The largest animals on earth are record-breaking animals that have reached the maximum parameters among their species in terms of mass, height or length. In this list you will find the names of the largest animals and learn a lot of interesting things about the largest animals on earth.

10. Capybara

Capybara (other name: capybara) is the most big representative detachment of Rodents. The word capybara in the Indian language means “lord of the grass.” An adult capybara reaches a length of up to 135 cm, with a height at the withers of up to 60 cm. A capybara weighs up to 65 kg, females are larger than males.


9. Tiger

The tiger is the largest predator of the cat family. The largest tigers are the Bengal and Amur tigers. The dimensions of these big cats can reach up to 3 meters in length, excluding the length of the tail. The weight of a tiger can reach up to 300 kg. The height at the withers is up to 115 cm.


Weight records are known for these tiger species. The Bengal tiger's maximum weight was 388 kg, and Amur tiger– 384 kg. The word tiger means "sharp" and "fast".


8. Polar bear

Polar bear (other names: polar bear, northern Bear, umka) is a large predator from the Bear family. The only one of the largest land predators on the planet that is prone to tracking and hunting humans, considering them as equal prey. Polar bear can reach a body length of 3 meters and weigh 1 ton. Height at the withers is up to 150 cm. Females are smaller than males.


7. Big red kangaroo

The big red kangaroo (another name: the giant red kangaroo) is the largest kangaroo. Adult males reach a length of 1.5 meters and a body weight of 85 kg. The length of the tail is about 1 meter. Sometimes the height of especially large males is up to 2 meters. Females are smaller than males.


6. Gorilla

Gorillas are the most great monkeys, representatives from the order Primates. In adult males, the height can reach up to 2 meters, and the shoulder width is 1 meter. The weight of males reaches 250 kg or more. Females are almost 2 times smaller than males.


5. Giraffe

The giraffe is a mammal from the order Artiodactyls, which is the tallest animal on the planet. The length of the neck of these animals is 1/3 of the length of the entire body. The male grows up to 6 meters in height and weighs about 1000 kg. Females are slightly smaller than males in size.


4. Hippopotamus

The common hippopotamus, or hippopotamus, is a large land mammal from the order Artiodactyls. A weight of 3 tons is not uncommon for this animal, because its weight can reach 4.5 tons. The height of the hippopotamus is up to 165 cm. Body length adult usually reaches 3 meters, but can reach up to 5 meters.


3. White rhinoceros

The white rhinoceros is a huge mammal, a member of the Rhinoceros family. Old males reach a body weight of 5 tons. Rhinoceroses usually weigh 2-2.5 tons. Their body length is 4 meters and height is 2 meters.


2. Savannah elephant

Savannah elephant is an animal from the genus of African elephants. The savannah elephant is the largest animal and the largest land mammal. The body length of these elephants reaches 7 meters, and the height is 3.5 meters. The average body weight of a word is 7 tons, but can reach up to 12 tons. Males are slightly larger than females.


1. Blue whale

The blue whale, or blue whale, is the largest animal on Earth in terms of mass and length that has ever lived. The blue whale is also the largest whale of all Cetaceans and the largest mammal.


The size of the blue whale is quite impressive. It's not in vain that now blue whale- This is the largest animal on Earth. These giants reach a length of 30 meters and weigh more than 150 tons. And despite its size, the blue whale easily turns over on its back, as you can see in the photo below.


Females are slightly larger than males. The largest female blue whale was 33 meters long and weighed 190 tons, and the largest male weighed 180 tons and had a body length of 31 meters.


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Everyone knows that the largest animal in history, a giant animal, lived on Earth many millions of years ago - a dinosaur. There were many types of them. And today the size of prehistoric animals seems simply stunning.

However, the modern animal world is no less amazing and diverse. The earth is full of creatures that are amazing in size and shape. It’s hard to even imagine what affected their weight and height. However, they are who they are and feel quite comfortable among people.

And yet, which animal is the largest? This is what you have to find out. What kind of creatures are these, and in what conditions do they live? So, below is the rating of the 10 largest animals on our planet. This list is based on the height, length, as well as mass of the creatures. Let's start from the end.

Saltwater crocodile

In tenth place is the saltwater crocodile. It is also called combed or spongy. This crocodile is the largest reptile in the world. An adult male can grow up to seven meters in length, weighing over a ton! Typically, most crocodiles are about five meters long. And they weigh on average eight hundred kilograms.

Saltwater crocodiles are quite widespread. Their habitat begins in Northern Australia and ends in Southeast Asia. The crocodile is an active predator. Its daily diet includes insects, mollusks, crustaceans, various small amphibians and fish. But any animal that wanders into its territory becomes a potential victim. Having watched the victim on land, the crocodile drags it under water, to where it is no longer useless to resist.

Interesting fact: the saltwater crocodile is highly valued for its skin, which serves as material for handbags, shoes, clothes, etc. Therefore, this type of crocodiles is raised in artificial conditions: on special farms.

Black rhinoceros

Since black rhinoceroses are huge, powerful and absolutely fearless, they have no enemies among animals. But they are easy prey for numerous poachers. Black rhinoceroses prefer to move along the same paths, and also have very poor vision. This makes them an excellent target for trophy hunters.

Walrus

In eighth place is the walrus. This is perhaps the largest animal that has existed since the Ice Age. Thus, the fossils found in San Francisco Bay are about twenty-eight thousand years old.

Walruses are truly huge: their length reaches three meters, and their weight fluctuates around two tons! These animals have very durable and thick skin. Especially in the neck area, where it reaches ten centimeters. And under the skin there is still a layer of fat fifteen centimeters. Thanks to this, walruses thrive in harsh Arctic conditions. The diet of these animals mainly consists of shellfish, but fish is also occasionally found.

White rhinoceros

Seventh place - white rhinoceroses. They are considered the second largest herbivores on the planet. They grow up to two meters in height and four meters in length. Rhinos are heavyweights. Some large specimens reach eight tons!

Interesting fact: despite the name, these animals are gray in color. Why then is there a “white” rhinoceros and not a “gray” one? Most likely, rhinoceroses received this name due to the fact that there was a distortion of the Boer word “wijde”. It translates as “wide-faced.” And it sounds like English word"white" (white).

Hippopotamus (hippopotamus)

In sixth place is the hippopotamus, an indigenous inhabitant of Africa from the artiodactyl order. Hippos grow up to one and a half meters in height and five meters in length. The weight of these mammals fluctuates around three tons, or even more. Throughout its life, the weight of the hippopotamus gradually increases. The same applies to his teeth. Old hippos' teeth can reach half a meter in size!

An interesting fact is that the hippopotamus skin alone weighs half a ton.

Southern elephant seal

Fifth place is occupied by the southern elephant seal - the largest animal on earth from the category of pinnipeds. Large and corpulent, elephant seals grow up to six meters in length. And their body weight is about five tons. The largest of the elephant seals was shot in the winter of 1913 in southern Georgia. It weighed more than five tons and reached seven meters in length.

The main diet of these animals is fish and squid, which live at depths of up to a thousand meters. In search of prey, elephant seals dive repeatedly and spend a lot of time underwater. This is how a record was recorded - the animal was under the ode for about two hours. By the way, these mammals spend most of their lives in the open ocean; they rarely come to land, usually during the breeding season.

Southern elephant seals are the largest dangerous animals. They are the largest predators in the world.

Indian elephant

The Indian elephant also has a second name - “Asian”. It would have earned the title of “the world’s largest land-dwelling animal” if not for its African counterpart. Elephants reach three and a half meters in height and about six meters in length. In addition, these animals have a fairly long tail (from a meter to two). The weight of an Indian elephant can reach five and a half tons. By the way, females are much smaller than males.

Asian elephants are forest dwellers. Most often they can be found in subtropical and tropical deciduous forests. Elephants love bamboo and bushes. They move through overgrown jungles and swampy areas with ease.

Interesting fact: Indian elephants live in packs, led by the most experienced and mature female.

African elephant

In third place in the ranking - African elephant- the largest animal among those that live on land. Males weigh about six tons and reach eight meters in length and three in height. Females weigh half as much, and their height is no more than two to three meters.

The largest animal living on land has practically no enemies. Of course, thanks to its size. But little elephants are still attacked by bloodthirsty lions, leopards, hyenas and crocodiles.

Elephants move surprisingly fast. So, their average speed is about forty km/h. Thus, an elephant can easily outrun a human. Of course, such sizes require a lot of food: for example, one elephant can eat about three hundred kilograms of grass per day. These animals are very smart and even capable of compassion. But despite this, they are considered one of the most dangerous on the planet.

Interesting fact: due to its enormous size, the African elephant has to sleep standing up.

Sperm whale

The second place is occupied by the sperm whale. Today it is the largest animal on earth from the suborder of toothed whales, as well as the only remaining member of the sperm whale family. Huge male sperm whales reach twenty meters in length and weigh fifty tons! But female representatives are much smaller: up to eleven meters in length, weighing fifteen tons. Of course, you can find larger sperm whales, but this is an exception.

In nature, adult male sperm whales have no enemies. And for cubs and females, only killer whales pose a threat.

Interesting fact: thirty-five percent of the sperm whale's entire body is made up of the head alone.

Blue whale

So, the largest animal (photo in the article) is the blue whale. Other names are blue, or vomit. Refers to marine mammals. There are three species of these giants in the world - southern, northern and dwarf whales. They practically do not differ in external signs and sizes. Sometimes scientists identify a fourth species - the Indian whale. Northern and southern blue whales live in cold circumpolar waters, while the pygmy whale lives in tropical seas. All subspecies lead almost the same lifestyle. They usually swim alone, sometimes in pairs. You can also find small groups, but even in them, each of the whales stays separately.

The blue whale is the largest animal in the world that has ever existed and known to science. Even dinosaurs are not able to compete with him - he is truly huge! So, an adult can grow up to thirty meters in length. The weight can be about one hundred and eighty tons. Yes, only one tongue of this animal weighs as much as a medium-sized Indian elephant (about three tons).

The blue whale has the largest heart in the world. It's the size of a car, and it weighs about the same. Lung volume reaches three thousand liters. This allows whales to remain underwater for about half an hour without oxygen. These giants swim quite quickly (about forty km/h). You can notice them from afar by the ten-meter fountains that appear during the ascent to the surface.

The blue whale's diet consists mainly of plankton and small shrimp-like creatures. They are called "krill". Whales eat about forty million krill every day.

Largest pet

But what about our smaller brothers whom we have tamed? Among them there are also quite large individuals that one cannot help but pay attention to.

The largest dog breed is the English Mastiff. On average, males grow up to ninety centimeters and weigh about one hundred and twenty kilograms. Bitches weigh a little less - up to about a hundred kilograms. These dogs are aristocrats. They are loved not only for their power, but also for their balance, courage, and peacefulness. The English Mastiff will make both an excellent watchdog and a cheerful companion dog.

The largest animal of this breed in the world is an English mastiff named Aikama Zorbo. He was included in the Guinness Book of Records due to his weight of more than one hundred and fifty kilograms.

The largest breed of domestic cat is the Asherah. It reaches a meter in length and weighs about fifteen kilograms.

This is an exotic hybrid cat that looks like a small leopard. This species was bred in 2006. To create the Ashera, the genes of the African serval, Asian leopard and ordinary domestic cats were mixed. The animal got its name thanks to the pagan goddess Asherah.

This cat is not only the largest, but also the most expensive. So, an Ashera kitten costs more than twenty thousand dollars. However, this does not at all confuse those who want to get such a pet; they queue up in advance. This cat is a rarity, as the company raises only one hundred animals a year.

Asherah is somewhat reminiscent of a small sphinx. She - perfect pet. Considered hypoallergenic, she loves to play with children, rub against their feet and, of course, sleep. And she’s absolutely not picky about food. Ashera is the only cat you can walk with on a leash.

The world's largest rabbit is the Belgian Flanders. This is a very ancient Flemish breed, bred in the sixteenth century (Ghent, Belgium). These rabbits can weigh about thirty pounds (thirteen kilograms) and be the size of a large dog.

Our world is full of amazing animals, big and small, short and tall. In this article, we will look at 15 of the world's largest animals, classified into various categories such as mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, etc.

The largest living animal is the Blue Whale.

The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal. At 30 meters in length and 180 tons or more in weight, it is the largest animal known to have ever existed. The Blue Whale's tongue weighs approximately 2.7 tons, the size of an average Indian elephant, and its heart weighs approximately 600 kg and is the largest known in any animal. Not only is the blue whale's heart comparable in size to a Mini Cooper, but it is also comparable in weight.




The heaviest land animal in the world: African elephant.

The African Elephant is the largest living land animal. With males reaching 6 - 7.5 meters in length and 3.3 meters in height, and weighing 6 tons. Females are much smaller, reaching 5.4 - 6.9 meters in length, 2.7 meters in height, weighing 3 tons. An adult African elephant has no natural enemies because of him big size, but cubs (especially newborns) are vulnerable to attacks by lions and crocodile, and (rarely) to attacks by leopards and hyenas.

Tallest land animal in the world: Giraffe.

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African artiodactyl mammal and the tallest terrestrial animal. It reaches 5-6 meters in height and has average weight at 1,600 kg for males and 830 kg for females. It has an extremely elongated neck, reaching more than 2 m in length, making up almost half vertical height animal. Long neck follows from disproportionate elongation cervical spine.

The largest carnivores in the world: Southern elephant seal.

The southern elephant seal is the largest carnivore alive today. The size of these seals varies many times between males and females, perhaps more than any other mammal. Males are typically five to six times heavier than females. While the average weight of females is 400 - 900 kilograms, and the length is from 2.6 to 3 meters, males usually weigh from 2,200 to 4,000 kilograms.

The largest land carnivores in the world: White polar bear and Kodiak bear.

The largest land carnivores are the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and the Kodiak bear, subspecies brown bear. Since their body sizes are approximately the same, it is not clear which bear is definitively larger. Their height exceeds 1.6 meters, and their total length reaches 3 meters. The heaviest recorded polar and brown bears weighed 1.003 kg and 1.135 kg, respectively.


Largest reptile in the world: Saltwater crocodile.

The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the largest of all living reptiles. It can be found in suitable habitats from Northern Australia to South-East Asia and east coast of India. The weight of an adult male saltwater crocodile is 409 - 1,000 kilograms, and the length usually ranges from 4.1 to 5.5 meters. However, mature males can exceed 6 meters and weigh more than 1,000 kilograms. This species is the only one in existence that regularly reaches and exceeds 4.8 meters in length. The saltwater crocodile is an exceptional predator, capable of attacking almost any animal that invades its territory, whether in water or on land. In the selection of interesting facts about alligators you will also find many interesting information.

The largest amphibian in the world: Chinese giant salamander.

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is the largest salamander in the world, reaching a length of 180 cm. Although they rarely reach that size today, as they are often eaten. Found in rocky mountain streams and lakes in China, the salamander is critically endangered due to habitat loss, pollution and overharvesting, as its meat is considered a delicacy and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.


The largest Rabbit/Hare in the world: the Flemish Giant.

The Flemish Giant is an old breed of domesticated rabbit originating from the Flemish region. They were bred as early as the 16th century around the city of Ghent, Belgium. Rabbits can weigh up to 12.7 kg


The Largest Bats in the World: Giant golden-crowned flying fox.

Most great view bats- The golden-crowned giant flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), an endangered fruit bat from tropical forests Philippine, which is part of the megabat family. The maximum size is believed to be closer to 1.5 kg. weight, and 55 cm in length, and the wingspan can be almost 1.8 meters. The common great flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) is smaller in body mass and length, but exceeds the golden-crowned species in wingspan. Specimens reached a span of up to two meters.

The largest rodent in the world: Capybara, or guinea pig.

The largest rodent is the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), inhabiting most tropical and temperate parts of the east. South America and Andes, living near water. Adult capybaras can reach 1.5 meters in length and 0.9 meters in height at maximum weight at 105.4 kilograms. This is a very social species and gets along easily with humans.




Largest bony fish in the world: Ocean sunfish.

Osteichthyes, or bony fish, are a taxonomic group of fish that have a bony, as opposed to cartilaginous, skeleton. This is an extremely diverse and rich group of fish, consisting of more than 29,000 species, and the largest class of vertebrates in existence.

The largest bony fish is the widespread ocean sunfish (Mola mola). It resembles the head of a fish with a tail, and its main part is smoothed from the side. A mature ocean sunfish has an average length of 1.8 meters, a fin-to-fin length of 2.5 meters and an average weight of 1,000 kilograms. There were fish up to 3.3 meters in length, weighing up to 2,300 kg.

The most big snake: Green Anaconda.

The most massive reptile in the world is the Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus). The maximum recorded size is 7.5 meters in length and 250 kg in weight, although rumors of larger anacondas are widespread. The python (Python reticulatus) of Southeast Asia is longer, but much lighter, reaching a length of as much as 9.7 meters.

The most big bird in the world: Ostrich.

The largest bird is (Struthio camelus), an inhabitant of the plains of Africa and Arabia. A large male ostrich can reach a height of 2.8 m, weighing over 156 kg. Eggs laid by an ostrich can weigh 1.4 kg and are the largest eggs in the world. They may also run maximum speeds at approximately 97.5 km/h, which makes the ostrich also the fastest bird on earth and the fastest bipedal animal in the world.

The heaviest flying bird in the world: Dalmatian pelican.

The Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is a member of the pelican family. Distributed from southeastern Europe to India and China in swamps and small lakes. It is the largest of the pelicans, averaging 160-180 cm in length, 11-15 kg in weight and just over 3 m in wingspan. Dalmatian pelicans are the heaviest flying bird species in the world on average, although great bustards and swans can exceed the pelican in maximum weight.

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When hearing the word “giant,” most people imagine either huge diplodocus or a mammoth from “ Ice Age" Another option is not excluded - eucalyptus and baobab trees. However, there are still many creatures whose size may pleasantly (and not so pleasantly) surprise you. Oddly enough, huge living organisms exist not only in fairy tales and the prehistoric past, but also share the planet with us right now! Here's a list of notable animals, from dog-sized rabbits to human-sized crabs. Feel tiny with the largest inhabitants of the world!

Female hippopotamus during evening rest

Looking at these funny creatures (which, by the way, are one of the most aggressive mammals in the world: more people suffer from them than from crocodiles and sharks), it is difficult to believe that their closest relatives are sea whales. Even though they came to land, hippos are still completely devoted aquatic environment, as evidenced by their etymology Greek name- “river horse”.

Male gorilla at rest

This gorilla species is on the verge of extinction. The humanly intelligent primate lives only in a small area of ​​Africa, where deforestation and poaching have made life a struggle for survival. The eastern gorilla is the most great representative species of higher primates.

The largest breed of rabbit is the Flanders

Domestic Flanders rabbit and collie

About the size of an average dog, this breed of game rabbit can impress foodies and furry lovers alike. The largest rabbit was first bred in the Middle Ages near the Belgian city of Ghent.

Octopus on the engraving early XIX century

Only recently has it been possible to prove the existence of giant squids, since they rarely appear on the surface. Many oceanologists are confident that the legendary Kraken is a representative of this subspecies of cephalopods. Until the end of the 20th century, the only evidence of its existence were plate-sized sucker marks on the bodies of sperm whales. However, in 2004, Japanese researchers managed to photograph a living giant squid in his habitat.

"Flying" stingray in shallow water

This majestic stingray, nicknamed " sea ​​devil", can have a wingspan of up to eight meters. Moreover, the manta ray can easily jump several meters out of the water. Unfortunately, this beautiful sight can only be observed on the open sea and only during the breeding season.

Old White shark on the hunt

This sea ​​monster is the largest and most aggressive fish alive (good thing megalodons are extinct). Moreover, it has no natural enemies other than killer whales and people.

Capybara is a peaceful rodent animal

Rodent takes sunbaths

This cute creature feels comfortable at home and is increasingly becoming a pet. The capybara is the largest rodent. They live in families or even groups in South America.

Anaconda during the hunt

This snake is the largest in the world and it even has own franchise horror films. Large individuals can reach eight meters in length. Some types of pythons can surpass the anaconda in size, but do not surpass it in thickness.

The head and structure of the front part of the body of the perch

As the name suggests, this perch lives in the Nile River and is the largest freshwater fish. Its length can reach the height of an adult. Its other name is “water elephant”.

The trace left by the movement of such a carcass is the best signal to turn back

This species of reptile is the largest living one. The saltwater crocodile can be found in Indian Ocean off the coast. This monster is known for its aggressiveness, so if you see two rows of teeth swimming towards you, you better run away.

Flying fox on vacation

Unfortunately, this one is large bat is on the verge of extinction due to the fact that its habitats in the Philippines are subject to deforestation and pollution. Acerodon is peaceful and feeds exclusively on fruits.

Komodo dragon digests lunch

These legendary "dragons" are the largest lizards in the world. They are known for their gluttony: in one meal they can eat almost as much as their own weight. However, there is also back side their appetite: the metabolism of monitor lizards is so slow that the monitor lizard only needs to eat once a month.

Cassowary comb is considered an aphrodisiac

These are the largest birds outside of Africa. Despite their peaceful disposition, cassowaries can attack people during the current period or if the bird feels a threat to its offspring.

Killer whale chasing a fur seal

In fact, killer whales are not whales. They are the largest representatives of the dolphin family. They have high intelligence and live in large families.

Female sperm whale with calf

These huge whales are the largest predators on the planet. In addition, sperm whales have the largest brain. However, this does not save them from whalers.

Crab at Tokyo Aquarium

A true champion among arthropods. This type of crab lives off the coast of Japan. It is known for its size (can weigh up to 20 kg), taste (gourmets around the world line up for its phalanges) and longevity (there are individuals that live for a century).

Female elephant scaring off intruders

It’s scary to imagine, but these mammals can weigh up to 5 tons. And given their aggressiveness and size, elephant seals can easily be called the largest carnivores on land (although they hunt marine life, fortunately for us).

Pelican before flying for fish

This pelican species is the largest flying bird. Lives on the territory of the Eurasian continent.

Emu during mating season

The comical, but dangerous and aggressive bird is known to be the largest in the world. It can accelerate to 70 km/h, which allows ostriches to win in two categories: the fastest two-legged creature and the fastest flightless bird.

Giraffe in one of the US zoos

Everyone is well aware of these amazing and cute creatures. Despite its good nature, the giraffe can run fast and fight back even lions. This mammal is the tallest of land animals.

Huge fish at the New Mexico Aquarium

This inhabitant of the oceans is the largest representative bony fish(those who do not have cartilage, but full-fledged bones).

Salamander in Beijing Zoo

The Chinese have put the fate of this species of lizard at risk of extinction, as they value its meat for taste qualities and use internal organs in traditional medicine.

A bear is looking for food in the polar winter

Despite the apparent “plushness”, polar bears- strong and vicious predators that can tear apart a person in a matter of seconds. They say that there is no escape from him except shameful flight.

Male scaring off trespassers

The largest land creature. Representatives of this species have no enemies who could attack it with impunity (except for people who destroy elephants on an industrial scale). Its weight can reach 12 tons.

Young whale playing with a school of fish

Perhaps, over time, new species of living beings will acquire monstrous proportions. And among those living today there may be unknown giants, which we will definitely learn about.

IN documentary film show a great white shark swimming past scuba divers in cages. You freeze in fear, because this is a huge white shark - a healthy, creepy, carnivorous predator! And you know it's big, even huge, until you see it compared to the poor tiny divers hiding in their cages. Only then will you truly realize the mind-blowing size of this animal!

In fact, most of us don't really know how big some animals are. They don't even have a clue! But don't worry, if this sounds like you, today you will see animals that are actually much larger than you think!

The fact is that animals are different forms and sizes. Some people use their weight as a determining factor, believing that the heaviest animal is automatically the largest. Others believe that the largest animal is the longest, while others use the term “largest” to mean the height (height) of the animal.

In short, no matter how we measure animals, there is no doubt that there are animals of incredibly huge sizes! For example, almost everyone knows that the blue whale and the African elephant are the largest animals on the planet (so, naturally, they are also included on this list).

But what does it mean? How big are they? How can we compare them with something whose dimensions are very familiar to us: for example, the size of a football field, a building or even a bus!

Once you get to know these animals better, we think you'll have a better idea of ​​their size (and this discovery may shock you). Here are 25 animals that are much larger than you think!

25. Great white shark

The great white shark is famous for its frightening size: adults, on average, grow up to 4.6 meters in length, although there have been individuals up to 6 meters, weighing up to 1.9 tons. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio can tell about one such close one.

24. Bottlenose dolphin, or large dolphin


Cute, highly intelligent and incredibly friendly, bottlenose dolphins are associated exclusively with goodwill. Seeing them on TV or in videos posted on the Internet, how they emerge from the water and jump through rings, performing in shows at water parks, it is quite difficult to imagine their impressive size.

However, the size of bottlenose dolphins can vary between 2-4 meters, and their weight can reach 150-650 kg. If you swim next to these animals, they will be almost twice your size (or even more if you are a short person).

23. Sperm whale


Sperm whales are considered the largest toothed whales on the planet. Adult males grow up to 17-20 meters in length, reaching a weight of about 40-50 tons, which means that a Boeing 737-800 with a maximum take-off weight of 75 tons will not be able to lift two such animals into the air.

22. Hippopotamus, or common hippopotamus


Hippos are large, obese animals that are the third largest land mammal (after elephants and white rhinoceroses). They grow up to 3.3-5 meters in length, reaching a weight of up to 3 tons. This is the approximate length and weight of a Hummer H2 SUV.

21. Leo


Widely known as the "king of beasts", an adult lion can weigh over 250 kg - almost the weight of two men like wrestler Brock Lesnar.

20. Ostrich

Ostriches are the largest living birds. They usually weigh somewhere between 63-145 kg, almost as much as two adults, growing up to 2.7 meters in length.
Ostriches are known for their strength and long paws, which help them overcome 3-5 meters in just one step. Their strong paws are also a formidable weapon, since an ostrich can kill a person or even such a large animal as a lion with one blow.

19. Dark tiger python


The dusky tiger python is one of the three largest species of snakes in the animal kingdom. Its length, on average, is 3.7 meters, but an individual with a length of 5.74 meters has been found in nature. Yes, this is longer than the height of most trees that grow in your area.

18. Liger


A hybrid cross between a lion and a tigress, the liger is the largest known and living feline. The weight of an adult individual, as a rule, exceeds 300 kg, and the length of a liger standing on its hind legs can reach 3.66-4 meters. To give you an idea of ​​how high this is, let's say that the height of the average one-story house is about 3 meters.

17. Blue or blue whale


Measuring 30 meters in length and weighing 180 tons, blue whales are the largest animals living on our planet and possibly the heaviest to ever live on Earth, including dinosaurs.

Just for comparison: a blue whale is almost twice the length of a city bus and weighs 10 times more. Now every time you see two buses parked next to each other, you will remember the blue whale.

16. Fighting bull


Fighting bulls are bulls that compete in Spanish bullfighting. The height of an adult (at the withers) is 1.55 meters. An adult fighting bull weighs between 500-700 kg, almost the same as a Formula 1 car (702 kg) including its driver.

15. Saltwater crocodile


The saltwater crocodile, also known as the saltwater crocodile or man-eating crocodile, belongs to the family of true crocodiles and is the largest reptile on the planet. It is also considered the world's largest terrestrial or coastal predator, at the top of the food chain.

Adult males of average size reach a length of 5 meters and can weigh almost 450 kg - even a heavyweight, world record holder in powerlifting (430 kg) could not lift one of them. However, some males can reach a length of 7 meters, weighing almost 2 tons.

14. Grizzly


Most adult female grizzly bears weigh around 130-180 kg, while males grow to 180-360 kg, almost the same weight as Leonardo DiCaprio's 79 kg.

13. Tuna


Tuna is a marine fin fish belonging to the tribe Thunnini, which consists of 15 species belonging to 5 genera. The sizes of representatives of this tribe can vary greatly. The largest of them, the common tuna, measures 4.6 meters in length and weighs 684 kg. That's more than Jon Brower Minnoch, the heaviest man in human history, who weighed an impressive 635 kilograms.

12. White or polar bear


Polar bears are large carnivores that live in cold climates (within the Arctic Circle).

The largest polar bear ever recorded weighed 1000 kg. On average, polar bears can reach 3 meters in height while standing on their hind legs. It's higher than the most A tall man in the history of mankind (Robert Wadlow), whose height was 2.72 meters.

11. Common wolf

The common wolf is one of the largest representatives of its family currently existing. Males, on average, weigh 43-45 kg, and females - 36-39 kg.

Wolves are also known for their huge appetites: they can eat 20 pounds of food in one sitting. This is more than a typical family of 8-10 people can eat for Sunday lunch.

10. Japanese spider crab


An adult giant Japanese spider crab can reach 4 meters in leg span, 45 cm in carapace length and weigh 20 kg.

Japanese spider crabs are considered the largest arthropods known to man. To give you an idea of ​​their enormous size, the average American compact sedan is 4.27 meters long. This crab can wrap its claws around almost the entire car.

9. Tiger


On average, the body length of these predatory animals varies between 1.5-2.9 meters, and weight ranges from 75 to 325 kilograms.

The largest tigers, Amur or Siberian tigers, can reach a length of 3.3 meters and weigh 300 kg. Just think for a moment: a tiger is more than 8 times heavier than the average family dog ​​(using a Labrador as an example).

8. Spotted hyena


Spotted hyenas are the largest of the three hyena species. The other two species are brown and striped hyenas. Adults reach 1.3 meters in length, weighing 40-64 kg.

The spotted hyena is known for its proportionately large heart, accounting for 1% of its body weight, which gives these animals great endurance during long pursuits.

7. Giraffe

Thanks to your long legs and neck, giraffes are the tallest mammals on our planet. Only the giraffe’s leg is much longer than the average height of a man (177 cm). Adults weigh 900-1200 kg and reach a height of 5.5-6.1 meters - that's almost like a two-story building!

6. Moose


Elk is the largest species of the deer family. Males are easily recognized by their huge horns, the span of which reaches 1.83 meters.

The size of elk is very easy to underestimate, but adults can in any case reach 2.3 meters at the withers. If a person 1.83 meters tall stands next to an elk, the animal will rise above him by several tens of centimeters.

5. African elephant


African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They are slightly larger than their Asian counterparts. The largest African elephant ever recorded measured 4 meters at the shoulders and weighed more than 10 tons. Adjusted one way or another, but this is almost 5 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs.

4. Eagle owl


The eagle owl, which lives throughout most of Eurasia, is one of the largest representatives of the order of owls. Females grow up to 75 cm in length with a wingspan of 188 cm. Males are slightly smaller in size.

3. Jellyfish Nomura


Nomura's jellyfish is very large