The fastest mammals
On land, speed is for two things: catching prey, or not becoming prey. Here are the sprinters of the mammal world, from the all-time champion to the surprises of the ranking.
- 1
Cheetah100 to 110 km/h
The fastest of all: it goes from 0 to about 100 km/h in 3 seconds, but only keeps it up for a few hundred metres.
- 2
Springbokabout 90 km/h
This southern African antelope runs almost as fast as its fastest predator.
- 3
Pronghornabout 88 km/h
North America's champion, able to hold a high speed far longer than the cheetah.
- 4
Thomson's gazelleabout 80 km/h
Light and nimble, it relies on sharp turns as much as on speed to escape hunters.
- 5
Blackbuckabout 80 km/h
One of Asia's fastest antelopes, at home on the open plains of India.
- 6
European hareabout 70 km/h
The sprinter of our countryside: its long hind legs make it one of Europe's quickest mammals.
- 7
Red kangarooabout 70 km/h
It doesn't run, it bounds. The world's largest marsupial moves in leaps, barely touching the ground.
- 8
Coyoteabout 65 km/h
Fast and tireless, this cousin of the wolf hunts alone as well as in small groups.
- 9
Brown bearabout 50 km/h
The surprise of the ranking: despite its bulk, it runs faster than a human sprinter.
Quiz question
How quickly does the cheetah go from 0 to about 100 km/h?
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