Speed of Animals

giraffe

Giraffa camelopardalis
height weight top speed (running) feels like
5.2m 1.7t 52km/h 18km/h

Giraffes have slightly elongated forelegs, about 10% longer than their hind legs. The pace of the giraffe is an amble, though when pursued it can run extremely fast, up to 55 km/h. It cannot sustain a lengthy chase. Its leg length compels an unusual gait with the left legs moving together followed by right (similar to pacing) at low speed, and the back legs crossing outside the front at high speed. When hunting adult giraffes, lions try to knock the lanky animal off its feet and pull it down. Giraffes are difficult and dangerous prey. The giraffe defends itself with a powerful kick. A single well-placed kick from an adult giraffe can shatter a lion’s skull or break its spine. Lions are the only predators which pose a serious threat to an adult giraffe.

Animals: land air water insect
feet meters
Graph: top speed feels like

Imagine what it's like for a tiny insect to jump and fly as quickly as they do. They might cover 40 body lengths in a second. To a six-foot person that's 164 mph. This site tries to understand how it feels to move like a fly, a squirrel, a cat, a rhinocerous, or a falcon.

Similar Animals

Brown Bear Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
top speed 35 km/h
feels like 25.2 km/h

elk elk
Cervus canadensis
top speed 72.4 km/h
feels like 93.1 km/h

Galapagos tortoise Galapagos tortoise
Geochelone nigra
top speed 0.3 km/h
feels like 0.4 km/h

giraffe giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
top speed 52 km/h
feels like 18 km/h

grizzly bear grizzly bear
Ursus arctos
top speed 56 km/h
feels like 40.3 km/h

horse horse
Equus ferus caballus
top speed 88 km/h
feels like 79.2 km/h

lion lion
Panthera leo
top speed 80 km/h
feels like 51.4 km/h

Mongolian wild ass Mongolian wild ass
Equus hemionus
top speed 64 km/h
feels like 51.2 km/h

Polar Bear Polar Bear
Ursus maritimus
top speed 30 km/h
feels like 22.3 km/h

wildebeest wildebeest
Connochaetes gnou
top speed 64 km/h
feels like 57.6 km/h

zebra zebra
Equus zebra
top speed 64.4 km/h
feels like 52.7 km/h

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