​The largest mammals on the planet. The largest land mammal in the world

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

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

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

Saltwater crocodile

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

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

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

Black rhinoceros

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

Walrus

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

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

White rhinoceros

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

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

Hippopotamus (hippopotamus)

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

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

Southern elephant seal

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

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

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

Indian elephant

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

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

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

African elephant

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

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

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

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

Sperm whale

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

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

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

Blue whale

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

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

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

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

Largest pet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We all know well that the largest animals, or giant animals, lived on our Earth millions of years ago - these are various dinosaurs, mammoths, terrible birds and many, many other prehistoric animals. Their gigantic size and appearance seem overwhelming to us today.

But even today our world is full of the most amazing creatures, which amaze with their shapes and sizes. It’s even hard to imagine what could have affected their height and weight, but they are who they are, the main thing is that they feel quite comfortable among us. What kind of animals are these, and in what natural conditions they live, that's what we'll talk about today. The rating is based on the weight, height and also length of the animals.

1st place. Blue or blue whale

The largest living animal on Earth is the blue or blue whale (lat. Balaenoptera musculus). Even dinosaurs cannot compete with him - his size is impressive. This marine mammal grows up to 30 meters in length, can weigh more than 180 tons, even the tongue of this giant weighs about 2.7 tons (the size of a medium-sized Asian elephant). The blue whale's heart weighs about 600 kilograms - it is the largest heart in the world.

The huge lungs of the blue whale (the volume of which is 3 thousand liters) allow it to remain at a depth without oxygen for about 20 minutes. The maximum speed developed by this mammal is about 35 km/h, and the fountain it produces when reaching the surface is up to 10 m.

2nd place. Sperm whale

The next representative is (lat. Physeter catodon) is the only representative of the sperm whale family today. It is the largest among toothed whales. The male sperm whale grows up to 20 m in length, and weighs up to 50 tons. Females are less impressive in size - from 11 to 13 m, and weigh about 15 tons.

Interestingly, the head of an adult makes up approximately 35% of the total body length. There are sperm whales of larger sizes, but this is rather the exception. In nature, sperm whales have practically no enemies. The exception is killer whales, which attack females and calves; they cannot compete with an adult male.

3rd place. African elephant

African elephant (lat. Loxodonta africana ) is the largest land animal living on earth. Includes two types - and. It occupies an honorable third place in this ranking. With a height of 3 to 3.5 meters and a body length of 6-7.5 m, the mass of these animals can reach up to 6, or even 12 tons. Females African elephant smaller males: they grow up to 2.7 meters in height and 5.4-6.9 m in length.

Despite its impressive size, it can move at a speed of 35-40 km/h (it can easily overtake a person). He can eat 300 kg of plant food per day. Due to its enormous mass, it sleeps standing up. A very smart animal that is capable of mutual assistance and compassion. But, despite this, it is one of the most dangerous animals on the planet.

4th place. Indian elephant

Indian or Asian elephant (lat. Elephas maximum) is the second largest land animal after the African elephant. The height can reach 2.5-3.5 m, the length of its body is about 5.5-6 m, and this elephant’s tail is not short - 1-1.5 m. This elephant can weigh from 5 to 5.5 tons . Females, just like African elephants much less.

These elephants are forest dwellers. Prefer light tropical and subtropical broadleaf forests with dense undergrowth, which consists of bushes and bamboo. They move easily through dense forests and swampy areas. They live in groups led by the oldest and most experienced female.

5th place. Southern elephant seal

Southern elephant seal (lat. Mirounga leonina) – considered the largest pinniped in the world. These large and corpulent animals can grow up to 6 m in length and weigh up to 4-5 tons.

They can stay under water for about 2 hours (an officially registered record), and dive to a depth of more than 1300 meters. They spend their entire lives in the ocean, and rarely come to land - mainly during the breeding season.

6th place. Hippopotamus or hippopotamus

Hippopotamus (lat. Hippopotamus amphibius) is a mammal from the order Artiodactyla and the suborder Porciniformes. Native to Africa.

Hippos can reach up to 1.5-1.65 meters, their body length can be from 3 to 5 meters, and their weight can be 3 tons or more. These animals increase their mass throughout their lives, their teeth also grow throughout their lives and can reach 0.5 m in length. Interestingly, the skin alone weighs 0.5 tons.

7th place. White rhinoceros

White rhinoceros (lat. Ceratotherium simum) – the 2nd largest herbivore on the planet. Adults grow in height - up to 1.6-2 m, in length - about 3.8-4.2 m.

The average weight of a white rhinoceros is about 3 tons, there are individuals much larger - about 8 tons. It is interesting that white rhinoceros not white at all, but rather grey. It probably received this name from a distorted Boer word “wijde”, which means “wide-faced” - consonant with English word“white” (Russian white).

8th place. Walrus

Walruses (lat. Odobenus rosmarus) is one of the ancient large animals that have existed since the last ice age. Fossils found in San Francisco Bay date back approximately 28,000 years.

And even now these giants grow up to 3 m in length and weigh up to 2 tons, the thickness of the skin (on the neck and shoulders of males) is up to 10 cm, and the layer of fat is up to 15 cm. Large ones are perfectly adapted for life in harsh conditions Arctic. They feed mainly on shellfish, but can also eat fish.

9th place. Black rhinoceros

Black rhinoceros (lat. Rhinoceros bicornis) – slightly finer than white. The weight of this animal does not exceed 1.5-2 tons, body length is about 3-3.5 meters, height at the shoulders is 1.5-1.6 m. Their habit of moving along the same paths and poor eyesight makes them vulnerable and defenseless against poachers.

The black rhinoceros has no natural enemies, so it is not at all timid and because of this it automatically becomes an easy trophy for hunters. Interestingly, the body of the black rhinoceros is more elongated in length and it is lighter than the white one.

10th place. Saltwater crocodile

Saltwater, or saltwater crocodile (lat. Crocodylus porosus) is the largest and most massive reptile on the planet. The saltwater crocodile can grow up to 5.5-7 meters (usually 5 m) in length, the weight of an adult (male) is from 409 kg to 1.5 tons.

Interesting fact: it has a high commercial value because of its skin, from which various types of clothing, shoes, etc. are made. It is hunted and bred on crocodile farms.

Modern species of animals are absolutely not inferior in size to prehistoric animals, however, if a person does not belong to wildlife with due respect, then they will all die out just like those who lived millions of years ago.

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

The largest living animal is the Blue Whale.

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

The heaviest land animal in the world: African elephant.

The African Elephant is the largest living land animal. With males reaching 6 - 7.5 meters in length and 3.3 meters in height, and weighing 6 tons. Females are much smaller, reaching 5.4 - 6.9 meters in length, 2.7 meters in height, weighing 3 tons. An adult African elephant has no natural enemies because of him 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 average weight at 1,600 kg for males and 830 kg for females. It has an extremely elongated neck, reaching more than 2 m in length, accounting for almost half the vertical height of the animal. 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 that of 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 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.

The most large 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 east coast 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: 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 biggest Bats in the World: Giant golden-crowned flying fox.

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

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

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

Largest bony fish in the world: Ocean sunfish.

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

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

The most big snake: Green Anaconda.

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

The most big bird in the world: Ostrich.

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

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

African elephant is largest mammal from . Male African elephants reach a mass of over 6 tons and about 4 meters at the withers.

Not only the largest of the proboscis order, they are also the leaders in mass and body size among all land creatures on the planet. Asian elephant takes second place 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 icy waters Antarctica and south of Antarctica. To others large predators include whites 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 Artiodactyls. 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 gorilla. 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 coat color from yellow-brown to gray-brown.