What is the fastest land animal?

The cheetah is the fastest land animal. Its body is specialized for short bursts of pursuit, with long legs, a flexible spine, powerful hind limbs, and a long tail that helps it steer.

A cheetah can accelerate extremely quickly and reach a reliably recorded top speed of about 104 kilometers per hour. It cannot maintain that pace for long, however, because sprinting generates intense heat and consumes energy rapidly. During a hunt, the cheetah usually relies on acceleration and agility to close the distance before making a quick capture.

Cheetahs are often confused with gazelles, which are also fast and important prey animals, or with lions and tigers, which are stronger but not as fast in a land sprint. The frequently repeated claim that cheetahs reach 120 kilometers per hour or more is generally considered exaggerated; measured speeds vary, and the best-documented figures are lower.