Incredible bat that flies at over 100mph is the fastest creature in the animal kingdom
Tiny rodent weighing less than half an ounce flies 30mph quicker than the speediest bird
A TINY bat in South America that can fly at more than 100mph has been revealed as the fastest animal in the world.
The Brazilian free-tailed bat, which weighs less than half an ounce, clocked the fastest ever recorded speed in horizontal flight - around 30mph quicker than the speediest birds.
Until now the speed record for level flight was held by the common swift at 69.9mph.
Bats, which evolved the ability to fly separately from birds, are usually considered slow flyers because their wing structure and big ears generate more air resistance.
Among bat species the quickest is known to be Brazilian free-tailed bat, which has a more aerodynamic shape and long, slender wings life a swift.
Researchers attached miniature radio transmitters to the backs of some of the 3.5inch rodents and tracked their movements while following in a plane.
They were astonished to find the little creatures reached speeds above 100mph relative to the ground.
It was so much faster than they were expecting the scientists thought the measurements must be wrong.
Kamran Safi from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology said: "Initially, we could hardly believe our data, but they were correct.
"At times, the female bats, which weigh between 11 and 12 grams, flew at speeds of over 160 kilometers per hour - a new record for horizontal flight."
The data on the bats' flying speeds were collected using a radio transmitter - weighing just 0.45g- which was glued to their backs and fell off after two to five days.
Its regular beeping signal was localised using a mobile receiver installed on a small aircraft.
RELATED STORIES
Researcher Dina Dechmann said: "It was not easy for the pilot to follow the fast-flying animals so that we could localise them accurately and measure their flight path continuously.
"External factors like landscape and tailwinds cannot explain these results, as they had no impact on the maximum speeds."
Their findings are reported in the journal .
Peregrine falcons can hit more than 180mph in a steep dive, but are not the fastest birds in horizontal flight.
The white-throated needletail, a member of the swift family, reaches a reputed top speed of 105mph in self-powered flight (not using gravity) but this has not been verified.
The fastest animal on land is the cheetah with a top speed of 64mph, and the fastest sea creature is the 80mph black marlin.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368