Cheetah out, mite is fastest land animal

WASHINGTON: Move over Usain Bolt, there’s a new runner in town! A Southern California mite has set a new record as world’s fastest land animal and the little creature can run 20 times faster than a cheetah and the equivalent of a person running 2,092km per hour, scientists say.

The mite far outpaces the Australian tiger beetle, the current record-holder for running speed as measured in body lengths per second. The beetle runs 171 body lengths per second. Although the mite — Paratarsotomus macropalpis — is no bigger than a sesame seed, it was recorded running at up to 322 body lengths per second.