If asked which animal is the fastest, of course we all have to answer ‘cheetah’ which can run between 80 and 130 kilometers per hour. But if we do not count that these animals have to ‘run’, we will find that the umbrella fish can reach speeds of up to 110 kilometers per hour in the water. But in the sky, it is more interesting than you think.
If you search for the fastest animal in the world, you will find the name ‘Peregrine Falcon’.
The Peregrine Falcon is one of the world’s most powerful predators, especially in terms of its vertical flight speed, which allows it to reach an average speed of up to 320 kilometers per hour.
But the peregrine falcon’s highest recorded speed is 389 kilometers per hour. It can be said that no other creature on Earth can compete with this speed.
In straight-line flight, peregrine falcons fly at speeds of around 40 to 55 kilometers per hour, and can reach speeds of up to 112 kilometers per hour when chasing prey. But their true power is revealed when they dive vertically, taking advantage of Earth’s gravity to help them.
But if we only measure horizontal speed, the title of fastest animal may change.
Swallows are generally considered to be the fastest horizontal flyers in the world. Bats, on the other hand, are slower flyers, as the anatomy of bat wings creates more drag. They are generally considered to be slower flyers than birds.
But there is one type of bat that can reach incredible speeds.
A new study has found that Brazilian free-tailed bats have recorded horizontal flight speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour, faster than any bird known to man.
To measure the bats’ speed, researchers attached small radio transmitters to the backs of seven bats, one per night, and flew a Cessna 172 plane from an airport near the bat cave to track them.
By tracking radio signals, they were able to measure the bats’ flight paths, and they found that in short periods of time, they were able to reach record speeds.
This means that Brazilian free-tailed bats can fly horizontally at speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour faster than other birds, including swallows and peregrine falcons.
Now it all comes down to which animal you consider to be the fastest in the world: the peregrine falcon, which has the fastest vertical flight, or the Brazilian bat, which has the fastest horizontal flight.
