Category Ask the Psychologist

Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal overall. This master raptor achieves speeds over 240 miles an hour (386 kph) when it dives, making it the fastest creature on Earth. Peregrines are light in weight, aerodynamically shaped, and have robust respiratory systems; all of which allows them to be the fastest birds of prey, and animals in general. Peregrine falcon numbers took a massive hit during much of the 20th century in North America. The chemical made the falcon’s—and many other birds — eggshells thinner, preventing the embryos from developing, in addition to poisoning adult falcons.

Picture Credit : Google

Marlin is the fastest fish. This shimmering spot fish can zoom to 80 miles an hour (129 kph) when trying to escape the hook of a fishing line. Black marlins are highly prized; hence they are fished for commercial reasons. The black marlin feeds on other smaller fish. Its main diet consists of cephalopods and various fishes. Black marlin is considered a recreational fish. Sports fishers use this fish species for gaming purposes. For example, off the coast of Australia, the black marlin is mostly caught when there is moonlight. This kind of fish resides mostly in warmer regions of the ocean waters such as the Gulf of California, and mostly along the coasts rather than in the deep seas.

Picture Credit : Google

Ostrich is the fastest two-legged animal. Although they’re flightless birds, ostriches can zoom 43 miles an hour (70 kph) and use their wings for steering when being pursued by a predator. When you are travelling at such high speeds it is important to be able to see where you are going and the ostrich is well equipped in this department. Their eyes are the largest of any land animal, and, at 5 centimetres in diameter, they are bigger than their brains!

The Kalahari is a harsh environment for ostriches, however, as far as predators are concerned. Lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas all stalk the night. The ostrich is never perfectly at rest, having always to keep an eye out for any of the predators that would happily make a meal out of them.

Picture Credit : Google

Cheetah is the fastest land animal. Cheetahs can sprint for up to 60 seconds at speeds reaching 75 miles an hour (120 kph). Cheetahs have between 2,000 and 3,000 spots, which help them to camouflage themselves. Previously, cheetahs were wide-spread across African and Asian continents, but now they are confined mostly to dry open grasslands of Sub-Saharan Africa, with the majority inhabiting natural reserves or parks. When a cheetah hunts, it gets as close as possible to its prey before trying to outrun it with a burst of speed. The cheetah then uses its paw to swipe the animal to the ground and then suffocates it with a bite to the neck.

It then eats as quickly as possible while looking out for scavengers such as lions, leopards, hyenas, vultures, and jackals, who will steal from the very shy cheetah.

Unlike most other cats, cheetahs prefer to hunt during the day, particularly early morning or early evening.

Picture Credit : Google

For the same reason tigers have stripes: to help them hide while hunting. The cats’ coloration blends with tall grass, and the shifting shadows beneath trees and brush. Leopards, for instance, become virtually invisible when they sneak up on prey before pouncing at the last instant.

A cheetah’s spots cover nearly its entire body and may serve as camouflage by offsetting shadows in the gray-hued grasses they inhabit. Camouflage is not only essential for stalking prey but also for protecting cheetah cubs from predators

The jaguar is covered in ‘rosettes’ for camouflage in its jungle habitat. The spots vary over individual coats and between individual Jaguars. The ‘rosettes’ may include one or several dots and the shape of the dots varies. The spots on the head and neck are generally solid, as are those on the tail, where they may merge to form a band. The underbelly, throat and outer surface of the legs and lower flanks are white.

Picture Credit : Google

Scientists have a few theories about the fashionable fur of these African equids (the family of mammals that includes horses). Some suspect it’s a type of camouflage to keep these herd animals from standing out in a crowd. The stripes break up the animal’s shape (a tactic known as disruptive coloration) as well as help it blend in with its neigbors, making it hard for a lion to see where one zebra ends and the next one begins. A more recent theory suggests that the zebra’s coloration repels bloodsucking insects, which don’t like to land on stripes. The stripes might be a natural pest control.

Picture Credit : Google