Hey there! Today, we’re going to talk about running and some of the fastest creatures on Earth. Let’s start with a cool story about a runner named Alan Oliveira. Alan is one of the fastest Paralympic runners in the world. He once ran the 100-meter dash in just 10.56 seconds! That’s super fast, almost as fast as the world record. What’s even more amazing is that Alan uses special prosthetic legs to run because he doesn’t have lower legs. His hard work and speed helped him win a gold medal at the London Paralympics. Isn’t that inspiring?
Now, let’s talk about cheetahs. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals on the planet. One cheetah named Sarah was recorded running at 61 miles per hour, and scientists think wild cheetahs can go even faster, over 70 miles per hour! That’s faster than most cars on the road. Imagine seeing a cheetah zoom past you while you’re driving. Wow!
So, what makes cheetahs so speedy? Well, they have super strong leg muscles and claws that grip the ground, just like soccer cleats help players run without slipping. But there’s more! Cheetahs have a special bendable spine that acts like a spring. This helps them leap over 20 feet in a single stride. That’s like jumping the length of a school bus in one step!
Cheetahs are also lighter than other big cats like lions and tigers, which helps them run faster. Scientists think cheetahs are the perfect size for speed. If they were smaller, they wouldn’t have enough muscle power, and if they were bigger, they’d be too heavy.
But is there any animal that can outrun a cheetah? Meet the pronghorn, the second fastest land animal. Pronghorns can run up to 60 miles per hour. They have strong legs and long strides, just like cheetahs. But here’s the trick: pronghorns are long-distance runners. They can keep running fast for a long time, while cheetahs can only sprint for short bursts before needing to rest.
Pronghorns also have amazing eyesight. They can spot predators like cheetahs from three to four miles away. When they see danger, their fur stands up, and they release a special scent to warn their friends. This gives them a head start, which means they could probably outrun a cheetah if they needed to.
In summary, cheetahs are the fastest animals on land because of their powerful legs and long strides. However, pronghorns could outrun them over long distances if they get a head start. Isn’t nature fascinating?
Thanks for joining us on this speedy adventure! Stay curious and keep exploring the amazing world around you. See you next time!
Speedy Animal Race: Gather your friends and have a race in the playground. Pretend to be different animals like cheetahs, pronghorns, and humans. Time each other to see who is the fastest. Discuss how each animal might run differently. For example, cheetahs sprint quickly but need to rest, while pronghorns can run fast for longer distances. What did you notice about your own speed and stamina?
Design Your Own Running Shoes: Cheetahs have special claws and a flexible spine to help them run fast. Imagine you are a shoe designer. Draw a picture of a pair of running shoes that would help you run as fast as a cheetah. Think about what materials you would use and how the shoes would look. Share your designs with your classmates and explain why your shoes would make someone run faster.
Observation Walk: Go for a walk in your neighborhood or a park with an adult. Look for animals or insects and observe how they move. Do they run, hop, or crawl? Try to guess why they move that way. For example, do they need to escape predators quickly like a cheetah, or do they move slowly because they are carrying something heavy? Write down your observations and share them with your class.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
(cellphone ringing) (soft ethereal tone) – Hi, it’s Jay. When I was in high school, I loved running on my track team. Though I don’t run track anymore, I still enjoy watching the world’s best runners compete. Like Brazilian runner Alan Oliveira. He’s one of the fastest Paralympic runners in the world. He once ran the 100-meter dash in 10.56 seconds. That’s less than a second away from the world record. Watch him running, notice anything? He doesn’t have lower legs, so these prosthetic legs help him run. Alan’s hard work and super speed helped him win a gold medal at the London Paralympics. Pretty cool.
Someone named Mia is curious about running fast. Let’s give Mia a call now. (cellphone ringing) (soft ethereal tone) – Hi Jay. – Hi Mia. – I have a question for you. Can any animal outrun a cheetah? – That’s a great question. A lot of you may already know that the cheetah is the fastest land animal on the planet. A cheetah named Sarah was once recorded running 61 miles per hour, and she probably wasn’t even the fastest. Scientists believe cheetahs in the wild can reach speeds over 70. That’s faster than a lot of cars drive. Whoa. Imagine driving on the freeway and seeing a cheetah run past. That would be pretty amazing.
But what is it about cheetahs that make them so fast? Before I go on, I’m curious, what do you think makes a cheetah so fast? Now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss. Okay, you ready? I’m not sure what you answered, but you might have said that a cheetah’s four legs help it run fast, and you’re right. Cheetahs have super strong leg muscles that help them run super fast. And see those claws? A cheetah’s claws help it grip the ground when it’s running. Kind of like soccer cleats help a soccer player from slipping when they’re running fast.
But it’s not just how strong a cheetah’s legs are that helps it go fast. It’s how far those legs can go with each stride or step. Watch this human running. Some Olympic runners go about seven to eight feet with each stride. That means they can run down a football field in about 40 strides. Now, watch this cheetah running. A cheetah has a bendable spine that allows its front and back legs to overlap and acts like a spring. This helps a cheetah spring over 20 feet forward with each stride. That means they could run down an entire football field in only 15 strides. That’s a lot fewer steps than a human. It’s almost as if cheetahs are built for speed.
Take a look at a cheetah next to a lion and a tiger. Notice the difference in size? A cheetah is lighter than these other wild cats, and that helps with speed too. In fact, scientists think that the cheetah is the perfect size for speed. If it were any smaller, like a house cat, its muscles would be too small to run as fast as it does. And if it were any bigger, like a lion or a tiger, it would be too heavy. With all these speedy traits, it’s hard to imagine any animal being able to outrun a cheetah. I mean, they’re the fastest animals on earth, right?
The answer may not be as simple as it seems. For example, some animals can move faster but they don’t necessarily run, like this white-throated needletail. Some scientists think that birds like this one might be able to reach flying speeds of 100 miles per hour or more, which is a lot faster than a cheetah. So they could definitely outfly a cheetah. But what about other land animals, like this one? The pronghorn is the second fastest animal on land. It has a lot of the same traits a cheetah does: powerful back legs, a long stride. It even has cushioned toes that help it spring forward at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, which isn’t quite as fast as a cheetah. But even so, a pronghorn might still be able to outrun one. Can you guess how?
Okay, sure, a cheetah is definitely faster than a pronghorn. But here’s the thing: cheetahs are sprinters, which means they can only run super fast for a few seconds before they need to slow down or stop to rest. But pronghorns are long-distance runners. They may be slower than cheetahs at first, but they can run fast for a really long time before they need to stop and rest. Now, cheetahs and pronghorns live on different continents, so they won’t be running into each other anytime soon. But if a pronghorn needed to outrun a cheetah, it probably could if it had a little head start, and it would probably have a head start almost every time. Pronghorns have super eyesight and can spot a predator up to three to four miles away, and when they do, their fur sticks up and the glands on their back release a special alarm scent which warns the rest of their herd that danger is near. So a pronghorn would probably be able to spot a cheetah before it got near, which would probably give them the head start they need to outrun them most of the time.
So in summary, a cheetah’s powerful legs and long stride make it the fastest animal on land, but because it can only run fast in short bursts, the long-distance running pronghorn could probably outrun it if it had a head start. That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Mia, for asking it. Now for the next episode, we reached into our question jar and picked out three questions sent to us that we’re thinking about answering next. When this video’s done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from: Do dogs sweat? How does a refrigerator keep things cold? Or, who invented hot air balloons? So submit your vote when the video’s over. We want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious and see you next week.
