The largest wild animal in the world. The largest land, sea, predatory and other mammals

24.03.2013

Do you know which ones are the most big animals on earth? Then you can view this top 10 and find out which one is the best big animal, although this list contains various types and terrestrial and underwater inhabitants and birds, etc. But they are all huge in relation to the animals we see every day.

10. Giant green anaconda

The largest and heaviest snake in the world. Belongs to the subfamily of boas. The largest recorded individual reached 11.43 m in length. Weighs about 60 kg. It has a grayish-green color with brown spots. It lives mainly in tropical zone South America. Loves water and very rarely leaves bodies of water. It differs in that it can swim and dive superbly. It feeds on rodents, young crocodiles, birds and turtles. It very rarely attacks large animals, and attacks humans only in case of self-defense. It strangles the victim and swallows it.

9. Southern Elephant Seal

One of the largest animals on earth and the largest seal species in the world. The largest recorded specimens reached 6.5 m and 3.5 tons. But its trunk is shorter than that of its relatives - only 10 cm. The total number is about 750 thousand individuals. Southern Colonies elephant seal are located on the subantarctic archipelagos and islands: South Georgia, Kerguelen, Heard, Macquarie.

8. African ostrich

The most big bird in the world. Its height reaches 250 cm, weight up to 150 kg. It cannot fly, but it runs at speeds of up to 70 km/h, taking steps of 3.5-4 m. If necessary, it can abruptly change the direction of movement without changing speed. Contrary to popular belief, it does not hide its head in the sand, but can “drop” it to the ground from fatigue after a long run.

7. Saltwater crocodile

The saltwater crocodile is the largest of the crocodiles. Body length is up to 7 m in males, up to 3 m in females. Adult males can gain weight up to 1000 kg. Most often found on the shores of Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. But it also makes its way to other popular resorts. Capable of making long voyages on the open sea. It is extremely dangerous on the shore or in shallow water, where it is easy for it to sneak up on prey. Every year many people become its victims.

6. Polar bear

Other names: polar, northern, sea bear, oshkuy. Can reach 3 m in length and 1000 kg of body weight. The largest representatives are found in the Bering Sea. It differs from other bears by its flat head and long neck. Hunts seals, bearded seals, walruses, and fish. Very thick layer subcutaneous fat and thick fur help it survive in cold and icy water.

5. Giraffe

The tallest animal. Lives in the savannas of Africa. Height up to 6 m, body weight up to 1,200 kg. Despite its unusually long neck, like other mammals, it has only seven cervical vertebrae. But he has a very strong heart, capable of passing 60 liters of blood per minute and creating a pressure three times greater than that of a person. Consumes about 30 kg of plant food daily. The color of a giraffe is unique, like human fingerprints.

4. White rhinoceros

Second in size big animal land after the elephant. Body length up to 4.2 m, weight up to 5 tons, height at the shoulders up to 2 m. Actually, it is not white at all, but dark gray. The name most likely came from a corruption of the Boer word wijde (wide, wide-faced), consonant with the English white (white). He has two horns, which he successfully uses in fights with rivals. Lives in South and North-West Africa. Feeds on herbaceous vegetation.

3. Hippopotamus

Belongs to the order Artiodactyla, suborder Porciniformes. Distributed on the African continent. Weight can reach 4 tons, length up to 5.4 m. Leads mainly semi-aquatic image life. The mouth of a hippopotamus can open unusually wide – 150 degrees. Interestingly, the hippopotamus is capable of running very fast on land. Quite an aggressive animal. When provoked by a person, it is capable of unexpectedly attacking.

2. African elephant

Mammal of the order Proboscis. Height at the shoulders is up to 4 m, weight - 7.5 tons. Habitat - Africa south of the Sahara. Includes two modern looking – savannah elephant and forest elephant. More than their Indian relatives and the most big animal among the land ones. There are only 500-600 thousand of these giants left in nature. An unusually intelligent animal, capable of mutual assistance and mutual assistance. For example, if one elephant cannot get rid of an attached leech, another can take a stick and free his friend from the bloodsucker. The same applies to.

1. Blue whale

People at the peak of opportunity try to study more information about my home planet. On at the moment humanity knows no more than 5–7% of everything that the earth hides. Underwater depths, high mountains and abandoned places become a new environment for the emergence of new species of living organisms. The world is still a big and difficult mystery, which the best scientists and researchers are trying to solve.

Regardless of the unknown amount of information about the world, it is now possible to identify the largest animals on earth. Thanks to miscalculations modern technologies and other methods can easily find out about those species of animals that are known to mankind, including weight and ways of life.

The largest animal on earth

Most people who haven't spent too much time reading books can say with confidence that the largest animal in the world is the elephant. Large animal feeding grass and leaves, capable of trampling any predator. The history of elephants, as the largest animals in the world, originated in the distant depths of history, when it was not yet possible to create ships capable of sailing thousands of miles.

Around the time before Columbus discovered the New World, the elephant was the largest animal on the planet. This was considered a reliable fact. But after a significant leap in the development of the science of shipbuilding, it began mass exploration of the oceans, including the Pacific, where most marine animals live. During this period, people were faced with the unimaginable power of a sea animal that could compare with the most big ships in the world. Humanity became acquainted with the blue whale, the heaviest animal in the world.

The title of the heaviest animal in the world passed to the big “fish”, while the elephant was now called largest mammal on the ground. Over time, the study of the animal world led to unexpected fact: The blue whale, like the elephant, is also a mammal. Moms feed their cubs milk. Due to its high fat content, it does not dissolve in water. At this time, the elephant was again “moved” a little. To this day, the elephant is called the largest land animal on Earth. Among different types The African elephant stands out. This huge creature, up to 7 and a half meters high, can weigh up to 7–8 tons. It is considered the leader among all elephants in terms of mass and size.

Thanks to own weight and the dimensions of the body make it clear that on land the elephant has no equal in weight and size. Most other animals are several times lighter than this giant. However, it cannot be called the largest animal in the world, taking into account the expanses of water, because such a statement is a lie.

An elephant compared to a blue whale is comparable to a hare against the backdrop of a huge lion. In fact, the blue whale is recognized as the largest creature in the world. His heart alone will weigh more than 750 kilograms. All research detailed fossil analysis and historical finds have repeatedly proven that the blue whale is the largest animal on earth that has ever existed in history. The blue whale's body length is more than 30 meters, the distance of half a football field.

One should not discount other animals that can compete for the title of largest among their species. There are a lot of creatures on the planet that can be more interesting than an elephant.

Largest arthropod in the world

Among arthropods, there are also incredible record holders that can capture the human imagination. Japanese spider crab is still considered the largest creature of the arthropod species. The total weight sometimes reaches 20 kilograms, and the body length, including claws, is up to 4 meters. Yes, not as impressive in size as an elephant. Arthropods are not famous in any way large sizes, most of the subspecies of animals reach sizes up to 30–40 centimeters, no more.

The biggest bird

Bird paradise also has incredible individuals that can grow to incredible sizes. As many have guessed, the largest representative of birds in the world is the ostrich. An incredible mass, sometimes reaching an impressive figure of 170 kilograms, with a height of almost 3 meters, allows the ostrich to b be the largest bird. Because of their weight, ostriches cannot fly. This is compensated by an incredible speed of 100 kilometers per hour. Thanks to their strong and powerful legs, ostriches are capable of killing a person in one sitting. There were cases when more than 80 bones were broken from one blow from an ostrich to a person. The ostrich also holds the title of the fastest two-legged creature on the entire planet.

It is worth mentioning several other species of birds capable of flight, which can also amaze with their size:

Record holder among reptiles

Reptiles are the most “unloved” creatures for humans. Due to their skin structure and behavior, people try to avoid close contact with them. Most large reptile in the world is the saltwater crocodile. This six-meter carcass weighing up to 1 ton, capable of delivering fatal blows with its jaws in an instant. They can rightly be called the most dangerous predators on the ground. They are not afraid of people and boldly attack large animals. There were cases when one similar crocodile was able to kill a large hippopotamus.

The most dangerous and deadly reptiles are:

Alligator.
Leatherback turtle.
Komodo dragon.
Venomtooth.
Anaconda, or python.

Predators and their achievements

The largest predator on the planet is represented by the Southern Elephant Seal. It’s easy to guess now that the blue whale and elephants are herbivores. The southern elephant seal allows itself to attack large fish, including world famous sharks, squid. The weight of males of these animals sometimes reaches 4 tons. Despite their comparative worthlessness on land, although this is a myth, elephant seals are experienced and dangerous opponents. Apart from a pair of sharp fangs that can instantly tear apart any flesh, you should also beware of fins, the impact force of which is comparable to a car collision. The elephant seal spends most of its hunting in the water.

Ground leaders in the list largest predators divided into two types - Polar bear and Kodiak. Did anyone think Grizzly? They are no match for these monsters predatory world. The largest and most ferocious kings of the terrestrial predatory world are capable of attacking not only herbivores and fish, as is often shown on television channels. These are excellent killing machines, capable of destroying anyone who dares to enter their territory.

Giants among cute hares

To add a little cuteness to the article, you can remember the hares. Yes, and among them there are large and heavy representatives. This is not the ordinary hare that is sometimes found in the forests of Europe. A real giant can be considered a Belgian Flemish. Ancient view hares, which with modern care can reach a weight of 12–13 kilograms. The adult individual of one such representative of this species is larger in size than most hunting dogs. Their strong hind legs are capable of breaking large wooden beams with a diameter of up to 8 centimeters. They are successfully bred in many countries.

These are not all the records of the animal world that can amaze the human mind. It is worth understanding that more than 90% of living world peace is still hidden from human eyes. It is possible that at a depth of more than 2 kilometers somewhere in Pacific Ocean There live creatures that are many times larger in size and mass than even the blue whale and elephants.

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 are much larger than the sizes 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 to an 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 a giant of such impressive size is very harmless, since it feeds on small fish, cephalopods and large crustaceans. Blue whales have poor vision and taste, but their sense of touch and hearing are well developed. Blue whales are very smart and peaceful, but this does not save them from destruction due to valuable whalebone and blubber. Therefore, there has long been a strict restriction on whale catching in the world, which, however, some countries do not adhere to.

Dinosaurs belonged to vertebrates; they dominated for over 160 million years in all terrestrial ecosystems - on land, in water...

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 the African territory south of the Sahara. There are two subspecies: a small forest and a large savannah. The African savannah elephant is larger than the Indian elephant and is the largest land animal. Population African elephants has about 415 thousand and continues to decline.
This intelligent mammal exhibits the ability to provide mutual assistance and assistance. Often one elephant, armed with a stick, uses it to remove a leech that has attached itself to a fellow elephant. But at the same time, it is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Due to their size, adult elephants do not have natural enemies, but elephant calves 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 herbivorous giants live in the northwest and south of Africa.

4. Southern Elephant Seal

This largest species of seal 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 is 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 he is incredible long neck, but, like other mammals, it has only 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 of plant food per day. Each giraffe has a unique skin pattern.

7. Polar bear

Seasoned polar bear can weigh a ton and be 3 meters long. The largest 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 its thick, water-resistant fur it has a thick layer of fat, thanks to which it feels great in icy water.

Among other fauna, birds stand apart. Many of them are very beautiful, with bright plumage, seeming weightless when they float in the air. But wed...

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 shore saltwater crocodile very dangerous because it quietly creeps up on 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 boa constrictors, the anaconda is not poisonous, but suffocates the victim and swallows it whole.

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We all know that dinosaurs appeared on our planet 235 million years ago. For tens of millions of years, these giants were the real masters of the world. In those days, the flora and fauna were incredibly large, so archaeological finds never cease to amaze our imagination. Here are the most amazing giant animals that ever inhabited the Earth.

15. Titanoboa

A species of extinct snakes that lived in the territory of modern Colombia 61.7-58.7 million years ago.
A close relative of the boa constrictor reached 13 meters in length and weighed more than a ton. The predator had no poison, so she simply strangled and swallowed her prey.

14. Syrian camel

The height at the withers of this animal reached 4 meters. A giant "ship of the desert" lived in Syria approximately 100,000 years ago. The animal's remains were first discovered in 2005. According to scientists, ancient man actively hunted camels, which could lead to the extinction of the species.

13. Mosasaurus

These marine reptiles reached a length of more than 17 meters and were distinguished by massive teeth adapted to crushing bones and tearing the flesh of large prey. They fed on other mosasaurs and plesiosaurs.

12. Liopleurodon

Another type of marine reptile of the middle Jurassic period. The monster reached 25 m in length and weighed about 100 tons. The dominant predator was feeding big fish, shellfish and occasionally attacked other marine reptiles.

11. Sarcosuchus

A genus of giant crocodylomorphs that lived in the territory modern Africa at the beginning of the Cretaceous period. Sarcosuchus reached 12 m in length, and its weight reached 8 tons. It is one of the largest giant crocodile-like reptiles that have ever lived on our planet.

10. Indricotherium

The tallest (up to 5 meters high) and heaviest (up to 20 tons) ever existing land mammals. These animals from the hyracodont family lived 30-20 million years ago in the Middle Oligocene - Lower Miocene. They ate leaves and shrubs and inhabited Asia.

9. Whale shark

The largest species of shark currently existing, as well as the largest living fish. It reaches 11 m in length and weighs approximately 18 tons, but this is not the limit. Feeds on plankton.

8. Leedsichthys

A giant extinct bony fish from the Jurassic period. Leedsichthys was up to 30 meters long and weighed 19 tons. Like whale shark fed on plankton.

7. Kronosaurus

One of the largest pliosaurs of the Early Cretaceous era. Reached at least 10 m in length and weighed 18 tons. The name was given in honor of the titan Cronus from ancient Greek mythology.

6. Asian straight-tusked elephant

The largest representative of proboscideans, which lived in the Pleistocene in the territory from India to Japan. His height at the shoulders is estimated at 5 m, weight -22 tons.

5. Shastasaurus

A genus of ichthyosaurs from the Middle and Late Triassic. Largest marine reptile ever discovered. The length was 20 m, weight - 35 tons. According to some assumptions, Shastasaurs ate mollusks.

4. Megalodon

One of the biggest predatory fish of all times, existed in the Miocene and Pliocene. The superpredator on average reached a length of about 15 m and weighed up to 47 tons. Fortunately, this species became extinct 1.6 million years ago...

3. Spinosaurus

Largest carnivorous dinosaur of all times, inhabiting the territory of modern North Africa V Cretaceous period. The Spinosaurus was enormous in size: about 18 m in length and weighing up to 20 tons. The dinosaur could swim, and its main food was fish.

2. Argentinosaurus

One of the largest animals in the history of the world. So far, only fragments of its skeleton have been found, so estimates of length range from 22 to 35 m, and weight - from 60 to 108. The growth process took 40 years, the Argentinosaurus consumed 100,000 calories daily.

1. Blue whale

The largest living animal, probably the largest of all animals that have ever lived on Earth. Its length reaches 33 m, and its weight can exceed 150 tons. The length of a newborn calf is 6-8 meters, and it receives up to 90 liters of milk daily. Intensive fishing has led to a significant reduction in the number of blue whales.

People tend to study the world that surrounds them. And not only children are interested in who is the smallest, the tallest, which is the largest animal in the world, which is the most scary beast. Adults are also sometimes curious about what creatures on Earth are the best? So…

What is the largest animal in the world: list

The blue whale tops the list of giants. He is the largest of all who have ever lived and are now living on our planet, as well as of those we know who could be weighed and measured. He could only grow up in big disaster The earth is in the waters of the oceans.
Of those that live on land, the largest is the African elephant. How much does an elephant weigh? This question is most often asked by children. On average, its weight is 7–8 tons, but a specimen is known weighing 13.5 tons, which confirms the title of the largest land animal. It’s a pity that they have no one to compare their tusks with, which can reach a length of four meters. It was because of their tusks that they were destroyed. Although African elephants can live up to 60–70 years. Now there are about 500 thousand of them left, this species is listed in the Red Book.
Of the reptiles, the largest is the saltwater crocodile. Grows up to 5–6 meters. Its largest recorded weight is 1900 kg.
The tallest animal, the giraffe, rises almost six meters, which allows it to feed on what “mundane” representatives of the fauna have not eaten.
The largest birds are ostriches. They grow up to almost three meters, while gaining weight up to one and a half centners. This, plus beautiful feathers and huge eggs, made them attractive for breeding on special farms.
22 tons can weigh the most big fish- whale shark.
The giant among insects is the Goliath beetle, 11.5 cm long.

Among the largest creatures, the only skeleton of the extinct most stands apart. huge snake in history - titanoboa. She lived 50–60 million years ago in the jungles of Colombia. One of the snake vertebrae found is the size of a human head. According to scientists, it was up to 15 meters long and could weigh a ton. A reconstructed skeleton of a reptile is displayed in New York's Grand Central Station.

The blue whale is the largest animal in history

Leader of the most big creatures on the planet deserves special attention. There has probably never been anything larger than the blue whale in all of history. How much does a whale weigh? A newborn whale weighs 2–3 tons, adult animals weigh 100–120 tons, but whalers have killed larger ones. In 1926, a female weighing 150 tons was encountered, and in 1947 a whale weighing 190 tons was killed.

It is impossible to weigh them entirely on whaling ships, so there is a special technique for weighing them in parts. We can only be amazed at this data: the tongue weighs three tons, the liver - a ton. Up to 10 tons of blood circulates in a whale's body. The stomach can hold up to two tons of food.

It got its name because of the color of its body. It is dark gray, but with a bluish tint. There are light gray spots along the body, arranged in marble patterns.

live blue whales on average 40 years old, but once met a 110-year-old. The huge carcasses of blue whales attracted whalers. Still: such a catch! Therefore, by the middle of the twentieth century they were on the verge of extinction. Polluted and sea waters- the habitat of whales, which is not favorable for them. Therefore, the largest animals on earth are rare. Now there are 10 thousand of them left. People are required to take special security measures to protect them.

I wonder what is the largest animal in Kazakhstan? It turns out that this is a giant elk. They grow up to two meters at the withers and weigh up to 600 kilograms. Males are decorated with huge spade-shaped horns, while females are hornless.

These are the answers to our questions about who is the best on Earth. Some died out long ago, others shredded. Some of the biggest ones have had their lives impacted by human activity. And the continued existence of many species of neighbors on the planet depends on humanity.