It is known that domestic cats can accelerate no more than 13.5 km / h. Theoretical data indicate that everyone’s favorite pets are capable of a maximum speed of 50 km / h, but at very miserable distances equal to one jerk. But their wild relatives are able to show much greater agility.
Readers are presented the fastest cats in the world - top 10. The list includes both wild representatives of cats and pets.
10. Dune cat | Speed up to 40 km / h
Sand cat opens the top 10 fastest cats in the world. For short distances, a small predator is able to accelerate to 40 km / h at the time of pursuit of prey. The animal usually moves fast, accelerated dashes and runs up to 10 km per day. Due to its small size, the sand dune has enemies among birds of prey and jackals. Therefore, she has to not only be in search of food, but also to be constantly on the alert so as not to suffer from other carnivorous animals.
9. Egyptian Mau | Speed up to 58 km / h
Egyptian Mau - The fastest cat in the world that does not live in the wild. The maximum record that this miniature beauty is capable of is 58 km / h over short distances. If the Egyptian had the size of a cheetah, then she could well compete with him in the speed of movement. The fast champion is the owner of a graceful, flexible and muscular body, the mass of which ranges from 3 to 6 kg, depending on gender. Translated from Egyptian "Mau" means a cat. In Egypt, this animal was considered sacred and was personified with the moon goddess.
8. Leopard | Speed up to 60 km / h
Leopard is a very fast feline animal. Its maximum limit of capabilities is 60 km / h. This predator rarely hunts from the ground, preferring to overtake its prey by jumping from a tree, so the speed is not as important for it as, for example, for a cheetah that hunts exclusively on the ground.
7. Tiger | Speed up to 60 km / h
Tiger - One of the fastest feline representatives in the world. At short distances, the cat is capable of speeds up to 60 km / h. During the pursuit of prey, they make jumps up to six meters in length and up to five meters in height. But despite this ability, only one hunt out of ten attempts ends in success. Tigers are quite overweight predators with body weight up to 300 kg and body length without a tail up to three meters. This is one of the reasons why their speed is much lower than that of a lean cheetah.
6. Cougar | Speed up to 75 km / h
Cougar located on the sixth line in the list of the fastest cats on the planet. The predator is able to make a powerful sprint at short distances at speeds up to 75 km / h. The second name common in America is a mountain lion. This is a fairly large animal, which together with the tail reaches two meters in length. Weight depending on gender and individual physiology ranges from 50-100 kg. For a cat of such dimensions, this is not so much. A muscular body and light weight help the mountain lion to be agile and fast.
5. Snow Leopard | Speed up to 80 km / h
The fifth line in the ranking of the fastest cats in the world is Snow Leopard. Otherwise, it is called as an snow leopard, which means "snow cat". This rare and beautiful species of feline is capable of speeds up to 80 km / h for short distances. A feature of the animal is its six-meter long jump and three-meter high. The leopards have short, but very powerful, muscular paws and a long tail, which acts as a rudder while running at high speed. Together with the tail, individuals can reach a length of up to 2.3 meters, but they weigh quite a bit: up to 55 kg. Irbis is considered the highest mountain animal on the planet. The maximum height at which the snow leopard was recorded is 6 kilometers above sea level.
4. Leo | Speed up to 80 km / h
a lion ranks fourth in the top ten fastest cats. At a distance of 20 meters, the giant kitty is able to maintain a run at 80 km / h. In pursuit of its prey, the lion can hold the speed for the next hundred meters to 60 km / h. These are quite overweight animals. The weight of some individuals can reach 250 kilograms, so it is very difficult for them to maintain their speed record for a long time. Because of this, lions hunt at short distances, trying to sneak up on their prey as quietly as possible. Usually a hunter catches his victim with a lightning-fast jump.
3. The Black Panther | Speed up to 88 km / h
Black Panther opens the three fastest feline representatives. The maximum recorded speed to which the cat is able to accelerate is 88 km / h. In addition to speed, panthers are also distinguished by the fact that they are considered the most dangerous predators on the planet. They are very bloodthirsty, and when hungry they can pounce on any living creature, including humans. Fearlessness is inherent in an animal: unlike other predators, they are not used to hiding at the sight of people. On the contrary, the panther tries to settle as close as possible to human habitation. Not a single case of an attack on a person is known.
2. Jaguar | Speed up to 90 km / h
Jaguar with a top speed of 90 km / h, it ranks second in the ranking of the fastest cats in the world. The predator is able to maintain maximum speed only for a short period of time at the moment when it pursues prey. Also a feature of this giant cat is the ability to jump more than 6 meters. Jaguar is a large animal whose body length can reach almost 2 meters without a tail. Outwardly, he resembles a leopard, but much more than him.
1. Cheetah | Speed up to 112 km / h
Cheetah - the fastest cat, possessing not only the maximum speed among feline, but also all animals in the world! In just three seconds, the cheetah is able to run up to 112 km / h. The maximum run for short distances is 130 km / h. He has a slender, graceful body and well-developed muscles. A large predator has virtually no fat, and its weight, with its dimensions, reaches a maximum of only 65 kilograms. It is his aerodynamic structure of the body that allows you to develop such a speed. At the maximum run of this predator, the respiratory rate develops up to 150 times per minute. In addition, the cheetah is able to instantly change the direction of running. Thus, the victim of the hunter has almost no chance of survival.