The Fastest Animal Based on Body Size
Paratarsotomus macropalpis is the fastest land animal relative to body length. Its size is 0.7 mm. The small sesame-sized mite that lives amidst the pavements and rocks of southern California. Paradoxodomus macropulbis belongs to the family Anystidae. It has long legs and is twice as long as the width of the body.
The mite moves at a speed of 322 body length per second (0.225 m/s (0.50 mph)). It is equivalent to a human running at 1,300 miles per hour. It is 20,000 times smaller and 40 times faster than the Usain Bolt. The previous record holder was the Australian tiger beetle Cicindella eburniola, which recorded at a speed of 171 body lengths per second (1.86 m/s (4.2 mph)). The fastest land animal Cheetah, moves at 16 body lengths per second (64 mph).
High speed camera was used to record the speed of the mite. The mite can stop and change directions very quickly. It can also run-on concrete at temperatures up to 60 °C (140 °F). This is significantly higher than the upper lethal temperature of most animals.
The discovery of the mite reveals about the physiology of animal movement and the physical limitation of living structures. This discovery will open new possibilities in the design of robots and in biomimetics.
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