Animal Speeds: How Fast Animals Run, Swim and Fly
Top speeds are among the least reliable animal statistics, because they are rarely measured under controlled conditions and the most quotable number tends to get repeated. The figures here are maximum burst speeds from the better-supported end of the range, with a note on how each is achieved: running, swimming, level flight or a dive.
214 animals, A–Z. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Animal | Class | Top speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| African Buffalo | Mammals | 56 km/h (35 mph) | run: top speed in a charge |
| African Elephant | Mammals | 25–40 km/h (15–25 mph) | run: about 25 km/h measured in studies; 40 km/h is a commonly quoted top speed |
| African Grey Parrot | Birds | — | |
| African Spurred Tortoise | Reptiles | — | |
| African Wild Dog | Mammals | 66 km/h (41 mph) | run: top speed during a chase; can hold about 50 km/h for several kilometers |
| Alpaca | Mammals | — | |
| American Alligator | Reptiles | 32 km/h (20 mph) | swim: short bursts in water; about 18 km/h in a brief rush on land |
| American Bison | Mammals | 56 km/h (35 mph) | run: top speed; can keep up a fast gallop for long distances |
| American Black Bear | Mammals | 48 km/h (30 mph) | run: short sprints |
| American Bullfrog | Amphibians | — | |
| American Crow | Birds | — | |
| American Lobster | Invertebrates | — | |
| American Robin | Birds | 32–58 km/h (20–36 mph) | fly: level flight, including migration |
| American Toad | Amphibians | — | |
| Andean Condor | Birds | — | |
| Arctic Fox | Mammals | — | |
| Asian Elephant | Mammals | about 25 km/h (15 mph) | run: fastest speed measured in a scientific study; higher figures are sometimes quoted |
| Asian Giant Hornet | Invertebrates | up to about 40 km/h (25 mph) | fly: widely cited top flight speed |
| Atlantic Bluefin Tuna | Fish | roughly 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph) | swim: estimated physical ceiling for short bursts from hydrodynamic studies; the often-quoted 70–100 km/h has never been measured |
| Atlantic Puffin | Birds | 77–88 km/h (48–55 mph) | fly: level flight low over the sea, with up to 400 wingbeats a minute |
| Atlantic Salmon | Fish | — | |
| Axolotl | Amphibians | — | |
| Bactrian Camel | Mammals | up to 65 km/h (40 mph) | run: short bursts; they rarely run |
| Bald Eagle | Birds | 56–70 km/h (35–43 mph) | fly: level flight; dives are estimated at up to about 160 km/h (100 mph) |
| Ball Python | Reptiles | — | |
| Barn Owl | Birds | — | |
| Beluga Sturgeon | Fish | — | |
| Beluga Whale | Mammals | up to 22 km/h (14 mph) | swim: short bursts; normally swims at 3–9 km/h |
| Betta Fish | Fish | — | |
| Black Garden Ant | Invertebrates | — | |
| Black Mamba | Reptiles | about 16 km/h (10 mph) | move: short bursts over open ground; figures of 20 km/h are also quoted, and higher claims are exaggerated |
| Black Rhinoceros | Mammals | 55 km/h (34 mph) | run: short charges |
| Blue Whale | Mammals | over 32 km/h (20 mph) in bursts | swim: short bursts; normally cruises at about 8 km/h |
| Blue Wildebeest | Mammals | 80 km/h (50 mph) | run: top speed when fleeing predators |
| Boa Constrictor | Reptiles | — | |
| Bobcat | Mammals | about 48 km/h (30 mph) | run: short bursts; commonly cited figure |
| Bonobo | Mammals | — | |
| Bornean Orangutan | Mammals | — | |
| Bottlenose Dolphin | Mammals | 30–35 km/h (18–22 mph) | swim: short bursts; normally travels at 5–11 km/h |
| Bowhead Whale | Mammals | about 10 km/h (6 mph) | swim: when fleeing; normally travels at 2–6 km/h |
| Brown Rat | Mammals | about 13 km/h (8 mph) | run: short dashes; commonly cited estimate |
| Brown-Throated Sloth | Mammals | about 0.24 km/h (0.15 mph) | move: about 4 m per minute; slightly faster in trees when alarmed |
| Budgerigar | Birds | — | |
| Buff-Tailed Bumblebee | Invertebrates | 11–16 km/h (7–10 mph) | fly: typical foraging flight, about 3–4.5 m/s; approximate |
| Bull Shark | Fish | about 40 km/h (25 mph) | swim: commonly cited estimate for short bursts; not rigorously measured |
| Burmese Python | Reptiles | — | |
| California Sea Lion | Mammals | up to 40 km/h (25 mph) | swim: short bursts; cruising speed is around 15–18 km/h |
| Canada Goose | Birds | about 64 km/h (40 mph) | fly: cruising level flight on migration; faster with a tailwind |
| Cane Toad | Amphibians | — | |
| Capybara | Mammals | 35 km/h (22 mph) | run: short sprints on land |
| Cat | Mammals | 48 km/h (30 mph) | run: short sprints |
| Central Bearded Dragon | Reptiles | — | |
| Cheetah | Mammals | 93–104 km/h (58–65 mph) | run: reliably measured top speeds over short sprints; often-quoted figures of 112–120 km/h are estimates |
| Chicken | Birds | about 14 km/h (9 mph) | run: short dashes on the ground; chickens fly only a few meters at a time |
| Chimpanzee | Mammals | about 40 km/h (25 mph) | run: short bursts on all fours; approximate |
| Chinese Giant Salamander | Amphibians | — | |
| Cockatiel | Birds | — | |
| Common Earthworm | Invertebrates | — | |
| Common Octopus | Invertebrates | — | |
| Common Ostrich | Birds | 70 km/h (43 mph) | run: short sprints; about 50 km/h can be sustained over longer distances |
| Common Raven | Birds | — | |
| Common Starfish | Invertebrates | — | |
| Common Swift | Birds | up to 112 km/h (69 mph) | fly: level flight; cruises at 36–43 km/h, with 111.6 km/h measured during display flights |
| Common Vampire Bat | Mammals | about 4 km/h (2.5 mph) on the ground | run: bounding run on the ground, measured at about 1.1 m/s; flight speed is not well documented |
| Common Warthog | Mammals | 48 km/h (30 mph) | run: top sprint |
| Common Wasp | Invertebrates | — | |
| Common Wombat | Mammals | 40 km/h (25 mph) | run: short bursts |
| Cougar | Mammals | 64–80 km/h (40–50 mph) | run: short sprints |
| Cow | Mammals | about 40 km/h (25 mph) | run: short bursts; commonly cited figure |
| Coyote | Mammals | 56–64 km/h (35–40 mph) | run: top speed when chasing prey or fleeing |
| Dog | Mammals | 24–72 km/h (15–45 mph) | run: most breeds 24–48 km/h; racing greyhounds reach about 72 km/h |
| Donkey | Mammals | — | |
| Dromedary Camel | Mammals | 40–65 km/h (25–40 mph) | run: about 65 km/h in short bursts, around 40 km/h sustained in races |
| Eastern Gray Squirrel | Mammals | about 32 km/h (20 mph) | run: short dashes; commonly cited estimate |
| Eastern Newt | Amphibians | — | |
| Electric Eel | Fish | — | |
| Elk | Mammals | 64–72 km/h (40–45 mph) | run: top speed in short bursts |
| Emperor Dragonfly | Invertebrates | about 36 km/h (22 mph) | fly: about 10 m/s, the top speed reliably measured for large dragonflies; higher claims are unverified |
| Emperor Penguin | Birds | 6–9 km/h (4–6 mph) | swim: normal underwater cruising; short bursts are faster |
| Emperor Scorpion | Invertebrates | — | |
| Emu | Birds | 48 km/h (30 mph) | run: sprinting; emus cannot fly |
| European Hare | Mammals | 70 km/h (43 mph) | run: top speed when fleeing |
| European Hedgehog | Mammals | about 7 km/h (4 mph) | run: short bursts; approximate figure |
| European Mantis | Invertebrates | — | |
| Fennec Fox | Mammals | — | |
| Fire Salamander | Amphibians | — | |
| Galápagos Tortoise | Reptiles | about 0.3 km/h (0.2 mph) | move: normal walking pace |
| Garden Snail | Invertebrates | about 0.047 km/h (0.03 mph) | move: top speed of about 1.3 cm per second; usually much slower |
| Giant Anteater | Mammals | about 50 km/h (31 mph) | run: short gallop; commonly cited estimate |
| Giant Clam | Invertebrates | — | |
| Giant Manta Ray | Fish | about 14–35 km/h (9–22 mph) | swim: commonly cited cruising speed to short escape bursts; estimates, not precise measurements |
| Giant Panda | Mammals | 32 km/h (20 mph) | run: commonly cited top speed in brief bursts; pandas rarely run |
| Giant Squid | Invertebrates | — | |
| Gila Monster | Reptiles | — | |
| Giraffe | Mammals | 60 km/h (37 mph) | run: short sprints; about 50 km/h sustained |
| Goat | Mammals | — | |
| Golden Eagle | Birds | 45–52 km/h (28–32 mph) | fly: normal level soaring flight; hunting dives are far faster, with estimates of 240–320 km/h |
| Golden Poison Frog | Amphibians | — | |
| Goldfish | Fish | — | |
| Goliath Birdeater | Invertebrates | — | |
| Goliath Frog | Amphibians | — | |
| Gray Wolf | Mammals | 50–60 km/h (31–37 mph) | run: short chases; trots at 8–10 km/h for hours |
| Great Hammerhead Shark | Fish | — | |
| Great Horned Owl | Birds | up to 65 km/h (40 mph) | fly: top speed in level flight; hunting flights are usually slower |
| Great White Shark | Fish | about 40 km/h (25 mph) | swim: short bursts when attacking; cruising speed is only a few km/h |
| Greater Flamingo | Birds | 50–60 km/h (31–37 mph) | fly: level flight in flocks |
| Green Anaconda | Reptiles | — | |
| Green Iguana | Reptiles | — | |
| Green Sea Turtle | Reptiles | 2.5–3 km/h (1.5–1.9 mph) cruising | swim: cruising speed on migration; short bursts are much faster but poorly measured |
| Greenland Shark | Fish | 1.2–2.6 km/h (0.8–1.6 mph) | swim: measured by tags: average cruising speed to fastest recorded burst |
| Grizzly Bear | Mammals | 56 km/h (35 mph) | run: short sprints |
| Guinea Pig | Mammals | — | |
| Guppy | Fish | — | |
| Hamster | Mammals | — | |
| Harbor Seal | Mammals | about 19 km/h (12 mph) | swim: short bursts; usually cruises much more slowly |
| Hippopotamus | Mammals | 30 km/h (19 mph) | run: short distances on land |
| Honey Badger | Mammals | about 30 km/h (19 mph) | run: commonly cited estimate |
| Horse | Mammals | 40–70 km/h (25–44 mph) | run: typical gallop 40–48 km/h; the fastest racehorses reach about 70 km/h over short distances |
| House Mouse | Mammals | about 13 km/h (8 mph) | run: short dashes; commonly cited estimate |
| Housefly | Invertebrates | about 7–8 km/h (4.5–5 mph) | fly: typical flight speed |
| Humpback Whale | Mammals | up to 24–27 km/h (15–17 mph) | swim: short bursts; migrating whales travel at 5–15 km/h |
| Immortal Jellyfish | Invertebrates | — | |
| Indian Cobra | Reptiles | — | |
| Indian Peafowl | Birds | — | |
| Indo-Pacific Sailfish | Fish | about 30–36 km/h (19–22 mph) | swim: fastest bursts measured or calculated in modern studies; the popular 110 km/h figure is not supported |
| Jaguar | Mammals | up to about 80 km/h (50 mph) | run: commonly cited top speed for a very short dash; it has not been precisely measured |
| Japanese Macaque | Mammals | — | |
| Japanese Spider Crab | Invertebrates | — | |
| King Cobra | Reptiles | — | |
| Koala | Mammals | about 10 km/h (6 mph) | run: short bounding runs on the ground; figures are rough estimates |
| Koi | Fish | — | |
| Komodo Dragon | Reptiles | 20 km/h (12 mph) | run: brief sprints |
| Largemouth Bass | Fish | — | |
| Leatherback Sea Turtle | Reptiles | 2–10 km/h (1–6 mph) | swim: typical travel speeds from satellite tracking; a burst of about 35 km/h is often quoted but poorly documented |
| Leopard | Mammals | 58 km/h (36 mph) | run: short bursts |
| Leopard Gecko | Reptiles | — | |
| Lined Seahorse | Fish | — | |
| Lion | Mammals | 80 km/h (50 mph) | run: short bursts of 100–200 m |
| Llama | Mammals | — | |
| Luna Moth | Invertebrates | — | |
| Mallard | Birds | 65–88 km/h (40–55 mph) | fly: level flight; the higher figure is for migrating flocks |
| Mandrill | Mammals | — | |
| Meerkat | Mammals | about 32 km/h (20 mph) | run: short dashes to a bolt-hole; commonly cited estimate |
| Monarch Butterfly | Invertebrates | — | |
| Moon Jellyfish | Invertebrates | — | |
| Moose | Mammals | 56 km/h (35 mph) | run: short bursts |
| Mute Swan | Birds | about 80 km/h (50 mph) | fly: level flight; approximate figure |
| Naked Mole-Rat | Mammals | — | |
| Narwhal | Mammals | — | |
| Nile Crocodile | Reptiles | 30–35 km/h (19–22 mph) | swim: short bursts |
| Nine-Banded Armadillo | Mammals | about 48 km/h (30 mph) | run: short dashes; commonly cited estimate |
| North American Beaver | Mammals | 8 km/h (5 mph) | swim: top swimming speed; slow and clumsy on land |
| North Island Brown Kiwi | Birds | — | |
| Northern Cardinal | Birds | — | |
| Ocean Quahog | Invertebrates | — | |
| Ocean Sunfish | Fish | about 3.2 km/h (2 mph) | swim: typical cruising speed; capable of short faster bursts |
| Ocellaris Clownfish | Fish | — | |
| Okapi | Mammals | — | |
| Orca | Mammals | up to 56 km/h (35 mph) | swim: short bursts; cruising speed is about 5–10 km/h |
| Peregrine Falcon | Birds | about 320 km/h (200 mph) in a dive | fly: hunting dive (stoop), not level flight; level flight is about 65–90 km/h and the highest measured dive was 389 km/h |
| Pig | Mammals | about 17 km/h (11 mph) | run: short bursts; commonly cited figure for domestic pigs |
| Plains Zebra | Mammals | 65 km/h (40 mph) | run: top speed when fleeing predators |
| Platypus | Mammals | about 3.6 km/h (2.2 mph) | swim: about 1 m/s at most; foraging speed is under half that |
| Polar Bear | Mammals | 40 km/h (25 mph) | run: short sprints on land; swims at about 10 km/h |
| Pronghorn | Mammals | 88 km/h (55 mph) | run: top sprint; can hold about 55 km/h for several kilometers |
| Rabbit | Mammals | 40–56 km/h (25–35 mph) | run: short zigzag sprints; published estimates vary |
| Raccoon | Mammals | 24 km/h (15 mph) | run: short distances |
| Rainbow Trout | Fish | — | |
| Red Deer | Mammals | — | |
| Red Fox | Mammals | 48 km/h (30 mph) | run: top speed in short bursts |
| Red Kangaroo | Mammals | 56–70 km/h (35–43 mph) | run: hopping in short bursts; cruising speed is 20–25 km/h |
| Red Panda | Mammals | — | |
| Red-Bellied Piranha | Fish | — | |
| Red-Eared Slider | Reptiles | — | |
| Red-Eyed Tree Frog | Amphibians | — | |
| Red-Tailed Hawk | Birds | 32–64 km/h (20–40 mph) | fly: level flight; hunting dives can reach about 190 km/h (120 mph) |
| Reindeer | Mammals | 60–80 km/h (37–50 mph) | run: top speed when fleeing |
| Reticulated Python | Reptiles | — | |
| Ring-Tailed Lemur | Mammals | — | |
| Rock Pigeon | Birds | 60–80 km/h (37–50 mph) | fly: sustained level flight; racing pigeons average more with a tailwind |
| Ruby-Throated Hummingbird | Birds | 40–48 km/h (25–30 mph) | fly: level flight; faster in courtship dives |
| Saltwater Crocodile | Reptiles | 24–29 km/h (15–18 mph) | swim: short bursts; cruising speed is only a few km/h |
| Scarlet Macaw | Birds | up to 56 km/h (35 mph) | fly: level flight |
| Sea Otter | Mammals | up to 9 km/h (5.6 mph) | swim: top speed underwater; much slower when paddling on its back |
| Seven-Spot Ladybug | Invertebrates | about 30 km/h (19 mph) | fly: average in radar-tracked high-altitude flight, helped by wind; bursts up to about 60 km/h were recorded |
| Sheep | Mammals | — | |
| Snow Leopard | Mammals | — | |
| Snowy Owl | Birds | — | |
| Southern Black Widow | Invertebrates | — | |
| Sperm Whale | Mammals | about 35 km/h (22 mph) in bursts | swim: approximate burst speed when alarmed; normally 5–15 km/h |
| Spotted Hyena | Mammals | 60 km/h (37 mph) | run: top speed; can hold 40–50 km/h for several kilometers |
| Springbok | Mammals | 88 km/h (55 mph) | run: top sprint |
| Striped Skunk | Mammals | 16 km/h (10 mph) | run: top speed over short distances |
| Swordfish | Fish | roughly 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph) | swim: estimated physical ceiling for short bursts from hydrodynamic studies; never measured directly, and the popular 97 km/h figure is unsupported |
| Tasmanian Devil | Mammals | 13–25 km/h (8–15 mph) | run: about 13 km/h over short distances; up to 25 km/h has been reported |
| Thomson's Gazelle | Mammals | 80 km/h (50 mph) | run: top sprint; some sources give up to 90 km/h |
| Tiger | Mammals | 49–65 km/h (30–40 mph) | run: short bursts |
| Tiger Shark | Fish | about 32 km/h (20 mph) | swim: commonly cited estimate for short bursts; it normally cruises at 3–4 km/h |
| Toco Toucan | Birds | — | |
| Tuatara | Reptiles | — | |
| Veiled Chameleon | Reptiles | — | |
| Walrus | Mammals | up to 35 km/h (22 mph) | swim: short bursts; normally swims at about 7 km/h |
| Wandering Albatross | Birds | about 55 km/h (34 mph) | fly: average ground speed of GPS-tracked birds in gliding flight; much faster with strong tailwinds |
| West Indian Manatee | Mammals | up to 24 km/h (15 mph) | swim: short bursts; normally cruises at 5–8 km/h |
| Western Diamondback Rattlesnake | Reptiles | — | |
| Western Gorilla | Mammals | 32–40 km/h (20–25 mph) | run: short charges on all fours; estimated, rarely measured |
| Western Honey Bee | Invertebrates | 24–32 km/h (15–20 mph) | fly: fastest when unladen; slower when carrying nectar or pollen |
| Whale Shark | Fish | 3–5 km/h (2–3 mph) | swim: normal cruising speed |
| White Rhinoceros | Mammals | 50 km/h (31 mph) | run: short bursts |
| White-Tailed Deer | Mammals | 48 km/h (30 mph) | run: short sprints |
| Wild Boar | Mammals | 40 km/h (25 mph) | run: top sprint |
| Wild Turkey | Birds | up to 88 km/h (55 mph) | fly: short bursts of level flight; they run at about 40 km/h (25 mph) |
| Wolverine | Mammals | about 48 km/h (30 mph) | run: short bursts; commonly cited estimate |
| Yellow Fever Mosquito | Invertebrates | about 1.5–2.5 km/h (1–1.5 mph) | fly: typical mosquito flight speed |