The largest wild animal in the world. The largest land mammal in the world
The mammals listed here are the largest of their kind inhabiting our planet today. In this article on the largest mammals, you will find facts and figures that put these animals at the top of the pedestal when it comes to weight and size.
The largest mammal from the order Cetaceans
The blue whale is the largest animal, as well as the largest living organism currently living on Earth. Blue whales can reach a mass of about 200 tons and over 30 meters in length. Blue whales produce vocalizations exceeding 180 decibels, earning them the title of one of the loudest animals on Earth.
The largest mammal from the order Proboscis
The African elephant is the largest mammal of the. Male African elephants reach a mass of over 6 tons and about 4 meters at the withers.
Not only are they the largest of the proboscis order, they are also the leaders in mass and body size among all land creatures on the planet. The Asian elephant ranks second among the largest land animals, followed by the white rhinoceros and hippopotamus.
The largest representative of carnivores
The southern elephant seal is the largest carnivore on Earth. The mass of southern elephant seals can exceed 4 tons, and their body length can reach 6 meters.
Southern elephant seals live in the icy waters of Antarctica and south of Antarctica. Other large predators include polar and brown bears, as well as Ussuri tigers.
The largest mammal from the order Artiodactyls
The hippopotamus ranks first among the largest living representatives of the artiodactyl order. can weigh about 4 tons and have a body length of more than 4 meters.
In second place in terms of body mass, after hippopotamuses from the order of artiodactyls, are giraffes. They are significantly lighter than hippos, but giraffes hold the title of the tallest land mammals on Earth.
The largest mammal from the order Perissodactyls
It is the largest animal from the order Perissodactyls. They reach a mass of more than 4 tons and grow more than 4 meters in length.
White rhinos and hippos compete with each other to be the largest land animal after elephants.
The largest mammal from the Siren order
The American manatee is the largest of the sirenian order. Manatees can weigh about 600 kilograms and grow up to 4.5 in length.
The largest mammal from the order Primates
The eastern gorilla is the largest primate on our planet. They reach a mass of more than 200 kilograms and grow up to 1.85 meters in height. Eastern gorillas are one of two species of gorillas. The species is endangered due to poaching and rapid habitat loss.
The largest mammal from the infraclass Marsupials
The great red kangaroo is the largest marsupial mammal. These animals can weigh about 85 kg and reach a body length of up to 1.4 meters. Males of large red kangaroos are more than twice as heavy as females.
The largest mammal from the rodent order
The capybara is the largest representative of rodents currently inhabiting our planet. Capybaras reach more than 60 kg in weight and 1.35 meters in length. They are semi-aquatic animals native to much of South America, including Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Guyana, Uruguay, Peru, Paraguay and Suriname. Capybaras live in dense forests that border lakes, ponds, rivers and swamps.
The largest mammal from the order Lagomorpha
The brown hare is the largest of the order Lagomorpha. Their weight can be almost 7 kg, and their body length is 70 cm. The brown hare has long ears with black tips and a coat color ranging from yellow-brown to gray-brown.
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 due to its large 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 an average weight of 1,600 kg for males and 830 kg for females. It has an extremely elongated neck, reaching more than 2 m in length, accounting for almost half the vertical height of the animal. The long neck results from disproportionate lengthening of the 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, a subspecies of the 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 Southeast Asia and the 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 a lot of interesting information.
The largest amphibian in the world: the 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.
The largest bat species is the giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), an endangered fruit bat from the rainforests of the Philippines that 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), an inhabitant of most tropical and temperate parts of eastern South America and the Andes, living near water. Adult capybaras can reach 1.5 meters in length and 0.9 meters in height with a maximum weight of 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.
Largest 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 largest 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 can also run at top speeds of approximately 97.5 km/h, making 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.
Rating: +15 Author of the article: Bergman Views: 146166Our 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. Female elephants are much smaller, reaching 5.4 - 6.9 meters in length, 2.7 meters in height, weighing 3 tons. In general, an adult African elephant there are no natural predators due to its large 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 an average weight of 1,600 kg for males and 830 kg for females. The giraffe has an extremely elongated neck, reaching more than 2 m in length, accounting for almost half the vertical height of the animal. The long neck results from disproportionate lengthening of the 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.
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, a subspecies of the 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 Southeast Asia and the 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 a lot of interesting information.
The largest amphibian in the world: the 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.
Largest Rabbit/Hare in the world: 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: The Giant Flying Golden-crowned Fox
The largest bat species is the giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), an endangered fruit bat from the rainforests of the Philippines that 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), an inhabitant of most tropical and temperate parts of eastern South America and the Andes, living near water. Adult capybaras can reach 1.5 meters in length and 0.9 meters in height with a maximum weight of 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.
Largest 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 largest bird in the world: Ostrich
The largest bird is the ostrich (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 can also run at top speeds of approximately 97.5 km/h, making 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.
The largest arthropod in the world: Japanese spider crab
The Japanese spider crab is a species of sea crab that lives in the waters around Japan. Its length is greater than that of any arthropod, reaching up to 3.8 meters and weighing up to 19 kg. In its natural habitat, the Japanese spider crab feeds on shellfish and can live for 100 years.
The largest animal on Earth. Its body length can reach 33 meters and weighs almost 150 tons. Of course, you can say that a whale is a fish and you would be wrong. In fact, it belongs to the class of mammals.
The blue whale was first described by Scottish naturalist Robert Sibbald in 1964. The animal has a slender and elongated body, with the head making up a third of its entire length. If you look at the head from above, it has a U-shaped outline, and in profile it is slightly flattened. The lower jaw is elongated and wide, much wider than the upper.
The blowhole is formed by two nostrils and is located at the back of the head. When the animal exhales air, a vertical fountain appears from a narrow hole, the height of which can reach 10 meters. The animal also has longitudinal stripes that begin at the bottom of the head and continue throughout almost the entire body. They, firstly, improve the hydrodynamic properties of the body, and secondly, they help the pharynx to stretch more strongly when swallowing water with food.
The largest specimen ever captured was a female blue whale, which was killed by whalers in 1926 near the South Shetland Islands. The length of her body was 33 meters, but her weight is unknown - they simply did not weigh her. Although, as experts say, it probably weighed no less than 150 tons. By the way, there are larger specimens, for example, fishermen once saw a 37-meter whale, but due to the lack of necessary equipment they could not catch it.
White rhinoceros
In third place is the white rhinoceros - the weight of old males can reach more than 5 tons (average - 2-2.5 tons), and body length - more than 4 meters. However, in nature such specimens are relatively rare. By the way, it is still unclear where the word “white” came from in the name, since there is nothing white in the animal. In fact, its body color is dark gray. There are always two horns growing on the head, the first of which is always longer than the second (the officially registered record is 158 centimeters).
There have always been two areas where these animals lived - South Africa and one of its northern sides, near South Sudan and the Republic of Congo. However, the northern subspecies was completely exterminated by poachers - if in the 60s of the last century there were about two thousand heads here, then by 2008 the last of them were killed. In total there are now about 11 thousand copies, which is slightly more than 20 years ago, but all of them are in South Africa. In general, at the end of the 19th century this species was considered almost extinct, but taken into care in time, it is now out of danger of extinction.
Typically, rhinoceroses stay in small groups, and in them you can most often find females with cubs. Sometimes they are ready to accept a male, but only if he does not attempt to mate. Otherwise, he is expelled from the group, and in some cases may even be killed. Males show strong aggression towards other males, so they periodically kill each other in fights. If the group senses danger, it takes a defensive position: adults stand in a circle with their heads outward, covering their defenseless young.
As for reproduction, this issue has been little studied. It is believed that sexual maturity in rhinoceroses occurs at approximately 7-8 years. Pregnancy lasts about 17-18 months, after which one baby is born. On the second day, he can not only walk, but also accompanies his mother everywhere. After a week, it can begin to eat grass, although for many months it continues to feed on mother’s milk.
Animals graze only at moderate temperatures. They try not to go out into the scorching sun and take refuge in the shade of trees. It also seeks protection in rainy weather. Rhinoceroses often swim in swamps, where turtles await them - they devour the ticks that accumulate on the skin of these giants.
It is worth noting that rhinoceroses have been killed for several centuries - the reason for this is the horn, which, as many still believe, has incredible healing properties. However, at the moment hunting for them is allowed, but in extremely meager quotas. The production license is very expensive - from 100 thousand dollars.
Southern elephant seal
It is impossible not to note this unusual animal, which is a huge seal. Currently, it is the largest pinniped creature on our planet. An elephant can reach 6 meters in length and weigh more than 5 tons!
What is unusual is that males are very different from females in appearance - they have a pouch on their nose, which swells very much in individuals older than three years. The limbs are small, but they have long nails - up to 5 cm. It is noteworthy that as of today there are at least 600 thousand individuals all over the world, and this despite the fact that in the last century this animal was the object of intensive hunting.
Chinese giant salamander
The giant salamander is a very strange creature in terms of appearance and often causes unpleasant feelings. The average body length of an individual is about 170-180 cm, weight - up to 80 kg. The abdomen is grayish in color, the upper side is brownish-gray, the skin is lumpy.
The animal lives exclusively in the eastern regions of China, preferring cold and clean mountain reservoirs. It consumes small fish and some invertebrates as food. Unfortunately, recently the number of this species of salamander has been declining, as its natural habitats are polluted, and in addition, it is destroyed by humans. Scientists and the government are trying to find a way out of the situation.
Giraffe
The giraffe is one of the tallest mammals on our planet. In this regard, the animal has no equal.
The height of especially large males reaches more than 6 meters, and their weight is more than one ton. Females are slightly smaller in size. If you look at the neck of this giant, you simply cannot believe your eyes - how can he have only seven cervical vertebrae?! However, this is exactly the case.
It is worth noting that the giraffe also differs in other features. For example, he has a very strong heart, which is capable of passing more than 60 liters of blood through itself in just one minute. Not surprisingly, it weighs more than 12 kg. This creature also has denser and therefore thicker blood. Finally, the giraffe has a 45-centimeter long tongue that helps grasp branches.
Kodiak
This is one of the species of brown bears that lives on Kodiak Island, located off the coast of Alaska. Currently, this is one of the largest predators on our planet.
The male can reach 3.5 m in length and 1.5 m in height. This is approximately the size of a small car. Weight is about half a ton, females weigh about half as much.
The body is strong and muscular, the limbs are very strong, the head is massive, and the tail is small. If we talk about the lifestyle, it is exactly similar to that of a brown bear. Kodiaks feed not only on plants, berries or nuts, but also on other animals, sometimes carrion. In winter they hibernate, although not always.
Alas, the total number of Kodiaks is no more than three thousand individuals, and more than a hundred bears are still allowed to be shot per year.
Capybara
And this is the largest of the rodents. The height of an adult individual is about 0.6 m, and the body length is up to one and a half meters. The average weight is from 40 to 60 kg, with females being larger than males, although not by much.
From the side, the capybara very much resembles an enlarged guinea pig, which is clearly visible in the photo. Found in South and Central America. Loves water - in the wild it rarely moves more than one kilometer from the water. During drought, it can travel considerable distances in search of a reservoir. The greatest activity is observed during the daytime, but often switches to a nocturnal lifestyle if predators appear in the area.
Some Americans keep capybaras as pets, and the latter don't seem to mind at all.
Ostrich
Among birds there is no equal to the ostrich. True, it should be noted that this bird is flightless and is the only representative of its family. The weight of some individuals can be up to one and a half centners, and the height - up to 2.5 m. Ostriches are distinguished by their small head and fairly long neck.
Since these birds are flightless, their wings are underdeveloped, but they rely on very powerful legs, on which a pair of big toes can be found. Males and females differ: the color of the plumage of the former is black with old spots on the wings and tail, while the females are grayish.
The latter, by the way, lay huge eggs - their length can reach 23 cm and weight - more than 2 kg. They are also distinguished by their thick shell.
Saltwater crocodile
Closing our list is the combed crocodile, which has an incredible size. Some males can reach a length of seven meters and weigh more than one ton. However, such specimens in the wild, as you might guess, are quite rare.
Most often, these animals are found on some coasts of Australia, as well as in Indonesia. However, significantly smaller populations are also found in the Philippines and even the Seychelles.
The saltwater crocodile also attacks people. The reason is simple - the creature loves to be near the shore. Here the person’s vigilance sharply decreases and the crocodile begins to attack. It is clear that it is difficult to oppose him with anything. Therefore, almost all victims die from the attack.
Millions of years ago, our planet was inhabited by huge animals - dinosaurs. Today there are no such giants, but even today there are creatures of incredible size on Earth. What in the world? We will try to answer this question in this article.
African elephant
This giant is the largest and heaviest of the animals inhabiting land. They grow up to 3.3 meters in height, up to seven and a half meters in length, and weigh about six thousand kilograms. Females are slightly smaller than males, their length is a little more than two and a half meters, their weight is about three thousand kilograms.
Interestingly, the adult African elephant has no natural enemies, which, however, is not at all surprising, given the enormous size of the animal. But for newborn elephant calves, lions, crocodiles, leopards and hyenas pose a serious threat.
Seal
In front of you is the southern elephant seal - a representative of the genus of elephant seals, a family of true seals. This is the largest representative of pinnipeds on our planet. Its weight reaches 4 tons, and its body length is more than 6 meters. This largest animal in the world (carnivore) got its name because of its corpulent body and unusual skin pouch on the nose of males, which inflates into a huge ball during mating season or when the seal is alarmed.
It was named southern in order to distinguish it from its close relative, the northern elephant seal, which lives off the Californian coast and is significantly smaller in size. Surprisingly, the main diet of these huge animals is squid and fish, which live at a depth of up to a thousand meters. In search of food, seals dive and spend a lot of time underwater. The diving record was officially registered - about two hours.
Elephant seals spend most of their lives in the waters of the ocean; quite rarely they come to land, usually during the mating season. Often at this time, males organize real fights.
Giraffe
Answering the question what is the largest land animal in the world, many of our readers will probably say: “Giraffe!” Indeed, no one on our planet can compare with his height. The artiodactyl mammal grows up to six meters in height. Males weigh on average about 1,600 kilograms, females are almost half as much - 830 kilograms.
Even children know about the peculiarity of this animal - a long and strong neck, making up almost half of its height.
The Bears
And again we return to the question of who is the largest animal in the world. Many people know that white (or polar) bears can lay claim to this title, but there is also a species of brown bear in the world - the Kodiak, which is not inferior in size to the northern giants. These animals are almost equal in size, so scientists still have not come to a consensus which of them is larger.
The height of these bears is from 1.6 to 2 meters, the length sometimes exceeds 3 meters. The largest officially recorded individuals weighed 1003 kilograms (polar bear) and 1135 kilograms (Kodiak).
Giant salamander
Now let's go to Japan, where the largest animal (amphibian) lives. The giant (gigantic) salamander is listed in the World Red Book, as it is currently on the verge of extinction.
It is difficult to call this creature attractive: its huge body is completely covered with mucus, its huge head is slightly flattened on top. The long tail is laterally compressed, the paws are thick, but at the same time disproportionately short. Tiny eyes resemble beads, and they lack eyelids. The body is covered with warty skin with fringes on the sides. The body length of this “cutie” reaches one hundred and seventy centimeters, and the weight is about thirty kilograms.
An interesting fact is that this amphibian has very tasty meat, which is considered a delicacy. In addition, some of its organs are used in folk medicine. Healers claim that drugs made from giant salamander meat cure gastrointestinal diseases, tuberculosis and some blood diseases.
Ocean sunfish
Now let's talk about aquatic inhabitants. This is not the largest animal in the world, but it cannot be ignored in our review. We are sure that if any scuba diving enthusiast encounters such a fish on his way, he will certainly experience a shock.
The ocean sunfish (Mola-Mola) has a bony, rather than cartilaginous, skeleton. Outwardly, it resembles a giant fish head with a tail. This amazing creature, weighing up to a thousand kilograms and almost two meters long, can amaze even experienced travelers who have seen many strange animals. The largest bony fish lives and breeds in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It can often be seen in the waters off Iceland, Newfoundland, Norway, Britain, and the Kola Peninsula.
Saltwater crocodile
This giant reptile has a fairly large habitat - from the east coast of India and Southeast Asia to Northern Australia. An adult male saltwater crocodile weighs up to a thousand kilograms and is up to 5.5 meters long. These are average values. Researchers claim that there are males more than 6 meters long.
The saltwater crocodile is an active predator, feeding on molluscs, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, fish and small reptiles. At the same time, it attacks almost any animal that finds itself on its territory, regardless of where it is - on land or in water.
Sperm whale
Today, only one species of sperm whale lives on Earth. They reach twenty meters in length and weigh almost fifty tons. With such an impressive appearance, the animal has no enemies in the depths of the ocean. The only exception may be killer whales, which sometimes attack females and their offspring.
Giant tridacna
In front of you (pictured below) is the world's largest mollusk. The order of animals to which it belongs is called Veneroida. It unites from the subclass Heterodontae.
The giant tridacna, common in the Pacific Ocean, has a huge shell. Its length is more than two meters. The weight of the mollusk is 400 kilograms. An interesting fact is that animal tissues contain zooxanthellae, which live through photosynthesis and are food for the mollusk. Tridacna also digests some algae directly in the tissues, since the intestines are underdeveloped.
The edges of the huge mantle protrude between the valves and are equipped with an optical system - small light-refracting cones that are immersed in the body of the mollusk. The shell valves are massive, thick, and identical in shape. Like all representatives of this subclass, the mollusk shell does not have a nacreous layer.
The “king of shellfish” lives in the Pacific and Indian oceans, at a depth of 25 m. It is called a killer, since cases have been recorded when divers accidentally fell into their doors and died. The valves of mollusk shells are sensitive to vibrations in the water, so they can easily slam shut at the slightest movement near the mantle. Tridacnids live for almost two centuries.
Giant clams can produce quite large pearls: the largest documented Lao Tzu pearl weighs about seven kilograms. However, these pearls have no jewelry value.
The largest animal in the world is the blue whale
This is a marine mammal up to thirty meters long and weighs about 180 tons. Such dimensions allow us to assert that the blue whale is the largest animal in the world currently living on our planet.
Despite its enormous size, it feeds on small creatures that are very similar to shrimp. They are known as krill. The basis of the whale's diet is plankton. Thanks to the presence of a filtering apparatus consisting of baleen plates, the blue whale consumes up to forty million krill every day during the summer months. A whale's tongue weighs about two and a half tons. The heart of a blue whale weighs almost six hundred kilograms. It is recognized as the largest in the world.