Agility is a prized trait in the animal kingdom, allowing creatures to move quickly and efficiently in response to different stimuli in their environments. These agile animals, whether predators or prey, have developed remarkable balance and coordination, allowing them to move through difficult situations.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of these animals and learn about the amazing adaptations that help them move so quickly and gracefully.
14 Agile animals
1. Ostrich
- Scientific Name: Struthio camelus
The ostrich is a large bird native to Africa that’s unable to fly and lives on open plains and grasslands there. As a result of its strong legs and large wings, this large bird can sprint at speeds of up to 43 miles per hour and change directions in an instant. They use this ability to get away from swift predators in the wild such as lions, hyenas, and wild dogs.
2. Blue wildebeest
- Scientific Name: Connochaetes taurinus
The blue wildebeest is a big antelope that lives in the grassy plains and open woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. These wildebeest are very social animals that live in groups of up to a thousand individuals. Although wildebeests can grow to be as tall as 4.75 feet, they’re surprisingly fast and agile and can run at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour to help them escape their predators.
3. Sailfish
- Scientific Name: Istiophorus albicans
It’s common to find sailfish in the waters of Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, as well as off the coast of Tahiti and Hawaii. Sailfish prefer to inhabit waters that are either tropical or subtropical waters and are located close to landmasses.
These creatures are also known as the world’s fastest fish, as they can reach speeds of up to 110 km per hour. They can move quickly and precisely in the water, making them excellent hunters.
4. Impala
- Scientific Name: Aepyceros melampus
The Impala is a species of antelope that can be found across the savannas and open woodlands of southern and eastern Africa. It’s well-known for its agility, speed, and ability to jump high and far, going as far as three meters into the air.
They’re most likely to be spotted during the day, preferably in the early morning or just before sunset, and they’re experts at confusing their predators by leaping in any direction.
5. Cheetah
- Scientific Name: Acinonyx jubatus
When it comes to quickness and agility, the cheetah is one of the most well-known animals. Its speed, grace, and unique look have made it a popular animal all over the world. Cheetahs are found in Africa, where their natural habitats include grasslands, savannahs, and shrublands.
Cheetahs can reach speeds of up to 130 km per hour, and they can even hunt antelopes in the wild. Because of this ability, these creatures face very few natural enemies in the wild.
6. Thomson’s gazelle
- Scientific Name: Eudorcas thomsonii
Although it‘s a relatively small species of antelope, the Thomson’s gazelle has an exceptional level of agility and can run at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. As a result, they can outrun cheetahs and even use their ability to zigzag or change directions very quickly to get away from them.
These creatures are quite common in East Africa, where they’re also known as a “tommie,” a name that was given to them in honor of the explorer Joseph Thomson.
7. Pronghorn
- Scientific Name: Antilocapra americana
The pronghorn is a species of mammal that’s native to North America. They’re sometimes referred to as American antelope due to the fact that they’re similar in appearance to the antelopes of the Old World.
These animals are capable of reaching speeds of up to 98 kilometers per hour, making them the fastest land mammals in the Western Hemisphere. The bodies of these animals are shaped similarly to those of deer, and they have a reddish-brown color with white stripes on their necks and white markings on their faces.
8. Brown hare
- Scientific Name: Lepus europaeus
The brown hare is Britain’s fastest land mammal due to its incredible speed and agility. Hares are commonly confused with rabbits, despite the fact that hares are larger in size, have longer ears, and longer hind legs.
While running away from danger, brown hares can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. You can find these animals in open farmland and grassland habitats, where they can be found munching on the bark of young trees and bushes.
9. Frigatebird
- Scientific Name: Fregata magnificens
A frigatebird is a species of black seabird that lives along long coastlines and islands in tropical and subtropical waters. They’re large in size and can be recognized by the long, pointed wings and forked tails that give them the appearance of pterodactyls when they’re flying through the air.
These large birds are also well-known for their incredible speed and agility, particularly when it comes to stealing the catch of other birds such as gulls, ospreys, and boobies.
10. Mexican free-tailed bat
- Scientific Name: Tadarida brasiliensis
The Mexican free-tailed bat is known to be one of the fastest mammals in the world. Typically, you can find this medium-sized species of bat roosting in caves close to bodies of water, but you might also come across them in mines, bridges, or tunnels.
They use echolocation to find their prey and are one of the most common types of mammals in North America. These bats are agile and fast enough to swoop down on unsuspecting insects in midair when they hunt.
11. Golden eagle
- Scientific Name: Aquila chrysaetos
With wingspans that can reach up to 7.5 feet, the golden eagle is one of the largest raptors that you can find in the world. These birds are well-known for their agility, speed, and quickness, all of which they use to capture a wide range of prey, including rabbits, birds, rodents, and hares.
Their natural habitats include open fields, hills, cliffs, and bluffs, and you can spot them in North America and parts of Asia, northern Africa, and Europe.
12. Springbok
- Scientific Name: Antidorcas marsupialis
The springbok is a magnificent species of antelope that’s native to the open plains and arid climates of southern Africa. Springboks are agile, quick animals that are also capable of pronking, or jumping to great heights.
They rely on this skill to help them get away from dangerous situations and predators. These animals accomplish this by jumping as high as two meters into the air with their heads facing downward, legs straightened, and backs bowed.
13. Anna’s hummingbird
- Scientific Name: Calypte anna
Anna’s hummingbirds are one of the most well-known hummingbird species in the United States, and they can be found along North America’s western coast. Only about 4 inches in length, these tiny birds have long, pointed beaks used for feeding on nectars.
They’re also recognized for their agile flight, as these birds are able to hover in place or fly in any direction, including forward, backward, upwards, and sideways. This is made possible by the ability of each of their wings to rotate in a full circle.
14. Clouded Leopard
- Scientific Name: Neofelis nebulosa
The clouded leopard is a carnivorous animal that you can find in the lowland tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. It has a thick, brown, or yellowish-gray coat with irregular spots on its body.
These leopards are able to climb trees and pounce on their prey with great agility, thanks to their rotating ankles. They’re also incredibly swift, with the ability to travel at speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour when necessary.
