The Fastest Animal You’ve Never Heard Of! ????????

Did you know the world’s fastest animal isn’t a cheetah or a bird of prey — it’s a bat?
Meet the Brazilian free-tailed bat, the small speed demon that scientists clocked at a jaw-dropping 99 mph (160 km/h) in level flight. That’s faster than the record-holding peregrine falcon’s horizontal speed and faster than many sports cars!

Research by the National Science Foundation and the University of Tennessee revealed that these bats’ long, narrow wings and powerful flight muscles make them aerodynamic champions. Unlike most bats that fly slowly and erratically, this species slices through the air with precision and purpose.

Why does it need this much speed? Experts believe it helps them hunt fast-flying insects in open air and escape predators.
Nature never stops surprising us — and sometimes, the tiniest creatures hold the biggest records.

???? Sources:

McCracken, G. F. et al. (2016). Airspeed Record of the Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat. Royal Society Open Science.

National Science Foundation Research News.

???? Question of the day: If you could have any animal superpower, would you choose speed or flight?

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