Animal Olympians
This page is devoted to listing performance records for various animals groups (last updated 2013-01-22). It comes from the point of view of some biologists who have encountered exceptional
performances among some of the more "insignificant" life forms on earth.
Since childhood, we have all heard of the amazing feats of strength performed by
the lowly ant. "Olympic" feats are not restricted to ants alone:
SPEED RECORDS*
Land Animals
Speed (Ronald Reagan Body Body-lengths Course/conditions References
m/s units+) length per second
Cheetah 14.7 33 mph 1.4 m 10 100 m dash (6.8 sec) Reuters 2/25/99 (BL: Cyber Zoomobile)
28.3 63 20 201 m course (7.0 sec) report on measurement by N.C.C. Sharp
Greyhound 17.6 39 mph 1.2 m 15 Racetrack Infoplease accessed 21Oct08
Horse 16.8 38 mph 2.4 m 7 1911-2114m race tracks Denny, M.W. (2008) J. exp. Biol. 211: 3836-3849.
Jack rabbit 15.6 35 mph Sherman, G. (2005) Pop. Sci. 266(2):46-51
Patas monkey 15 34 mph 0.5-0.75m 20 LaRae, L.M. Nat'l. Geog. 205(2):8287 (2004)
Human 10 22.9 mph 0.9m 11 Tim Montgomery 100 m dash Sherman, G. (2005) Pop. Sci. 266(2):46-51
Western fence 4.5 10 mph ~0.09 m 50 escape sprint (2 m course) Bennett, A.F. (1980) Anim. Behav. 28: 752-762
lizard
Cockroach 1.5 3.4 mph 0.03 m 50 escape response Full, RJ and Tu, MS (1991) J. exp. Biol 156: 215-248
Tiger beetle
Cicindela Kamoun, S. and S.A. Hogenhout. (1996) Coleopt. Bull. 50: 221-230.
hudsoni 2.49 5.6 mph 0.021 120 escape response (with thanks to T. H. Merritt)
eburneola 1.86 4.2 mph 0.011 171 escape response
Ghost crab 2.1 4.7 mph 0.02 m 100 running Burrows and Hoyle (1973) J. exp. Biol. 58: 327-349
(Ocypode ceratophthalma)
(O. quadrata)1.6 30-50 g crab sustained run Blickhan, R and Full, RJ (1987) J. exp. Biol. 130: 155-174
Bicyclist 30.7 68.7 mph Dexter HYSOL Cheetah click here
36.2 81 mph Sam Whittingham Oct. 2002 Battle Mt Sherman, G. (2005) Pop. Sci. 266(2):46-51
SEE ALSO Speed of Animals page for more land-animal speeds by Infoplease.com
Aquatic organisms
Speed (Ronald Reagan Body Body-lengths Course/conditions References
m/s units+) length per second
Human 2.3 5.17 mph Alexander Popov 50m freestyle Sherman, G. (2005) Pop. Sci. 266(2):46-51
Turtles
Pacific 9.8 22 mph Sherman, G. (2005) Pop. Sci. 266(2):46-51
leatherback
turtle
Fish 12 Wakeling and Johnston (1998) J. exp. Biol. 201: 1505-1526
Sailfish 30.4 68 Sherman, G. (2005) Pop. Sci. 266(2):46-51
Bluefin tuna 25-29 55-65 mph 3 m 8-10 [unspecified] web link
Mud skipper 1.0[-1.4] 2.2 mph 0.04 m 25 pk escape response Swanson, BO and Gibb, AC (2004) J. exp. Biol. 207: 4037-4044
Angelfish 1.3 3 mph 0.049 m 27 pk escape response (fast start) Domenici, P and Blake, RW (1993) Can. J. Zool. 71 2319-2326
(see review of fish escape performance by the same authors in
J. exp. Biol. 200: 1165-1178, 1997)
Squid
Adult 2 4.5 mph 0.2 m 10 peak backward escape-jet speed Packard, A (1969) Nature 221: 875-877
Baby 0.16 0.36 mph 0.006 m 30
Shrimp
Crangon 0.85 1.9 mph 0.011 m 77 escape response Daniel, TL and Meyhoffer, (1989) J. exp. Biol. 143: 245-265
Caridea 2.6 5.8 mph 0.06 m 43 Arnott, SA, Neil, DM, Ansell, AD (1998) J. exp. Biol. 201: 1771-1784
Copepod 0.5 1.1 mph 0.001 m 500 artificially-triggered Buskey, Lenz and Hartline (2002) Mar. Ecol. Progr. Ser. 235: 135-146
(Acartia tonsa) escape swim
Flying animals
Speed (Ronald Reagan Body Body-lengths Course/conditions References
m/s units+) length per second
Hummingbird 300 Ellington (1991) J. exp. Biol. 58: 327-349
" (Anna's) 27.3 61 mph 0.07 m 385 male courtship display Clark (2009) Proc. Roy. Soc. B.276, 3047-3052
[incl tail, not bill]
" 15 34 mph 0.07 m 215 level flight [wind tunnel] Clark & Dudley (2009) Proc. Roy. Soc. B.276, 2109-2115
Peregrine 97 217 mph 0.35 m 277 in attack dive Australian Broadcasting Corp 1999
falcon 107 239 mph " 306 National Geographic video, 2002
[NB: the 2 measurements above were by less reliable means than the two following]
" 70 157 mph 0.35 200 attack dive [optical tracking] Tucker et al. (1998) J. exp. Biol.201, 2061-2070
Gyrfalcon 58 130 mph 0.44? 132 controlled dive [optical tracking] "
White-throat 47.2 106 mph http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_and_gliding_animals
needle-tail swift
Red-breasted 43 96 mph 0.52-0.58 m 78 level flight Alerstam (1987)Ibis 129, 267-273; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-breasted_merganse
merganser
Locust 9.2 21 mph (0.05m?) (180?) air speed Waloff, Z., (1972) Anim. Behav., 20: 367-372.
(with thanks to T. J. Dean)
Bumble bee 160 Ellington (1991) J. exp. Biol. 58: 327-349
Corn earworm 7.8 17 mph 0.018 m 432 Quero et al. (2001) Physiol. Entomol. 26: 106-115
moth (with thanks to T.J. Dean in Book of Insect Records; also see description.
Fighter jet 885 5.9 m 150 with afterburners Clark (2009) Proc. Roy. Soc. B.276, 3047-3052
Space shuttle7700 37 m 207 reentry "
SEE ALSO Table of insect speeds by T.J. Dean
Jumping and catapulting animals
Speed (Reagan Body Body-lengths Course/conditions References
m/s units+) length per second
Grasshopper 3 0.05 m 60 jump Bennet-Clark (1975)
Click beetle 2000 Evans (1972) J. Zool. Lond. 167: 319-336
Flea (2000?) hop Bennett-Clark and Lucey (1967) J. exp. Biol. 47: 59-76
Jumping 2.5 5.6 mph 0.0019m 1316 jump from solid horizontal surface Burrows (2012) J. Exp. Biol. 215: 3612-3621
plant lice
As you can tell from the chart above, it is not always the case that the larger the animal the faster it moves.
However, within any given group, there is a trend for faster movement with larger size. Among aquatic organismms,
this has been especially well studied in fishes. For a graph showing relative performances click here
For further references, click here.
* NOTE: Claims for speed records are notoriously unreliable. See for example "Fake Flies and Cheating Cheetahs"
Users of this chart are urged to independently check the sources (and others) to check authenticity and reliability of the data.
For a detailed analysis of speed records in horses, dogs and man, see Mark W. Denny's article "Limits to running speeds in horses, dogs
and humans" in Journal of Experimental Biology 211: 3836-3849 (November 2008); also the discussion by T.J. Dean in the Book of Insect Records page.
Please report any discrepancies to the page-spider
"BROAD JUMP" PERFORMANCES
Animal Distance (Ronald Body Max velocity Max height Energy Energy/ Course/conditions Reference (for full reference, click here
m Reagan lengths achieved achieved output body mass
units*)
Frog 5.86 19' 2.75" Calaveras Co CA arena frogtown web pages
(2003 contest win by "Burning Brightly")
Rana temporaria 12 Frogtastic Facts page
Acris gryllus 36 Marsh & John-Adler 1994 J. exp. Biol. 188: 131-141
Flea
Grasshopper 1 3 ft 3.2 m/s 9-11 mJ 6 J/kg
Katydid 0.3 1 ft. 13 2.1 m/s 1.35 mJ 2.2 J/kg 27-36 deg C; flat surface Burrows and Morris (2003) J. exp Biol. 206: 1035-1049
(Pholidoptera tactile stimulation
griseoaptera)
Other Jumps
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis, a south-east Asian frog 4.2 cm in length, while floating in water, can jump 45 cm vertically (10 body-lengths) to capture flying insects (peak velocity 2.7 m/s or 64 BL/s): Nauwelaerts et al 2004 Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 83: 413-420.
Anomalocera ornata, a marine pontellid coepod 2.5-3.1 mm in length, flees a fish predator with an escape jump that breaks the surface tension, exiting the water with speeds up to 1.1 m/s (~360 BL/s), and catapulting a distance of up to 11 cm (40 BL) from its exit point. A related species was able to reach heights of 30 BL above the water surface in similar jumps: Gemmell et al (2012) Proc. Roy. Soc. B. 279: doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0163.
MOVEMENT / MUSCLE CONTRACTION RATES
Animal Use Frequency Temperature Reference
Synchronous muscle*
Ghost crab running legs 25 Hz 28-32 deg C Burrows and Hoyle (1973) J. exp. Biol. 58: 327-349
Toad fish swim bladder "boatwhistle" call 200 Hz (150-270) 16 deg C Barimo, JF and ML Fine. 1998. Can. J. Zool. 76: 134-143
Copepod (Acartia) escape swim 200 Hz 19 deg C Buskey et al 2002. Mar. Ecol. Progr. Ser. 235: 135-146.
Cicada (Okanagana vanduzeei) calling song 550 Hz 40-45 deg C Josephson, RK and D. Young 1985. J. exp. Biol. 118: 185-208
Asynchronous muscle*
Midge flight
Chironomous spp 1000 Hz Prosser, C. L. (1991) in Prosser Neural and Integrative Physiology Wiley pp 67-130
650 Hz ? Sotavalta, O. (1953) Biol. Bull. 104: 439-444.
(with thanks to C. W. Scherer)
* Synchronous muscle is muscle in which there is 1:1 synchronization between the muscle twitch (contraction) and the activating nerve impulse.
Asynchronous muscle is muscle in which more than one contraction cycle is produced per nerve impulse, and the contraction cycles are not synchronized.
REACTION TIMES
Reaction times are measured to several different criteria depending on the needs of a study.
Here are presented minimum times from the onset of a sudden stimulus to the response, which in various studies
may be to onset of motor neuron activity, onset of electromyogram activity (EMG) or onset of muscle contraction
and movement.
Acoustic stimulus
Animal Stimulus Reaction time Reaction type Reference
Rat sound pulse 5-10 ms EMG various muscles Yeomans & Franklin (1996) Brain Res. Revs. 21: 301-314
Human sound pulse 14-141 ms EMG various muscles ibid
Vestibular stimulus
Animal Stimulus Reaction time Reaction type Reference
Mechanical stimulus
Animal Stimulus Reaction time Reaction type Reference
Calanoid copepod Abrupt near-field
hydrodynamic
Pleuromamma sp. [amyelinate] 6.6 ms Escape swim Lenz et al. (2000)J. Comp. Physiol. 186:337-345
Labidocera [amyelinate] 3.1 ms Escape swim Ibid
Undinula sp [myelinate] 1.5 ms Escape swim Ibid
Neocalanus sp [myelinate] 1.6 ms Escape swim Ibid
Visual/photic stimulus
Animal Stimulus Reaction time Reaction type Reference
Units and Conversions:
1 m/sec = 3.6 km/h = 2.24 mph
1 mile = 1609.344 meters
1 mph = 1.6 km/h = 0.447 m/s = 17.6 in/sec
1 km/h = 0.622 mph = 0.28 m/sec
1 Joule of energy (abbr: J) = 0.239 gram-calories or 0.000239 conventional ("nutritional") calories
+Ronald Reagan, by Presidential executive fiat, stopped the US transition to the metric system. The US is now the only first world country (and one of only 3 world wide) that has resisted metrication.
Three cheers for the American Way. We love losing space probes
because our engineers can't convert "English" to metric units :-). Small wonder that we lag much of the rest of the world in science and math eduation.
FURTHER INFORMATION
See our Bibliography
A relevant book is R.M. Alexander's Principles of Animal Locomotion Princeton Univ. Press (2003) 371pp
LINKS
Links to other record sites via Guinness Book of World Records Record Breakers' Club site
For more insect athletes, see Insect records from University of Florida
Web page on Speed of Animals gives land-animal speeds by Infoplease.com