In the wild, speed is an extremely important aspect of survival. Predators are forced to outnumber their prey in running, otherwise, hunger threatens, while victims need to dodge their predators in order not to become prey.
Some slow animals are forced to show high ingenuity and intelligence to survive and avoid danger. Man, thanks to his ingenuity, has risen to the top of the food chain and can not worry about the speed of his movement. Well, with the help of your ingenuity, you can also get the best online casino payouts today.
On the Ground
The Fastest Animal
The cheetah is the fastest of the land animals. It can accelerate to 110 km/h in just 3 seconds thanks to its body structure, which is adapted for a quick chase of prey. Large nasal cavities, enlarged heart, and lungs allow it to saturate the blood with large volumes of oxygen, and non-retractable claws provide excellent grip. The powerful tail serves as a steering wheel, which allows you to instantly change the direction of movement. Cheetahs use their speed to successfully hunt prey, which at short distances has almost no chance to escape. These cats have excellent acceleration and starting speed, they run a distance of 100 meters in 6 seconds. Cheetahs have been tamed and used for hunting since ancient times, but because they practically do not breed in captivity, they constantly had to catch, tame and train new animals.
The Slowest Animal
The sloth is the slowest of the vertebrates. It spends most of its life in trees, where it feeds on green leaves. Sloths do not have a heat regulation system, so they can only live in hot tropical climates. On trees they move at a speed of 3 m/ min, and on the ground – 1.5 m / min. Sloths rarely come down to the ground to relieve themselves, and they do it only once a week. However, in the water element, they transform and become skilled swimmers, able to reach speeds of up to 4 km / h thanks to their stomach and slow metabolism.
In the Sky
The Fastest Animal
The needle–tailed swift and peregrine falcon are the fastest birds living in the sky. The swift is a small bird that weighs about 100 grams and lives in Asia and Australia. It can accelerate up to 170 km/h, which helps it to hunt for insects and escape from predators. The needle-tailed swift flies only in a flock and never lands on the ground. His flight is combined, and he is very silent. The swift hunts above the water surface or flies above the ground at a height of at least 1 meter. Its food is various insects, which it feeds on during the day or in the evening.
The peregrine falcon is an incredibly fast and strong hunter that can accelerate up to 360 km/h when diving for prey. This bird is the king of vertical flight and is considered one of the most intelligent and cunning birds. Peregrine falcons successfully survive in many parts of the world, except Antarctica, and are easy to train. In the past, they were used to entertain princes on falconry, and today a properly trained bird is a real rarity.
The Slowest Animal
The woodcock or woodcock is the slowest bird on the planet. It lives in the forests of the subarctic and temperate climatic zone and feeds on earthworms. Due to its protective coloration, woodcock can hide from predators and hunters. This large bird has a length of up to 40 cm, a wingspan of 55-60 cm, and weighs about 0.5 kg. The flight speed of the woodcock is only 8 km/h, which makes it the slowest bird in the world.
