It is known that domestic cats can accelerate no more than 13.5 km / h. Theoretical data show that all favorite pets are capable of a maximum speed of 50 km / h, but at very scanty distances equal to one jerk. But their wild relatives are able to show, where much speed.
Readers are presented the fastest cat in the world - the top 10. The list includes both wild felines and pets.
10
Barkhan cat Speed up to 40 km / h
Barchan cat opens the top 10 fastest cats in the world. For a short distance, a small predator can accelerate to 40 km / h at the time of pursuit of prey. The animal usually moves quickly, accelerated dashes and passes for a day up to 10 km. Because of its small dimensions, the barchan cat has enemies among predatory birds and jackals. Therefore, she has to not only be in search of food, but also constantly be on check, so as not to suffer from other carnivores.
9
Egyptian Mau Speed up to 58 km / h
Egyptian Mau is the fastest cat in the world that does not live in the wild. The maximum record, which this miniature beauty is capable of is 58 km / h for short distances. If the Egyptian had the size of a cheetah, then she could compete with him in speed of movement. Speed Champion is the owner of an elegant, flexible and muscular body, the mass of which varies from 3 to 6 kg, depending on the sex. In translation from the Egyptian "mau" means a cat. In Egypt, this animal was considered sacred and personified with the moon goddess.
8
Leopard Speed up to 60 km / h
Leopard is a very fast animal among the felines. The maximum limit of its capabilities is 60 km / h. This predator rarely hunts from the ground, preferring to overtake its prey by jumping from a tree, so for him, not so important is the high speed, as for a cheetah who hunts exclusively on the ground.
7
Tiger Speed up to 60 km / h
Tiger is one of the fastest representatives of felines in the world. At short distances, the cat is able to reach speeds of 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 with success. Tigers are quite overweight predators with a body weight of up to 300 kg and a body length without a tail up to three meters. This is one of the reasons why their speed is significantly less than that of a lean cheetah.
6
Puma Sleight up to 75 km / h
Puma is located on the sixth line in the list of the fastest cats of the planet. The predator is able to make a powerful sprint for short distances with a speed of up to 75 km / h. The second name, common in America is the 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 between 50-100 kg. For a cat this size is not so much. A muscular body and light weight help the mountain lion to be agile and quick.
5
Snow Leopard Speed up to 80 km / h
The snow leopard occupies the fifth place in the world's fastest cat rating. Otherwise it is called as an irbis, which in translation means "snow cat".This rare and beautiful species of felids can reach speeds of up to 80 km / h for short distances. Feature of the animal are its six-meter long jumps and three-meter high. The leopards have short, but very powerful, muscular paws and a long tail that performs the function of the rudder during high-speed running. Together with the tail, individuals can reach a length of up to 2.3 meters, but they weigh a small amount: up to 55 kg. Irbis is considered the most high-altitude animal on the planet. The maximum height at which the snow leopard was recorded was 6 kilometers above sea level.
4
Lion Speed up to 80 km / h
The Lion takes the fourth place in the top ten fastest cats. At a distance of 20 meters, the giant kitty can support running at 80 km / h. Pursuing its prey, the lion can keep 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 high-speed record for a long time. Because of this, the lions hunt for short distances, trying to sneak up on their prey as unobtrusively as possible. Usually the hunter overtakes his victim with a lightning jump.
3
Black Panther Speed up to 88 km / h
Black panther opens the top three fastest representatives of the cat. The maximum recorded speed that a cat can accelerate is 88 km / h. In addition to speed, the 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 can attack any living creature, including a human being. An animal has a fearlessness: 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. There are no known cases of attacks on humans.
2
Jaguar Speed up to 90 km / h
The Jaguar with the maximum developed speed of 90 km / h takes the second place in the rating of the fastest cats in the world. Maximum speed predator is able to maintain only a short period of time at the time when pursuing prey. Also feature of this giant cat is the ability to make jumps more than 6 meters. Jaguar is a large animal, whose body length can reach almost 2 meters without a tail. Outwardly, it resembles a leopard, but much larger than it.
1
Cheetah Speed up to 112 km / h
Cheetah is the fastest cat, possessing not only the fastest speed among felines, but also all animals in the world! In just three seconds the cheetah can run up to 112 km / h. The maximum take-off for short distances is 130 km / h. He has a slender, elegant body and well-developed muscles. The large predator has practically no fatty layer, and its weight at its dimensions reaches a maximum of only 65 kilograms. It is his aerodynamic structure of the body that makes it possible to develop such a speed. At the maximum run in this predator, the respiratory rate develops up to 150 times per minute. In addition, the cheetah is able to change the direction of the run at lightning speed. Thus, the victim of the hunter does not have almost the slightest chance of survival.