Planet Earth is home to an incredibly huge number of different animals, each species of which differs in habitat, habits and unique abilities. By studying them, people learned to compare their abilities. Scientists and researchers have established so-called ratings of the strongest, fastest running, jumping, largest and smallest species of land and waterfowl, etc. In turn, a dispute arose about who is faster: a lion or an elk? And we will talk about this in our article.
Who is faster among wild cats?
For almost all representatives of the fauna, the main vital issue is the speed of movement, and predators must hunt and catch up, and their victims must run away. In this regard, in principle, quite legitimate questions arose. Who is the best runner: fox or rabbit? Who is faster: a lion or an elk? Compared and individualcategories of outstanding runners, for example, among artiodactyls or predators from the cat family.
So, according to the results of multiple observations, the palm for speed running among wild cats was given to a daytime hunter cheetah. And let's give him credit before comparing who is faster: a lion or an elk.
With its weight of 45-65 kilograms, the graceful cheetah not only overtook its fellows, but is rightfully considered the fastest among all land animals in the world! In just 3 seconds, the cheetah accelerates to 120 km / h, and its only weakness is that it cannot run at such a speed for a long time, and after a hunt, a tired beast needs half an hour to rest. However, this short time is enough for the predator to catch its prey. And nothing that the cheetah is considered the weakest of the cats, but he is a real sprinter!
What about the king of beasts?
So, the cheetah was in the first place in running among the predatory cats. And how are things with the king of beasts? The lion is the heaviest member of its family, its weight can be 125-200 kilograms. Therefore, he takes not the first, but an honorable second place in the ranking of the fastest land animals.
A rival of the cheetah, the lion can run at speeds up to 80 km/h. The lighter females usually hunt, although the males also help drive the prey. The strength of lions is that they get food by uniting in small groups. Predators sneak up close to the herd (30 meters), because they are not able to catch up with the prey for a long time:exhale quickly. They then swoop down on the herd, encircle their prey and attack.
Like cheetahs, lions are good short-distance runners. They are incredibly strong animals. And while lion prey, such as antelope, can also compete in speed, most often they are doomed to become prey to predators.
The fastest ungulate animal
Before we find out which of the animals runs faster: a lion or an elk, let's find out which is the fastest artiodactyl animal. Natural prey for large predators of the feline family are gazelles, antelopes, pronghorns, kulans, and occasionally moose.
The pronghorn antelope, capable of moving at a speed of 100 km / h, is in first place in speed running. The speed of the animal is explained by physiology: a large heart, a large volume of lungs and a thick trachea. In addition, there are shock absorbers on the front legs - cartilaginous pads that soften running on sharp stones. Such data endows the pronghorn with the ability to move quickly, although this does not always save from the claws of the lightning cheetah.
Moose
With its large size, the elk swims well, and runs at a speed of 70-75 km/h, so it rarely becomes prey to large predators. On the podium among the ten fastest relatives, he is in second place, and among all other animals - in seventh!
This is the largest animal of the deer family, the weight of which reaches 600 kilograms in males. The span of huge 30-kilogram horns is about twometers. On natural pastures, moose feed on grass, berries, moss, as well as mushrooms, leaves and tree bark. It is at such moments that an animal can become a desirable prey for a large predatory cat, for example, a lion. This is where doubts arise, who is faster: a lion or an elk.
By the way, this artiodactyl not only swims well, but can even hold its breath underwater for a minute!
Who runs faster: a lion or an elk?
Lions are excellent and powerful hunters, and moose run fast enough. If we compare the speed values, then, deciding which animal is faster: a lion or an elk, it becomes obvious that the lion's indicator, 80 km / h, at least slightly, but exceeds the elk 70-75 km / h. So the wild cat is the best sprinter.
However, this does not at all mean the hopeless fate of the artiodactyl animal. It's all about the natural possibilities of both species. While the king of beasts is more agile and fast, in pursuit he can rush about two hundred meters at maximum speed, and then slows down. But the elk will rush for a long time and tediously at a speed of under 80, having killed his pursuer. Moreover, he has horns, which can also be used in close combat to give a confident rebuff. That is why lions are reluctant to attack moose.
So it doesn't matter who runs faster: a lion or an elk, because the outcome of the competition for life or death depends on many other factors, even such as a lucky break.
