Our world is home to many of the most amazing animals - very large and very small. In this article we will tell you about the 15 largest animals in the world. In doing so, we classify them into different categories. So, you will find out what the largest sea animals on earth are, the largest snakes, the largest elephants, and so on. Prepare to be surprised! Pleasant and useful time delivery is guaranteed!
The largest animal is the Blue Whale
The blue whale is the largest animal on earth. Not only that, it is also recognized as the largest animal of all. known to science, ever existing “creatures” in the world. The length of the blue whale is about 30 meters, and its weight starts from 180 tons and above.
It’s hard to imagine, but the tongue of this amazing marine mammal alone weighs approximately 2.7 tons, which is comparable in size to the Indian elephant. The average weight of a blue whale's heart is 600 kilograms, which is the largest heart in the world. To make it easier to imagine the size of such a heart, let’s say that in size and weight it is approximately comparable to a Mini Cooper car.
The heaviest land animal in the world is the African elephant.
Of all the land animals now living on the planet, the largest is the African elephant. Males of this species reach a length of 6 to 7.5 meters, and a height of 3.3 meters and above. Such giants weigh about 6 tons. Females African elephant significantly smaller: on average, their weight is 3 tons, their length is from 5.4 to 6.9 meters, and their height is 2.7 meters. Adult African elephants have enemies in wildlife practically none, but newborn cubs are very vulnerable and are hunted with pleasure by lions, crocodiles, leopards and even hyenas.
Tallest land animal in the world - Giraffe
The giraffe is the tallest land animal in the world. It is an African artiodactyl mammal. Its height is 5-6 meters, and its average weight is 1.6 tons for males and 0.83 tons for females. The giraffe is distinguished by a very long neck, which makes up almost half of its entire vertical height animal and equals approximately 2 meters. Unique, but Long neck The giraffe acts as a continuation not of the usual spine, but of a disproportionately elongated cervical spinal column.
The largest marine carnivore in the world is the Southern Elephant Seal.
The southern elephant seal is the largest carnivore alive today. A distinctive feature of these seals is that the size of their males is 5-6 times larger than that of females. This is perhaps the largest sex difference in size of any mammal. Moreover, males weigh from 2.2 to 4.0 tons, while the weight of females is only 0.4 - 0.9 tons, and the length reaches from 2.6 to 3 meters.
Largest land carnivore - White polar bear and Kodiak bear
The largest land carnivores are the white polar bear and the Kodiak bear, serving as a species brown bear. Body size polar bear and the Kodiak bear are approximately the same. Their height is 1.6 meters or more, and the total length is 3 meters. The registered brown and polar bears were recognized as the heaviest, weighing 1,135 kilograms and 1,003 kilograms, respectively.
The largest reptile in the world - Saltwater crocodile
The largest reptile in the world that has survived to this day is the saltwater crocodile. Its habitat is quite large territory from South-East Asia and the coast of India to Northern Australia. An adult male saltwater crocodile weighs approximately 0.41 to 1.0 tons, and its length ranges from 4.1 to 5.5 meters. However, individual individuals can exceed 6 meters in length and weigh more than a ton.
This variety of crocodiles is the only species that regularly exceeds 4.8 meters in length. The saltwater crocodile acts as an exceptional dangerous predator. He is capable of attacking almost any animal that appears in his line of sight, regardless of whether it is in water or on land.
The largest amphibian in the world is Chinese giant salamander
The Chinese giant salamander is the most big salamander in the world: its length is approximately 180 centimeters. However, as a rule, today they are not allowed to grow to such sizes, since these salamanders are a favorite delicacy of many peoples, and are also traditionally used in traditional Chinese medicine. As the name suggests, the Chinese giant salamander lives in rocky lakes and mountain streams in China. At the same time, she is threatened not only by merciless fishing, but also by pollution of the reservoir where she lives.
The largest rabbit in the world is the Flemish Giant
The Flemish Giant is an old breed of domesticated rabbit for which the Flemish region was famous. The largest rabbits in the world were bred in the 16th century in Belgium near the city of Ghent. Such giants can weigh up to 12.7 kilograms.
The biggest the bats in the world - Giant golden-crowned flying fox
The most great view bats is a giant flying fox with a golden crown. This is a rare fruit bat, mercilessly exterminated by people, living in tropical forests in the Philippines. It belongs to the megabat family. The maximum weight of giants is 1.5 kilograms. In size, such a mouse has a wingspan of almost 1.8 meters and 55 centimeters in length. If we take a simple large Flying Fox as an example, then in length and body weight it is smaller than the Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox, but in wingspan it exceeds it: in ordinary foxes the wingspan can reach up to 2 meters.
The largest rodent in the world - Capybara
The largest rodent in the world is the capybara. This guinea pig lives in most tropical and temperate areas South America and Andes, she lives next to the water. Adult capybaras reach a length of 1.5 meters and a height of 0.9 meters. The maximum weight of a pig is 105.4 kilograms. The capybara is a very social species: it gets along easily with humans and even seems to enjoy their company.
The largest bony fish in the world is the Ocean sunfish.
Bony fish (Osteichthyes) are a taxonomic group of fish that have a bony, rather than cartilaginous, skeleton. This group is very rich and diverse, it includes more than 29 thousand varieties. It is also the largest class of vertebrates in existence.
The ocean sunfish is recognized as the largest bony fish today. It is widespread, its body is similar to the head of a fish with a tail, but without a body. An adult ocean sunfish has an average length of 1.8 meters and measures 2.5 meters from fin to fin. On average, such a fish weighs 1 ton. Fishermen also came across sunfish up to 3.3 meters long and weighing up to 2.3 tons.
The largest snake is the Green Anaconda
The Green Anaconda is recognized by biologists as the most massive reptile in the world. Maximum size The snake, which was officially recorded, is 7.5 meters in length and 250 kilograms in weight. There are also many rumors that people have often encountered larger anacondas. Competitor of the green anaconda for the title of the most big snake Python reticulatus, which lives in Southeast Asia, is considered to be the world's most popular species. This reptile is longer (its length is 9.7 meters), but it is lighter in weight.
The most big bird in the world - Ostrich
The largest bird in the world is the ostrich. It lives on the plains of Africa and Arabia. A male ostrich can reach 2.8 meters in height, while weighing more than 156 kilograms. The eggs laid by ostriches are considered the largest: their weight is approximately 1.4 kilograms. Ostriches are also distinguished by the fact that they can run at an extraordinary speed - around 97.5 km/h. Thanks to this, ostriches are considered the fastest birds in the world, as well as the fastest two-legged animals on earth.
The heaviest flying bird in the world is the Dalmatian pelican.
The Dalmatian Pelican belongs to the pelican family. Its habitat is from China and India to the southeastern part of Europe. It lives in shallow lakes and swamps. The Dalmatian pelican is the largest of the pelicans and the heaviest flying bird on earth. Its weight on average ranges from 11 to 15 kilograms. The length of the bird is from 160 to 180 centimeters, and the wingspan is more than 3 meters. In addition, it is believed that large swans and male bustards can grow to such sizes that they exceed the average weight of Dalmatian pelicans.
The largest arthropod in the world is the Japanese spider crab.
The Japanese spider crab is a special species of sea crab that lives in the waters around Japan. The largest arthropod in the world has a unique length of up to 3.8 meters and a weight of up to 19 kilograms. In his natural environment habitat, the spider crab lives up to 100 years and feeds on shellfish.
Animals in the world can be measured by several criteria, such as weight, height, length. The list includes only animals living on land. This list takes into account the maximum weight that animals can reach...
(Total 10 photos)
Average animal weight: 8500 kg
Maximum animal weight: 13000 kg
Average animal body length: 6.66 meters
2. Asian elephant
Average animal weight: 4200 kg
Maximum animal weight: 5200 kg
Average animal body length: 5.94 meters
3. White rhinoceros
Average animal weight: 2350 kg
Maximum animal weight: 3850 kg
Average animal body length: 3.81 meters
4. Hippopotamus
Average animal weight: 2500 kg
Maximum animal weight: 3400 kg
Average animal weight: 1600 kg
Maximum animal weight: more than 1800 kg
Average animal body length: 2.99 meters
Average animal weight: 1400 kg
Average height: 4.69 meters
Average animal weight: 1200 kg
Maximum animal weight: 2150 kg
Average animal body length: 3.35 meters
8. Black Rhino
Average animal weight: 1150 kg
Maximum animal weight: 1900 kg
Average animal body length: 3.43 meters
Average animal weight: 785 kg
Maximum animal weight: 1600 kg
Average animal body length: 6.10 meters
10. Wild Asian water buffalo
Average animal weight: 770 kg
Maximum animal weight: 1250 kg
Average animal body length: 3.48 meters
Everyone has heard about dinosaurs, mammoths, pterodactyls and other prehistoric animals, whose size still continues to amaze the imagination of people around the world. Today the world cannot boast of these animals, but even now you can find many interesting and incredible things. We present the ranking of the world's largest animals.
1 place - Blue whale The undisputed leader in all ratings continues to be the Blue Whale, whose dimensions leave one speechless. Even the largest prehistoric animals are no rival for him. Its length sometimes reaches 30 meters, and its weight is 180 tons. Given its weight, the mammal can accelerate to a speed of 35 km/h.
2nd place - Sperm whale Today, only one species of sperm whale is known to the world. They can reach 20 meters in length and weigh about 50 tons. Female sperm whales are significantly smaller than males. Despite its threatening appearance, the animal has practically no enemies in the depths of the ocean. The only exception is killer whales, which often attack females and offspring.
3rd place - African elephant At the same time the most dangerous and largest land creature on the planet. It can reach 3.5 meters in height, while weighing about 12 tons. The large mass does not allow the elephant to sleep in a lying position, so you can often find the animal dozing while standing. Despite its enormous weight and dimensions, it can easily overtake a person.
4th place – Indian elephant The Indian elephant is slightly smaller in size than its African relative. They live mainly in forests, easily crossing dense thickets and viscous swampy terrain. Animals can reach a height of 3.5 and a weight of 5.5 tons.
5th place – Sea Elephant
According to official data, the elephant seal is by far the largest pinniped in the world. They can grow up to 6 meters and at the same time have a mass of 6 tons. They spend almost their entire lives in the ocean and rarely come to land, mainly to reproduce.
6th place – Hippopotamus
One of the most dangerous African inhabitants for humans is among the ten largest animals on the planet. An adult hippopotamus can reach 1.6 meters and weigh from three tons. It lives mainly in water, where during the day it hides from the annoying sun. Only in the evening does it come out onto land in search of food.
7th place – White rhinoceros
Despite the fact that the rhinoceros is a herbivore, it appearance continues to strike fear into many. It can grow up to 2 meters in height and weigh 3 tons. There are individuals that significantly exceed the figures given.
8th place – Walrus
One of the few “fossil” animals that inhabit our planet to this day. The remains of fossilized walruses were found in the United States and dated to approximately 28 thousand years ago. The animal is truly striking in its appearance and size: an adult grows up to 2 meters in height and weighs about 2 tons.
9th place – Black rhinoceros
The black rhinoceros, unlike the white one, weighs significantly less. And he usually doesn’t reach the size of his “brother.” Thus, the average height of an adult black rhinoceros is 1.6 meters and weight is 2 tons. It has no enemies in nature, and therefore becomes a very easy prey for hunters.
10th place – Saltwater crocodile
It is surprising that the largest reptile in the world is specially raised by humans on crocodile farms for industrial purposes. It's all about the unique leather, which is actively used in light industry. Height adult can reach 7 meters in length, and weigh one and a half tons.
Modern animals are in no way inferior prehistoric dinosaurs and mammoths. And the main task for humans today is the need to protect each of the above species so that they do not suffer the fate of their fossil ancestors.
Instructions
The extinct dinosaur Amphicelia is described from a fragment of one single dilapidated vertebra, so its size and the very existence of this dinosaur are in doubt. According to calculations, its length ranged from 40 to 62 meters, and its weight was up to 155 tons. Scientific: kingdom - animals, phylum - chordates, - reptiles, - lizards, infraorder - sauropods, family - diplopoids, genus - amphicoelias.
The blue whale is a modern marine animal whose length reaches 33 meters and its weight can exceed 150 tons. Scientific classification: domain - eukaryotes, kingdom - animals, phylum - chordates, class - mammals, order -, family - minke whales, genus - minke whales, species - blue whale. It feeds on plankton, filtered through the lamellar whalebone: the basis of nutrition is krill, less often larger crustaceans, small fish, etc. There are four subspecies of the blue whale - northern, southern, dwarf and Indian. They differ slightly in size and range of habitat. The blue whale is found throughout the world's oceans. Whales rarely gather in small groups; single individuals are more common. By 1960, thanks to whaling, the blue whale was on the verge of extinction. Today, their total number does not exceed 10,000 individuals. In blue whales, females are much larger than males; there is an opinion that whales (puking whales) were previously larger than modern individuals. Their vision and sense of smell are poor. Hearing and touch are well developed. The weight of the tongue is 4 tons, and the size of the pharynx is only 10 cm in diameter. Lung volume exceeds 3 thousand liters. Large individuals have a blood volume of over 8 thousand liters. The blue whale's heart is the largest in the entire animal kingdom and its weight is about one ton, and its pulse is 5 - 10 beats per minute. Females give birth once every 2 years, and pregnancy lasts 11 months. However, population growth cannot compensate for its decline. A born baby weighs about 2-3 tons and reaches 6-8 meters in length. The cub feeds on mother's milk for 7 months and grows up to 16 meters during this period. Whales reach physical maturity at 15 years of age and live up to 80–90 years.
In this article, we invite you on a fascinating tour through the list of the 25 largest living creatures on Earth, ranging from giants by microworld standards - viruses, bacteria and amoebas to the largest invertebrates, insects, amphibians, birds, reptiles, fish, mammals, plants and mushrooms
1. The largest known virus (1.5 microns in length)
One can argue for a long time whether viruses are actually living organisms - some biologists say yes, others are not so sure. However, there is no doubt that Pithovirus a real giant among viruses known to science (about 1.5 microns in length), 50 percent larger than the nearest record holder - Pandoravirus. You might think that a pathogen the size of Pithovirus capable of infecting large animals such as elephants, hippos or even humans. But don’t worry, the virus only infects amoebas, which are not much larger than itself.
2. The world's largest bacterium (more than 0.5 mm in length)
Thiomargarita namibiensis- translated in Latin means “Namibian sulfur pearl”. The bacterium received this name because of the sulfur granules included in the cytoplasm, giving it a shiny appearance. Size thiomargarita namibiensis is more than half a millimeter wide, which makes it possible to see it with the naked eye. Thiomargarita namibiensis absolutely harmless to people and animals, as it is a lithotroph (organisms that use inorganic substances as oxidizable substrates (electron donors)).
3. The largest amoeba on the planet (3 mm in length)
The largest amoeba belongs to the genus "Chaos". Of course, it is much smaller than the monstrous amoebas from comic books and science fiction films. But still, this is a real giant among amoebas, which is easy to see with the naked eye. Another feature of the world's largest amoeba is the ability to digest small multicellular organisms, bacteria and protists.
4. The heaviest beetle (85-110 g)
Despite the fact that the goliath is not the longest beetle in the world, nevertheless, given their mass (some individuals weigh more than 100 g), they certainly live up to their name. The Goliath beetle is comparable in weight and size to an adult gerbil mouse, as you have already seen by looking at the photo above.
5. The largest spider (body weight up to 175 g)
Theraphosa Blonda or Goliath tarantula - largest spider world, originally from tropical forests South America. Taking into account the legs, the body length of the goliath tarantula can reach up to 28 cm, and its weight can reach up to 175 g. The lifespan of female giant spiders in the wild is up to 25 years, and sexual maturity occurs at 3 years. Males are less fortunate, despite the fact that they are not eaten by the female after mating, like other species of spiders, their life expectancy is much shorter - from 3 to 6 years.
6. The largest worm (average length 60-90 cm)
If you have a strong aversion to worms, you may be alarmed by the fact that there are more than half a dozen species giant worms- the largest of which is the African giant worm, up to 1.5 m long. Despite the size being comparable to average snake, giant earthworms are just as harmless as their smaller cousins. They like to burrow deep in the dirt, staying away from people (and other animals), quietly eating rotten leaves and other decaying organic matter.
7. The largest amphibian (body weight up to 3 kg)
"Goliath" is a popular name for the largest fauna of its kind (see points No. 4 and No. 5). The Goliath frog lives in west-central Africa. Average weight Goliath frogs are about 2.5 kg, which is much less than the mass Beelzebufo ampinga(about 5 kg) is the largest frog that lived on Earth during the Late Cretaceous period.
8. The largest arthropod animal (3-4 m including legs)
The Japanese spider crab is truly a huge and extremely long-legged animal. The front legs of this representative of arthropods reach a length of up to 2 m, and the body up to 45 cm. The variegated, orange-white color of the exoskeleton serves as an excellent camouflage from large sea predators. Like most others strange creatures, Japanese spider crab is a prized delicacy in Japan, but in Lately, are rarely found on restaurant menus due to pressure from conservationists.
9. Largest flowering plant (diameter up to 1 m)
Luckily for us all, Rafflesia Arnold's habitat is limited to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. You definitely won't find it in your neighbor's garden. :)
10. The largest sponge on the planet (up to 2 m in diameter)
Except that the giant sea sponge (Xestospongia muta) The largest of its kind, it holds the record for longest life expectancy among invertebrate animals, some individuals live more than 1000 years. Like other types of sponges, xestospongia muta feeds by filtering small organisms from sea water.
11. The largest jellyfish (up to 37 m in length)
With a dome diameter of about 2 m and tentacles more than 30 m, the length of the hairy cyanea is comparable to the blue whale (see point No. 22). Despite such gigantic sizes, the tentacles of these jellyfish do not pose a mortal danger to humans (only painful sensations and skin rash). Hairy cyanea also performs an important ecological function by providing various types fish and crustaceans shelter under a huge dome.
An interesting fact is that hairy cyanides are a favorite source of food for another giant on this list - the leatherback turtle (see point No. 17)
12. The largest flying bird (adult males weigh up to 20 kg)
Considering the huge (by bird standards) body weight - up to 20 kg, the African great bustard goes against the laws of aerodynamics. It is not the most graceful bird in the world when it comes to flight. In fact, the African Great Bustard spends much of its life on land in southern Africa, cackling loudly and eating almost anything that moves. She uses flight only in cases of extreme danger.
In this respect, the African great bustard is no different from the even larger pterosaurs - the flying reptiles of the Mesozoic era.
13. The largest representative of protists (more than 45 m in length)
Many people mistakenly believe that there are only four categories of life - bacteria, plants, fungi and animals - but don't forget about primitive eukaryotic organisms such as chromists. You may be surprised by the fact that all algae are protists. The largest representative of protists is Macrocystis pyrifera- view brown algae from the kelp family, which is capable of growing more than 45 m in length, providing a reliable shelter for many marine organisms.
14. The largest non-flying bird (up to 270 cm in height and weighing up to 156 kg)
If we take it globally, the ostrich is not only the largest non-flying bird, but generally the largest bird currently living on Earth. The maximum recorded height of an ostrich is 2.7 m and its weight is 156 kg. It may seem incredible, but relatively recently (about 200-300 years ago) on the island of Madagascar, there lived a species of bird - the Madagascan apiornis, in comparison with which an ostrich would seem like a chicken. These birds could reach 3-5 m in height and up to 500 kg in weight, which is comparable to the size of birds of the genus Dromornis, which lived on the planet during the late Miocene.
15. The largest snake (weight - 97.5 kg)
Compared to other organisms on this list, classifying snakes by size is significantly more difficult. Even professional naturalists tend to overestimate the size of snakes they observe in the wild because, large specimens for detailed study is practically impossible. At the same time, most scientists agree that the anaconda is the largest snake on the planet. The largest anaconda caught was 521 cm long and weighed 97.5 kg.
16. The largest representative of bivalve mollusks (more than 200 kg)
The giant tridacna is the most great view from the class bivalve molluscs, found in the waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The maximum weight of the giant clam is more than 200 kg, and the length of the shell can exceed 1 m. Despite its formidable reputation, the giant clam closes its shell only in cases of danger, and its size is not enough to swallow an adult.
17. The largest turtle (weighing more than 500 kg)
The leatherback turtle is a large species of sea turtle that lives in tropical latitudes. These turtles are strikingly different from their relatives. The leatherback turtle's shell is made up of small bony plates and is not attached to the skeleton like other species. In addition to the body structure, distinctive feature Leatherback turtles are their giant size- the weight of an adult individual can exceed 500 kg.
18. The largest reptile (weight up to 1000 kg)
By dinosaur standards, when the largest reptile weighed 100 tons, the saltwater crocodile was just a small lizard. However, in the world of modern reptiles, these crocodiles are real giants. The body length of an adult saltwater crocodile varies from 3.5 to 6 m, and weight from 200 to 1000 kg.
19. Largest fish (maximum weight 2235 kg)
The peculiar appearance of the common sunfish makes it one of the strangest inhabitants of the ocean. But these fish are known not only for their eccentric appearance, but also for their gigantic size. The record caught specimen of the common sunfish had a length of 4.26 m and a mass of 2235 kg.
20. Largest land mammal (average weight 5 tons)
A mammal from the genus of African elephants, as well as the largest land animal. The average weight of a female is 3 tons, and a male is 6 tons. Adult savannah elephant, is capable of eating about 200 kg of vegetation daily and drinking up to 200 liters of water.
21. The largest shark (more than 12 m in length)
Oddly enough, the largest animals in the world's oceans usually feed on microscopic organisms. Like the blue whale (see next point), the whale shark's diet mainly consists of plankton, small squid and fish. As for the size of the whale shark, it is not possible to give exact figures. Exists various sources, claiming to have caught giant specimens over 20 m in length and weighing up to 40 tons. Considering the tendency of many fishermen to exaggerate, one cannot be 100% confident in these data. Apparently, the more realistic size of a whale shark is 12-14 m in length.
22. The largest sea animal (200 tons)
In fact, the blue whale is not only the largest sea animal, but also, apparently, the largest animal in the history of life on Earth; science has not yet known dinosaurs or other reptiles weighing 200 tons. Like the whale shark (see. previous point), the blue whale feeds on microscopic plankton, filtering countless gallons of seawater through dense baleen plates. Natural scientists estimate that an adult blue whale consumes 3-4 tons of krill every day.
23. Largest mushroom (600 tons)
Perhaps, in your understanding, the most big mushroom has a leg as thick as a pillar and a hat the size of the roof of a house, but in reality everything looks different. The record holder mushroom, or rather a colony of mushrooms that has a common mycelium and functions as a single organism, is located in the forests of Oregon, USA and belongs to the genus of honey fungus. The colony covers an area of 2000 acres and has a total mass of about 600 tons. Age giant mushroom, according to botanists, is more than 2400 years old.
24. Largest single tree (about 1000 tons)
The giant sequoia is a tree of truly gigantic size. Trunk height giant sequoia reaches 100 m, with a diameter of 10-12 m, and the estimated mass of the largest trees is about 1000 tons. They also belong to the most ancient organisms on the planet; the rings of one tree in the Northwestern United States indicated an age of 3500 years.
25. Largest tree colony (6000 tons)
Like the mushroom colony (see point 23), the largest colony of aspen poplar "Pando", located in Utah, USA, has a common root system and the same genes. Simply put, all the trees in the colony are clones, descended from a common ancestor about 80,000 years ago. Unfortunately, Pando is currently in poor condition, slowly dying from drought, disease and insect infestation. Botanists are desperate to solve the problem, so hopefully this colony can thrive for at least another 80,000 years.