The cheetah is fastest on land. That is true as of November 2026. It runs fast, but only for a short way.

A cheetah lives on open grasslands. It has room to run there. As of November 2026, most live in Africa. A few live in Iran.

A cheetah has a long tail. The tail works like a rudder. It helps the cat steer and turn. Its claws grip the ground.

The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal in the world. That is true as of November 2026. Its record speed is in a dive.

A falcon hunts other birds. It dives on them from above. Its dive is called a stoop.

These falcons live on every continent but Antarctica. Some nest on tall buildings and bridges.

An ostrich cannot fly. It is the fastest bird on the ground. One stride can be 10 to 16 feet long.

A pronghorn lives on the grasslands of North America. It is second on land, after the cheetah. That is true as of November 2026. It is not an antelope.

The Australian tiger beetle runs fast too. It is only about 2 centimeters long. It is the fastest insect that runs on the ground.

In 2009, Usain Bolt ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds. As of November 2026, that is the men's world record.

Words to know

• rudder: a steering part
• stoop: a falcon's dive
• stride: one big step
• continent: a huge land