15 FASTEST Creatures on Land

• Report rights infringement
• published: 05 Sep 2016
• views: 13010

Did you know elephants can run at speeds up to 25 miles per hour? From the bearded dragon, to the fastest animal on two legs, these are the 15 FASTEST Creatures on Land ! Black-Tailed Jackrabbit -- Also known as the American Desert Hare, the animal is common to the westerns US and Mexico … and can be found at elevations up to 10,000 feet. They can grow to 2 feet long and weigh around 6 pounds. They’re noted for their long, distinctive ears and powerful rear legs. Those legs can enable the animals to reach speeds up to 45 mph .. Greyhound -- Bred for coursing game and for racing, it’s no surprise this is the fastest breed of dog … they’re basically built for speed. But even though the dogs have been clocked at speeds up to 45 mph, they’ve been nicknamed the “45 mph Couch Potato”. That’s because the Greyhounds seem to really enjoy spending its time between races lounging on the couch. Lion -- The king of the jungle can reach speeds of 50 mph, but only in short bursts, and need to be close to their prey. That speed does make them deadly predators, but since the big cats hunt at night, they use cover of darkness to sneak up on victims before attacking. Did you know that lionesses are faster than the males, and usually do the lion’s share of the hunting? Thomson’s Gazelle -- They can run pretty fast, with sources indicating speeds from 43 to 50 mph… unfortunately, they’re a top dining choice of the cheetah, who shows up later in our list … but the gazelle have been known to escape their attackers through sheer endurance. Their bounding leaps, also known as ‘stotting’, adds to their speed. They graze in Kenya and Tanzania’s Serengeti region. The Springbok -- found mostly in southern and southwestern Africa, this medium sized antelope can weigh less than a 100 pounds and has a pair of black horns that curve backward. They’re known for a feat called ‘pronking’ … where the animals can jump as high as 13 feet in the air. Kind of gives you an idea why they’re called Springbok. When detecting predators with their sharp senses, Springbok can reach speeds up to 55 mph. While Springbok are not endangered they are often hunted by humans for their venison meat. The Pronghorn -- Indigenous to interior western and central North America, this animal is sometimes called the American antelope, but that’s a misnomer. It’s a species of artiodactyl mammal whose superfamily includes relatives like giraffes and okapi. Pronghorn get their name for their backward-curving horns that split to form prongs that point forward … some horns measure more than a foot long. Able to attain speeds up to 55 mph, these animals can travel for miles at half that speed. It’s thought to be the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. … and is often cited as the second fastest land mammal next to the Cheetah … so why is it third on this list? Because our research indicated the Pronghorn top speed is difficult to accurately measure and varies between individuals … and in terms of top speed attained -- including short bursts -- it actually came in behind the Ostrich, as we’ll detail forthwith. Ostrich -- We did say this is a list of fastest animals on land, right? Well this African bird gets included by virtue of it being flightless. It’s the largest living species of bird and also lays the biggest eggs of any bird … that would make sense. But it doesn’t lay an egg when it comes to speed. Even though they can weigh over 300 pounds, it can haul it’s 9-foot tall body up to 60 mph. According to our research, the big birds can actually sprint along at speeds up to 45 mph, and reach peak speeds of 60 mph for short periods … which would make it the fastest animal on two legs! That’s why we’re placing the Ostrich number 2 on our list. Does that make sense or did we lay an egg? Let us know in the comments! Cheetah -- Well, there’s no disputing our number one choice for fastest animal on the land … and thankfully, all our sources agreed! Also known as the hunting leopard, this big cat shows up mostly in eastern and southern Africa and various regions of Iran. In contrast to other big cats, the Cheetah is slender and lightly built and weighing up to 160 pounds … it’s essentially geared to run. It’s known for its coat which is covered with almost 2,000 solid black spots. And of course, this animal is known for it’s speed. Hunting during the day, the Cheetah will stalk its prey, getting as close as possible before attacking. They’ll reach speeds averaging 40 mph during a chase, with short bursts up to 75 mph. Did you know the Cheetah can accelerate from 0 to 47 mph in just 2 seconds? With all that amazing speed, why aren’t there any cars named after this fastest of all land animals? Subscribe to Epic Wildlife http://goo.gl/6rzs5u Let's Connect -- http://www.epicadamwildlife.com/ -- http://www.facebook.com/epicadamwildlife -- http://www.twitter.com/epicwildlife -- http://gplus.to/epicwildlife