Book 33, Question 92
How fast is the fastest land mammal?
A cheetah’s long legs, flexible spine, and big lungs help it.
The cheetah is the fastest, with bursts of about 60 to 70 miles per hour. It can only keep that speed for a short time, and then it needs to rest. The pronghorn antelope can run fast for longer, at about 35 miles per hour. Fast animals have different kinds of speed.
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Quick answers
How fast is the fastest land mammal?
Cheetahs hold the title of the world’s fastest land animal and can reach a top speed of 70 miles per hour.
Source: National Geographic
More fun facts
- A cheetah can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only three seconds, which is faster than most cars.
- Cheetahs can run up to 70 miles per hour, but usually only chase their prey at about half that speed.
- Using this technique plus the grip with their claws, cheetahs are able to manuever at high speeds.
- Larger animals, for example, exhaust their muscles more quickly while accelerating, and thus top out more quickly than lighter mid-sized animals such cheetahs.
Sources: National Geographic, ND