What is the fastest land animal?
The cheetah is the fastest land animal. It can sprint at about 100 to 110 km/h (60 to 70 mph), but only for short bursts of around 20 to 30 seconds.
Cheetahs are built for speed. They have a light body, long legs, a very flexible spine that works like a spring and large nostrils and lungs that take in lots of oxygen. Their claws only partly retract, giving them grip like the spikes on running shoes, and their long tail helps them steer during sharp turns.
A cheetah can go from standing still to about 95 km/h (60 mph) in roughly three seconds, faster than most sports cars. A running cheetah covers up to about 7 meters with each stride.
Why they cannot run for long
Sprinting makes a cheetah's body temperature rise quickly, and it uses huge amounts of energy. After a chase it must rest, which is when lions and hyenas sometimes steal its meal. Over long distances, other animals win: the pronghorn of North America can keep up speeds of about 55 km/h (35 mph) for several kilometers.
Did You Know?
The fastest bird, the peregrine falcon, is quicker still: it can pass 300 km/h (186 mph) in a hunting dive. On land, after the cheetah, the pronghorn, springbok and wildebeest are among the fastest runners.