reach similar speeds. However, rather than spearing other fish, they typically slice their prey to make them easier to catch. The fastest animal on land is the cheetah. It is capable of attaining a speed of up to 389 km/h while stooping. Cheetah prey have to have a number of adaptations to try to avoid this speedy predator on the savanna. As observed in nature, some animals are amazingly fast while other animals are amazingly slow. Black Marlins are often sought after for sport because of their size and speed. Compared to a sprinting cheetah, a pronghorn would be akin to a marathon runner. Wildlife speed cameras are commonly used to measure the speed of animals but sometimes the animal may disappear from the vicinity of the camera. Domesticated female cattle display their readiness to mate by mounting each other, which signals the bulls to come running. They're strong, no doubt, but the largest land animals — giraffes, elephants, hippos — are not the fastest runners. When separated from their mates, titi monkeys exhibit "significant distress and agitation." Cheetahs tire quickly so are only able to maintain their top speed for short sprints. A predator must run faster than its prey or it dies of hunger and the prey must run faster than the predator or it becomes a meal. The cheetah has a long stride and a flexible body, both of which are ideal for sprinting. Both can reach speeds of around 70 miles per hour (or more). Fastest organism. They are typically blue to gray in color with a white underbelly. Some researchers say the sailfish, while others say the black marlin. There is somewhat of a quandary concerning the fastest animal in the ocean. Also in contention for the fastest animal in the ocean, black marlin have hard pectoral fins and are usually found in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Swordfish can be found in the Pacific and Indian oceans as well as the Atlantic ocean.