The largest animal. The largest animals on planet earth
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. At the same time, we classify them into various categories. So, you will find out what are the largest sea animals on earth, the largest snakes, the most big 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. Length 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 big 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 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. Female African elephants are much 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. In adults African elephants There are practically no enemies in the wild, 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 the entire vertical height of the animal and is 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 - Southern sea Elephant
The southern elephant seal is the largest carnivore alive today. Distinctive feature What stands out about 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. The body sizes of the polar bear and the Kodiak bear are approximately the same. Their height is 1.6 meters or more, and full 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 most large reptile in the world - Saltwater crocodile
Most big reptile in the world, of all that have survived to this day, is 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 type of crocodiles is the only kind, which 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 most large amphibian in the world - Chinese giant salamander
The Chinese giant salamander is the largest salamander in the world, measuring approximately 180 centimeters in length. 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 folklore. 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. Weight Limit 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.
Most big rodent in the world - Capybara
The largest rodent in the world is the capybara. This guinea pig is native to most tropical and temperate areas of South America and the Andes and lives near 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 biggest bony fish in the world - Ocean sunfish
Bony fish (Osteichthyes) are taxonomic group 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 average length 1.8 meters, and its length when calculated from fin to fin is 2.5 meters. 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 most big snake- 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 often met more large 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
Most big 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 - Japanese crab spider
Japanese spider crab represents special kind sea crab, living in the waters surrounding 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.
Man often wonders: is he alone in the Universe? Is there life somewhere else or is he completely, completely alone? We don't know the answers. Bye. But before you look with bated breath at the stars, it’s worth taking a better look around, because we share the planet with myriads of other creatures, each of which is unique and inimitable in its own way.
The smallest ones can only be seen with the help of a very powerful technology, for others, the person himself can become an annoying, but easily overcome obstacle. It is such large animals that make people stop to once again admire the diversity and whimsical imagination of nature. Let's do this too.
Blue whale - giant of giants
At this particular historical moment in time, blue whales are the largest animals on earth, in water and in the air. Photos or videos may be impressive, but they don't even come close to conveying their size. On land, these giants may seem somewhat clumsy, but in the water they have no equal. As for the sizes, here are just a few facts that will help you feel their scale:
- The length of a whale can reach 33 meters. If it’s hard to imagine, imagine a nine-story building and add another floor to it.
- The weight of such a giant can be up to 200 tons. For example, the weight of the Daewoo Matiz is less than 800 kilograms, that is, the whale is 250 times larger than a small one, but still a car.
- An adult animal spends 1 million calories per day. For this we would have to eat 500 kilograms of beef chops, but a whale costs a ton of krill.
- The second largest animal is the elephant, but it weighs about the same as a whale's tongue alone.
This is only a small part of the information about this magnificent animal, but even it allows you to imagine how huge it is.
African elephant - king of the pampas
We have already spoken about this animal above, but this does not mean that it does not deserve more detailed description. If blue whales are super champions of all elements, then the African elephant has conquered only land, but there is no animal more massive on it. Here are a couple of interesting facts:
- Elephant ladies weigh about three tons, their gentlemen - up to five, and the very best can increase up to seven and a half tons of live weight.
- A baby elephant is born very tiny - only a centner of weight and a meter of height, but it eats a lot of rich mother's milk and grows quickly.
- The tusks of a mature male can weigh up to 100 kilograms each.
Of course, compared to the blue whale, these numbers are not very impressive, but life in the air dictates its limitations. On the other hand, other animals are even smaller.
Giraffe – 6 meters of misunderstanding
It's hard to imagine the vagaries of evolution that gave birth to these strange creatures with their long legs and a neck comparable in length to them. But you can calmly admire the result, if not in a natural environment, then at least in a photo or video. And to make it interesting to admire, we will present a few dry statistical facts:
- The height of a giraffe can reach six meters, of which 2 are just the neck. At the same time, they weigh relatively little - 1000-1200 kilograms. Not surprising, considering that they mainly consist of legs and neck.
- Despite the fact that the length of the giraffe’s neck amazes the wildest fantasies, approaching nightmares, it has the same number of vertebrae as the human neck - 7 pieces.
- The giraffe's tongue is another asset. He can stick it out almost half a meter.
- It is difficult to imagine a running giraffe, but he can do it quite well, reaching speeds of up to 55 km/h. A jumping giraffe looks even more phantasmagoric. But at the same time he can overcome the two-meter bar.
Thus, despite its apparent clumsiness and awkwardness, the giraffe is a strong, resilient and ideally adapted miracle of nature for life in its own conditions. Of course, this is not the largest animal in the world, but it is consistently among the top three.
Southern elephant seal – blubber skin
The elephant seal is the most close-up view pinnipeds, and the southern branch is significantly larger than its relatives. They live, as is quite clear from the name, on South Pole, which determined them appearance. In a harsh climate, and even more so in icy (literally) water, one cannot survive without a thick layer of fat that would protect him from this disgrace.
True, because of this they began to look like wineskins filled with liquid fat, especially when they roll over to the rookery. But in the water they acquire the grace of a bird and the purposefulness of a torpedo. In this regard, these large animals once again confirm that nature does not do anything for nothing, adapting each creature to certain conditions. Several basic parameters of these giants:
- A male can grow up to 6 meters in length, accumulating 5 tons of weight. His spouses are more miniature, their weight is about one ton and 2-3 meters in length.
- A newly born baby weighs only 50 kilograms.
- In a rookery there may be several hundred females and only a few dozen males who have won the right to be in this paradise.
Fat, clumsy, ugly - in fact, elephant seals are the personification of grace. Under the water. It is not surprising that this is where they spend 70-80% of their lives.
Ostrich - running bird
It is worth thanking nature many, many times that ostriches and their relatives do not fly. Otherwise, it would be scary to imagine what the monuments and squares of the cities that they would choose as theirs would turn into. permanent place dislocations. Their passage would resemble carpet bombing. And now you yourself will understand why:
- The weight of an adult large ostrich can be up to 150 kilograms with a height of 2.5 meters.
- Their heads are small, but they are very beautiful and big eyes. The brain already fits poorly in the head, so it is comparable in size to the eyes.
- Ostriches cannot fly, but they run excellently: at speeds of up to 60 km/h. Even one-month-old chicks can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h, catching up with their mother.
Ostriches are beautiful and elegant birds. But still, it’s good that they don’t fly.
Liger - changing the places of the terms changes the sum
There are three types of cats: domestic cats, small wild cats and large wild cats. In this case, the liger could be called very large wild cat. Not surprising, because they are significantly larger in size than both the lion father and the tiger mother. Such marriages occur quite rarely, but any zoo or park is proud of the children.
This hybrid looks like a lion with faint, blurry stripes, but that’s not what’s interesting, it’s their size. Here are some facts:
- Liger Hercules weighs 400 kilograms, twice as much as dad and his relatives.
- Most large liger, noted by the Guinness Book of Records, weighed 798 kilograms. It can easily be divided into 4 lions.
- The offspring of a tiger father and a lioness mother is called a tigron, but it does not have such impressive dimensions.
There are now 4 lily cubs growing up in the Novosibirsk Zoo - older girl Kiara and the newborn triplets. They were born from the marriage of a liga and a lion, creating a very rare and unique variety. It is difficult to say whether they will be able to surpass their predecessor parents.
Grizzly - not at all Teddy bear
The grizzly bear is an Americanized version of our native brown bear. But, having moved abroad, he acquired impressive claws, a bad temper, and also grew a little. See for yourself:
- On average, the height of a grizzly bear ranges from 2.2 meters to 2.8.
- The weight is about half a tone.
- Some of the most seasoned ones reach a height of 4 meters. Weight and bad temper increase proportionately.
- The bear loves an aggressive manicure: its claws are about 15 centimeters long, twice as long as human fingers.
Now you know what the largest animal on our planet is. Unfortunately, most of the champions listed in our article are firmly entrenched in the Red Book. If humanity does not change its attitude towards them in the near future, then they risk moving to Chernaya. Our grandchildren risk learning about them this way: from photos and videos.
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 a little fewer males, their length is a little more than two and a half meters, their weight is about three thousand kilograms.
Interestingly, an adult African elephant does not have natural enemies, which, however, is not at all surprising, considering huge size animal. But for newborn elephant calves, lions, crocodiles, leopards and hyenas pose a serious threat.
Seal
Before you is the southern elephant seal - a representative of the genus elephant seals, 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 is the largest animal in the world (carnivore) got its name because of its corpulent body and unusual skin pouch on the nose of males, which in mating season or when the seal is alarmed it swells into a huge ball.
They called him Southern in order to distinguish him from his 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. 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. A long tail 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.
Interesting fact- this amphibian has very tasty meat, 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.
Giant tridacna, common in Pacific Ocean, has a huge sink. 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 marine mammal up to thirty meters long and weighing 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 whalebone plates, the blue whale summer months consumes up to forty million krill every day. 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.
Earth - amazing planet, striking not only with picturesque landscapes, unique locations, plants, but also with an amazing diversity of living creatures. Among the inhabitants of our celestial body there are many small but deadly poisonous insects, as well as dangerous-looking, but harmless giants. Actually, it’s about large representatives fauna and we will talk. In this article we will look at animals whose size causes amazement. And so, we bring to your attention a rating that describes the largest animals in the world. Let us immediately note that we will talk about different types. Top's goal is size! And if you want to know more, then we suggest you read the article about the most dangerous animals, then you will definitely learn a lot of new things!
14 largest animals in the world
African elephant
Among land dwellers, the heaviest animal in the world is the African elephant, whose length reaches 7.5 meters. Height varies from 3 to 3.5 meters. It is worth noting that males weigh up to 6 tons. Females are somewhat smaller: length – 7 meters, height 2.7 meters, weight 5.5 tons. Due to their enormous size, adult African elephants have no enemies. Not at all, the cubs of these animals are vulnerable to hyenas and lions. For this reason, female elephants nurse their babies until they reach 1.5 meters in height. Then even crocodiles are not a threat to elephants!
The top giants of our world continue, but this time in height, the representative of the “friends of man” is the Giraffe. African artiodactyls are capable of growing up to 6 meters in height. Moreover, the weight of an adult male can reach 1600 kilograms. Females usually do not exceed 800 kilograms. Almost half of giraffes have a neck length of 2 meters. The uniqueness of the animal lies in the presence of a cervical spine. It is worth adding that these unique animals, precisely because of their species, live in many zoos around the world.
Saltwater crocodile
There is no doubt that the largest reptile on Earth is the saltwater crocodile. You can see a unique animal at east coast India, Northern Australia and the Southeast. Weight adult The saltwater crocodile reaches 1000 kilograms. Moreover, the length of the reptile can vary from 4 to 6 meters. Mature individuals often reach and large sizes. It is worth noting that the predator attacks literally any animal in its area. He is not afraid of enemies, not on land or in water. After a collision with a saltwater crocodile, only a few out of thousands manage to escape.
Among carnivores, the largest animal is the elephant seal, or simply the seal. It must immediately be said that males are 5-7 times larger and heavier than females. Average weight male seals reach 4 tons. While the weight of females rarely exceeds 900 kilograms. The length can reach 3 meters. In females it usually varies in the range of 1 meter. Seals rarely act as a threat to humans. Provocations can by no means lead to death. If you encounter a seal, you should not attract attention. This will be enough for the meeting to end without incident!
polar bear and Kodiak
Among the largest carnivores that live on land are the white polar bear and the Kodiak bear. It was not for nothing that two bearish representatives found themselves in the ranking. The fact is that they are almost the same in size. However, the Kodiak bear and the polar explorer are different types. The height of both reaches 1.6 meters. Bears grow no more than 3 meters in length. The most major representatives families weigh close to tons. Despite such dimensions, it is impossible to escape from a bear. Having encountered a predator without large-caliber weapons, you can only count on prayer.
Chinese giant salamander
The largest animals among amphibians include Chinese salamander, the length of which reaches 1.8 meters. A unique creature is located in the mountain lakes and rocky areas of China. It is worth noting that due to rapid environmental pollution, the number of salamanders is rapidly decreasing. Interestingly, the Chinese didn’t care much about the salamander anyway. Amphibian meat is used in traditional Chinese medicine. According to oriental medicine, salamander products effectively treat even cancer.
Flemish Giant
In the ranking among hares or rabbits, the leader's place of honor is occupied by Flemish giant. Based on the name, you can already guess where the rabbits were bred. The breeding of domesticated hares began in the sixteenth century in the city of Ghent (Belgium). It is worth adding that the weight of the largest of the rabbits is up to 14 kilograms. In size it can be as big as a dog. Adults reach a length of 90 centimeters. The flagships are currently experimenting with breeding even larger individuals.
Golden-crowned fox
Among flying mice, the bright leader in size is the golden-crowned fox. Surely, this unique beast is a real horror for people who are afraid of flying bloodsuckers. The wingspan of the predator is 1.8 meters. The length of an adult reaches 55 centimeters. The weight of such representatives of “winged vampires” is 1.5 kilograms. At least ordinary flying foxes and are not inferior to the “golden crowns” in mass; their wingspan is much smaller. Actually, our individual instills horror in the hearts of people much more effectively. The spectacular flight of a harmless creature is proof of this.
Japanese spider crab
The Japanese spider crab is one of the largest animals due to the fact that it is the largest in the class of arthropods. Adult representatives of this class reach a length of 45 centimeters. The leg span varies from 2 to 3 meters. Maximum length while it is about 5 meters. It is worth noting that this crab is extremely dangerous. It has at its disposal a 40-centimeter claw, which is extremely sharp. This creature is capable of tearing not only small, but also larger big catch into parts.
10
Guinea pig
There is no larger rodent in the world than the guinea pig (Capybara). This is not the only reason why the animal is considered unique. The fact is that the rodent living in South America and the tropics of the Andes, also has unique behavior. Although the pig weighs 105 kilograms and reaches one and a half meters in length, the animal is generally harmless, herbivorous and timid. Even an insect can frighten him. Adult capybaras live very easily with people without causing problems. Not only small ones get along, but also large ones Guinea pigs.
11
Ocean sunfish
Among the representatives sea world, namely fish, the largest animal is considered to be the ocean sunfish, which in its appearance resembles a ridge and head. The main part of the body is flattened. It reaches a length of about 2 meters. It is worth noting that from the fin on one side to the fin on the other, the dimensions of the fish are 2.5 meters. In this case, the length can reach 3.5 meters. Most great view, recorded in the depths of the ocean, weighed 2300 kilograms. A fisherman's dream, isn't it? On average, the fish weighs about a ton.
Hundreds of thousands of species of animals live on earth different sizes, among which there are real giants, whose sizes are, although inferior prehistoric monsters, but far exceed the size of those animals that we can usually see around.
1. Blue whale
The blue whale, also known as the blue whale, is the largest of known to man animals on land and in the ocean. It belongs to the baleen whales. In the last century, a specimen was caught that weighed 150 tons and was 33 meters in length. The tongue of a blue whale alone can pull 3 tons, which is almost equal in weight Indian elephant! The heart of this whale is also large - 600 kg, and it is also the largest pump of any animal. It is comparable in size to a small car.
Blue whales are found not only in tropical waters, but also in the polar seas. But such a giant impressive size very harmless because it feeds small fish, cephalopods and large crustaceans. Blue whales' vision and sense of taste are poor, but their sense of touch and hearing are well developed. Blue whales very smart and peaceful, but this does not save them from destruction due to valuable whalebone and oil. Therefore, there has long been a strict restriction on whale catching in the world, which, however, some countries do not adhere to.
2. African elephant
It belongs to the order Proboscidea. With a height at the withers of 4 m, it weighs up to 7.5 tons. It lives throughout African territory south of the Sahara. There are two subspecies: a small forest and a large savanna. Larger than the Indian elephant, the African savannah elephant is the largest land animal. The African elephant population numbers about 415 thousand and continues to decline.
This smart mammal demonstrates abilities of mutual assistance and mutual assistance. Often one elephant, armed with a stick, uses it to remove a leech that has attached itself to its fellow elephant. But at the same time, it is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Due to their size, adult elephants have no natural enemies in their habitat, but baby elephants can serve as easy prey for crocodiles or lions, as well as hyenas and leopards.
3. White rhinoceros
The white rhinoceros is second in size only to the elephant among land animals: it weighs up to 5 tons, has a length of up to 4.2 m with a height at the withers of 4.2 m. In fact white rhinoceros has a dark gray color. He has 2 horns on his head, which the rhinoceros uses during “showdowns” with competitors, but they almost led to his extermination. These live herbivorous giants in northwest and southern Africa.
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4. Southern Elephant Seal
This is the largest species of seal and is among the largest terrestrial mammals. Specimens have been registered weighing 3.5 tons and having a length of 6.5 meters. The elephant seal has a trunk, but it is only about 10 cm long. In total, approximately 750 thousand southern elephant seals live in Antarctica. Their colonies can be found on the islands and archipelagos surrounding Antarctica: Heard, South Georgia, Kerguelen, Macquarie. During hunting, these animals are able to dive for more than 20 minutes, to depths of 400-1000 meters, where they catch fish and squid. There was a record of this animal staying under water for two hours.
5. Hippopotamus
He is also a hippopotamus - an artiodactyl from the suborder Porciniformes. This giant is common in Africa. With a length of 5.4 m, it can weigh up to 4 tons. It lives half in the water, although it also runs very quickly along the shore. The huge mouth of a hippopotamus can open 150 degrees. This is the most aggressive African animal that attacks if it doesn’t like something.
6. Giraffe
This is the tallest and most graceful animal living in African savannas. A giraffe weighs up to 1.2 tons and is 6 meters tall. Although it has an incredibly long neck, it, like other mammals, only has 7 vertebrae. The giraffe has an exceptionally powerful heart, pumping 60 liters of blood per minute and creating a pressure 3 times higher than ours. A giraffe eats about 30 kg per day plant food. Each giraffe has a unique skin pattern.
7. Polar bear
Seasoned polar bear can weigh a ton and be 3 meters long. Most large individuals live in the Bering Sea. Unlike other bears, the white one has an elongated neck and a flat head. It feeds on seals, fish, walruses, and sea hares. Under thick, non-water-wetted fur, it has a thick fat layer, thanks to which it feels great in icy water.
The dog has long been included in the proverb about best friend person, with which it is impossible to disagree. Dogs protect their owners and their property, help in hunting...
8. Saltwater crocodile
The largest of modern reptiles are saltwater crocodiles, the females of which are small (only 3 m), but the males grow up to 7 m and can weigh a ton. Their habitat: Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, although they sometimes appear in other places, since they can travel considerable distances by sea. In shallow water or on the shore, the saltwater crocodile is very dangerous because it quietly sneaks up on its prey. Many people become its victims every year.
9. African ostrich
Now it is the largest bird in the world, weighing up to 150 kg and 2.5 meters tall. The ostrich has long forgotten how to fly, but it runs like a champion in steps of up to 4 meters, developing a serious speed of up to 70 km/h. At the same time, without reducing speed, he can suddenly change the direction of running. Surely many have heard about an ostrich burying its head in the sand, but these are just fairy tales: simply from fatigue after running, it can drop it.
10. Giant anaconda
This member of the boa subfamily is the heaviest and largest in the world. They say that there are anacondas up to 9 meters in length, but such sizes have not been officially recorded; scientists are inclined to more realistic length figures of 6.7 meters. The anaconda has a discreet greenish-gray coloration with darker brown spots. It mainly lives in the South American tropics. This snake is attached to water and is difficult to find far from bodies of water. She is an excellent swimmer and hunts underwater. It feeds on everything it comes across - birds, rodents, turtles, even young caimans. The largest specimens can attack large animals, including humans. Like all boas, the anaconda is not poisonous, but suffocates the victim and swallows it whole.