* The small hummingbirds can flap their
wings 70 times per second.
* The Peregrine Falcon is a medium-sized falcon
about the size of a large crow. It is the fastest bird on the planet in its
hunting dive, in which it soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speeds
up to 242 mph (390 km/h), making them the fastest creatures on earth.
* A woodpecker can peck 20 times a second.
* The protraction and retraction of the salamander’s
tongue occurs within 20 milliseconds (twenty thousandths of a second).
* The African cheetah is the fastest of all
land animals. It can reach speeds of 70 mph (112 km/h).
* The fastest marine organism is the
sailfish, which is capable of reaching speeds of up to 68 mph (109 km/h).
* Bamboo is often considered the fastest
growing plant, height wise. It has been reported that the larger bamboo species
may grow up to one yard (91 cm) in height in one day. It is the giant panda's
main food.
* Mercury moves the fastest of all planets
in the Solar System orbiting the sun in 88 days while Jupiter is the fastest
spinning planet taking 9 hours, 55 minutes to rotate on its axis.
* The fastest wind speed ever recorded comes
from a hurricane gust. On April 10, 1996, Tropical Cyclone Olivia (a
hurricane) passed by Barrow Island, Australia. The equivalent of a Category
4 hurricane at the time is 254 mph (408 km/h).
