When we talk about the speed of animals, we are used to thinking of a fast running lion or cheetah. However, few people think about the slowest animals. We decided to collect and present you 10 of the slowest animals in the world.
American woodcock
The American woodcock is the slowest bird on Earth. This bird develops a speed of 8 km / h, which makes it the slowest bird. Of course, there are a number of other animals whose speeds do not exceed 8 km / h.
Manatee
Despite the presence of a tail and small fins, manatees are not capable of developing high speeds. The fact is that their weight is quite high, and there is simply not enough power to overclock. The average speed of these marine mammals is 5-8 km / h on average.
Arizona gila monster
The Arizona Gila monster is the only known venomous lizard living in the United States. Despite the presence of poison, this lizard poses little danger to humans, because the speed of movement of this lizard is about 1.5 km / h.
Sea Horse
The slowest fish on our planet is considered to be seahorses. Science knows 54 species of seahorses and they are all quite slow. The average movement speed of a seahorse is about 1.5 m / h.
Slug
Outwardly, slugs resemble snails, only without a shell. The maximum recorded speed of movement of the slug was 0.3 km / h.
Sloth
If we take into account only vertebrates, then the sloth is the slowest among them. This charming creature moves at a speed of about 2 m / min. Although, according to his expression, he has nowhere to rush.
Koala
Koala is one of the symbols of Australia. These animals evoke feelings of tenderness and joy. With regard to speed, the movement of a koala differs little from sloths. It is worth noting that in case of danger, the koala is able to quickly jump from branch to branch.
Giant turtle
The slowest reptile on the planet is considered to be the giant turtle. Its speed is only about 0.27 km / h. Incidentally, these turtles have a lifespan of approximately 190 years.
Each animal has its own characteristic that makes it unique. Some animals have the ability to run faster than sports cars, but some of them, on the contrary, are extremely slow. In this article, we will provide examples of the ten slowest animals on the planet. It is difficult to say with certainty which animal is the slowest, but this group of animals has an extremely slow movement speed.
So, here are the slowest animals in the world:
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10Manatee
Manatees or sea cows are some of the most adorable herbivorous marine animals. They can be found in the Amazon, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean. Previously, manatees lived in shallow water, they always preferred to move on water than on land.
In fact, predators do not encroach on these animals, and they do not face the threats on which their lifespan depends. This habitat makes manatees one of the slowest animals in the world. Most of the time, these very slow animals eat and rest, which makes them even heavier and slower.
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9Arizona gila monster
Arizona Gila Monsters or Gila monsters- representatives of the family of gila monsters, native to the southwestern parts of the United States. They are always underground, there is very rarely a chance to see them. The size of the lizard is approximately 56cm, and it consumes food at a time up to ⅓ of its weight. Also, by nature, it is a very slow animal.
Arizona gila moths store fat in their bodies, so they rarely go in search of food for themselves. This allows them to live underground for a long time and rest all the time. Such an environment also shelters them from predators, so they are considered lizards that very rarely move.
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8Laurie
Laurie is a medium-sized primate native to Southeast Asia. They have, like a human, hands, but the location of the fingers is different, so they move very slowly. Laurie can move with a maximum speed of 2 km / h.
Special buildings built by people for Laurie allow them to live without fear of predators. This slow animal belongs to a poisonous mammal, in one bite there is enough poison to seriously harm a person.
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7Sea Horse
Seahorses are a special type of fish that has been found in tropical waters around the world. Unlike other fish species, they are unable to repeat their movements in water due to their unusual body structure. Therefore, they are very slow.
Seahorses reach a maximum speed of 0.8 km / h. Since their movement speed is so low, they are unique.
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6Banana slug
Banana slugs are a genus of land snails that lack a shell. They are classified as the slowest animal species, as they move through muscle contractions. Most of the time, slugs are underground to feed and lay their eggs in the same place. Thus, they absolutely do not move from one place to another.
Their maximum speed is 0.3 km / h. Banana slugs can live underground for several years with enough water.
This is Cheetah. But which is the slowest? Below is a list of the ten slowest animals in the world.
The American woodcock is a small bird found primarily in eastern North America. Spends most of the time on the ground. Adults reach a length of 25-30 cm, weighing from 140 to 230 grams. It is considered the slowest bird in the world in terms of flight speed - 8 km / h.
The manatee is also known as the sea cow, a herbivorous aquatic mammal that inhabits the rivers and coastal regions of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the west coast of Africa, and is also found around the Amazon Basin. Manatees are 2.8-3 meters long, weighing on average about 400-550 kg. As a rule, they swim at a speed of about 5–8 km / h. However, there are cases when over short distances they developed a speed of up to 30 km per hour.
Arizona gila monster
The Arizona gila moth or vest is a venomous lizard that lives in the southwestern United States and in the northwestern part of the Mexican state of Sonora. About 90% of their lives are spent underground in burrows or rock shelters. The body length of an adult reaches up to 60 cm, of which about 20% is the tail (15-17 cm), weighs 1-2 kg. The average speed of the gila monster is 1–1.5 km / h. It feeds no more than 10 times a year, mainly on the eggs of reptiles and birds, as well as small mammals. An adult lizard can eat up to 35% of its body weight at a time.
Sea Horse
Seahorse is a type of fish that looks like a chess piece. Distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical waters (seas and oceans) around the world. Their body length, depending on the species, ranges from 4 to 20 cm, and their weight is about 8-10 grams. The average speed is 1.5 meters per hour. They lead a sedentary lifestyle, prefer to attach their tails to the stems of plants, from where they hunt for small shrimps and crustaceans.
Koala is a herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. They usually live on trees in eucalyptus forests, the leaves of which make up the majority of their diet. They are active only 4 hours a day (when they eat), the rest of the time they are motionless or asleep. They descend to the ground only in order to move to another tree, to which they cannot jump. The body length of an adult is 60–85 cm, weight is 4–15 kg. Although the koala looks like a bear, it has nothing to do with it other than being a mammal.
The giant turtle is a very rare species found only on the island of Aldabra in the Indian Ocean. It is one of the largest turtles in the world. The length of the shell is on average 120 cm in length, weighing 250 kg.
Invertebrates living in all oceans and seas at depths of up to 8.5 km. This sedentary animal is able to move along the seabed at a speed of 15 cm per minute. They feed mainly on mollusks and other invertebrates.
The three-toed sloth is a genus of tree-dwelling mammals in South and Central America. The genus includes 4 species. Sloths are known to be slow. The maximum speed of their movement is 0.24 km / h. However, despite their slow movement on the ground, sloths swim relatively well. Their speed in the water is about 4 km / h. Body length about 45 cm, weight 3.5–4.5 kg.
The grape snail is a land snail believed to be native to Central and Southeastern Europe. The slowest animal in the world. The grape snail moves at a maximum speed of about 7 cm per minute. The shell length of an adult snail is on average 3-4.5 cm.
Moving at a speed of just 0.000023 m / s, the banana slug is considered one of the slowest moving animals in the world.
All species of fauna have certain characteristics that make them. Various characteristics allow animals to adapt to their relatives. Some representatives of the animal kingdom, such as, have the ability to run at incredible speed, while others are very slow. While this may sound confusing, slow movement has its advantages. Below are some of the slowest animals on Earth.
Coral
Corals can be safely attributed to the slowest moving animals in the world, since they don't actually move at all. Corals are found primarily in the marine environment and exist as compact colonies of genetically identical polyps. Coral reefs breed either way through spawning. They also provide food and shelter for other marine organisms. Therefore, corals play a critical, if not decisive, role in marine biodiversity.
Banana slug
Moving at a speed of just 0.000023 m / s, the banana slug is the slowest animal on the planet. Banana slug is the generic name given to three species of North American land snails from the genus Ariolimax... They are usually yellow in color, and some have brown spots that resemble a ripe banana. Banana slugs can also be olive, brown, white or greenish in color. Different slugs change their color depending on the level of humidity, light and food consumption. The different colors of the slugs also help indicate the age of the banana slug, or its health.
Pygmy seahorse
Dwarf seahorse ( Hippocampus zosterae) is a special type of seahorse that is found off the coast of the Bahamas and other parts of the United States. This skate is the slowest moving fish in the world, swimming at a speed of about 0.016 km per hour. The habitat of pygmy seahorses tends to be limited to some coastal areas, and habitat loss threatens the species. Unlike most other fish, pygmy seahorses are monogamous and remain lifelong partners. This rare species refers to animals in which males, not females, bear offspring.
Galapagos elephant turtle
Galapagos elephant turtle ( Chelonoidis nigra), also known as the giant tortoise, is the longest-living animal on the planet. Currently, giant turtles are found only in two remote archipelagos - one on Aldabra, 700 km east of Tanzania, and the other on the Galapagos, 972 km west of Ecuador. The Galapagos tortoise is the slowest reptile on Earth, moving at a speed of about 0.37 km per hour on land and slightly faster in water. They have a heavy body weighing up to 350 kg, which does not allow the animal to move faster. The heavy shell, along with the thick legs, also play a significant role in the slow movement of the elephant turtle.
American woodcock
American woodcock ( Scolopax minor) is a species of woodcock bird that lives in eastern North America. The bird spends most of its time camouflaging itself as foliage that has fallen to the ground, especially along the litter of young forest habitats. Urbanization and deforestation resulting in habitat loss account for declining populations of this bird species. The American woodcock is the slowest bird in the world, flying at a speed of about 8 km per hour.
Any species of animals has some peculiarity that makes them unique. For some, this is the ability to run faster than supercars, while some species move very slowly through space. Here's our list of the world's slowest animals. 
The manatee is one of the most adorable animals living in the water. They have fins, but they rarely use them. Manatees remain in shallow water and swim very rarely, reaching a speed of about 8 kilometers per hour. Manatees spend their days eating and relaxing. They have virtually no enemies, which makes them even slower as they don't need to run away from anyone. 
Arizona Gila Monster (Gila Monster) Gila monsters are one of the members of the venomous lizards native to the United States. They are always found hidden underground and people rarely get a chance to see them. The Gil monsters store fat in their bodies and rarely seek food. This allows them to live longer underground and provide themselves with a good rest. These secretive reptiles do not allow predators to come near them and thus they simply do not need to run fast. 
Slow Lauries are strange but adorable nocturnal primates native to Southeast Asia. Their strong paws are very similar to human hands, and they make very soft but graceful acrobatic movements; their grip is extremely strong. Of the animals found on this list, the slow Loris is one of the fastest; it can reach an impressive speed of 2 km per hour. Slow Lauries are quite lonely and curious, and they survive thanks to their ability to move very quietly and carefully. 
These microscopic worms feed on bacteria and are so slow that they have to wait for food to come to them by itself. 
Seahorses are slow due to their complex body structure, such as armor, which prevents them from moving or reaching high speeds. These small marine animals do not migrate. They can be found in the shallow and sheltered waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and even the Mediterranean. They can only float vertically and are allowed to be carried by currents. Seahorses feed on crustaceans and invertebrates, making them one of the few carnivores on our list. 
Movement through muscle contractions makes slugs one of the slowest animal species. Most of the time, slugs are accustomed to lying underground, where they feed and lay their eggs. The slugs have almost completely removed movement from their lives. And if they are moving, they never reach a speed of more than 0.3 km per hour. In addition, they are capable of living underground for several years. 
Koala Koalas are nocturnal mammals that like to take refuge in the trees of Australia for a long time. They are considered specialized climbers. Fun fact: While many people think that koalas are a kind of bears, this is not true. Despite their appearance, koalas are marsupials. Koalas have a soft tail that allows them to sit and enjoy the scenery from above. They are by far one of the slowest animals in the world. They not only move at slow speeds, but sleep about 20 hours a day! 
Galapagos Giant Turtles The giant tortoise is another slow animal and it is so widely known that the name of the animal is often used to describe a slow person. They have such a slow metabolism that turtles can live a year without water or food. Galapagos giant tortoises move at a speed of 0.3 km per hour. 
The garden snail is an extremely slow land snail known for its spiral shell. Garden snails move at a speed of less than 50 meters per hour at maximum speed by contracting their muscles. However, they don't like to move that much. Instead, they hibernate for a long time, almost always in the same place. 
The starfish is an underwater animal and can travel at a maximum speed of 0.09 km per hour. Because of this slow speed, they usually float with the ocean current. There are about 1,500 different types of starfish, and they are all very different from each other. They are found in virtually all marine habitats, even in the lowest depths of the ocean. Most stars move 15 cm per minute. Instead of traveling long distances, starfish allow themselves to be carried by ocean currents. Most starfish are carnivores and can eat prey larger than themselves. 
The American woodcock or timberdoodle is the slowest bird in the world that lives in the forests of North America. It is known for its plump ball-like shape and its long beak, which it uses to catch earthworms. American woodcocks can fly at normal speeds when they emigrate at low altitudes, reaching 45 km per hour, but when males perform their courtship, they fly at 8 km per hour, the slowest flight recorded in birds. This courtship flight is very special; the male takes off into the air, then spirals down and sings. 
Just like a starfish, coral (Cnidaria) doesn't look like an animal, but it is. Of course, she doesn't look attractive - in fact, she looks like a stone composition - but she is admirable for her unusual beauty. Corals are invertebrates that inhabit polyp colonies that secrete calcium carbonate and build a visible solid skeleton - famous tropical reefs that so many divers visit. The coral can confidently win the title of the slowest animal in the world, as it remains motionless. 
The sloth is the slowest animal in the world, and the name sloth is actually synonymous with slow movement. The maximum speed of the sloth is 0.004 km per hour. Three-toed sloths will not move more than 30 meters per day, which means that they are strongly attached to their home. Sloths spend most of their lives in the branches of trees in America's tropical rainforests.
