Photo: Super Animals: Fast Fliers, Heavy Lifters, and High Jumpers

Email to a Friend << Back to Full Story


Cheetahs, like this animal captured mid-sprint over the plains of Namibia, Africa, are the fastest runners on land, reaching speeds of up to 70 miles (113 kilometers) an hour.

Just in time for the release of the new movie Superman Returns, National Geographic News takes a look at the cheetah and other super animals that are "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound."

Photograph by Chris Johns/NGS

MOST VIEWED NEWS

PICTURES: 2012 Doomsday Myths Debunked

2012: Six End-of-the-World Myths Debunked

APOCALYPSE PICTURES: 10 Failed Doomsday Prophecies
NEWS FEEDS    After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed. After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed.

Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free.
How to Use XML or RSS

ADVERTISEMENT

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S PHOTO OF THE DAY

Today's National Geographic Photo of the Day

• Today's Photo

• Download as Wallpaper

50 Drives of a Lifetime

National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world's most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get drive directions, quizzes, photos, and more.