Blog of Batman

My son and I often have these sorts of arguments about who would win (in a fight) between a great white shark and a nile crocodile, or a polar bear and an african lion, or even between Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Naturally these are all purely hypothetical scenario’s, and all I can offer is a best guess – but which nevertheless fires off a healthy debate.

However I can offer “precise” answers when he asks about who would win (in a race) between a cheetah and an ostrich, or a mako shark and a sailfish, or even a Bugatti Veyron and a Koenigsegg – so here they are.

NOTE: these lists are not comprehensive – they only include those of interest to my son and I.

Road (as at December 2010)

1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (429 kph)
2. SSC Ultimate Aero TT (411 kph)
3. Koenigsegg CCX (400 kph)
4. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo (397 kph)
5. McLaren F1 (384 kph)
6. Gumpert Apollo (352 kph)
7. Ascari A10 (352 kph)
8. Jaguar XJ220 (347 kph)
9. Ferrari Enzo (347 kph)
10. Pagani Zonda F (344 kph)

Land Animals

1. Cheetah (112 kph)
2. Pronghorn Antelope (98 kph)
3. Wildebeest (80 kph)
4. African Lion (80 kph)
5. Thomson’s Gazelle (80 kph)
6. Cape Hunting Dog (72 kph)
7. Coyote (69 kph)
8. Hyena (64 kph)
9. Zebra (64 kph)
10. Greyhound (63 kph)
11. Whippet (57 kph)
12. Domestic Rabbit (56 kph)
13. Giraffe (51 kph)
14. Warthog (48 kph)
15. Grizzly Bear (48 kph)
16. Domestic Cat (48 kph)
17. Human (45 kph)
18. Elephant (40 kph)
19. Black Mamba Snake (32 kph)
20. Domestic Pig (18 kph)

Air

1. Spine-tailed swift (171 kph)
2. Frigate bird (153 kph)
3. Spur-winged goose (142 kph)
4. Red-breasted merganser (129 kph)
5. White-rumped swift (124 kph)
6. Canvasback duck (116 kph)
7. Eider duck (113)
8. Teal (109 kph)
9. Mallard (105 kph)
10. Pintail (105 kph)

* The peregrine falcon is by far the fastest of them all – but in its “power dive” when it has been recorded doing 347 kph. In level flight however it does not feature in this list.

Sea

1. Sailfish (109 kph)
2. Swordfish (96 kph)
3. Marlin (80 kph)
4. Yellowfin Tuna (74 kph)
5. Bluefin Tuna (69 kph)
6. Killer Whale (55 kph)
7. Shortfin Mako Shark (50 kph)
8. Blue Whale (48 kph)
9. Barracuda (43 kph)
10. Leatherback Turtle (35 kph)
11. Market Squid (32 kph)
12. Bottlenose Dolphin (27 kph)
13. Gentoo Penguin (27 kph)
14. Human (8 kph)
15. Eel (4 kph)
16. Goby (1 kph)

* It’s interesting that :-

• a blue whale swims faster than a barracuda
• a gentoo penguin matches a bottlenose dolphin
• a human (albeit an olympic swimmer) swims faster than an eel

Credits

http://www.elasmo-research.org/education

http://www.thetravelalmanac.com/lists/birds-speed.htm

http://www.fastcarshow.com/fastest-cars/

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