10 largest animals in the world. The largest animals. The largest mammal from the order Proboscis
The fauna of our planet is very diverse. The creatures of our world come in all shapes, colors and sizes. In this article I will tell you about those animals that impress with their enormous mass and incredibly large size. So, the top 10 largest animals in the world.
10 Saltwater crocodile
The weight of a male of this species can reach 2 tons, and the length can be 7 m. The saltwater crocodile is also called the saltwater crocodile, man-eating crocodile, underwater crocodile, salty, estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile.
9 Black Rhino
The black rhinoceros can weigh up to 2-2.2 tons, length up to 3.15 m and height up to 150-160 cm. Usually this type of rhinoceros has two horns, but in some places (for example, in Zambia) there are animals with there are three to five horns on the head. Until recently, there were four subspecies of black rhinoceros. However, on November 10, 2013, one of the subspecies was declared extinct. The main reason for the extinction of one subspecies of black rhinoceros was poachers.
8 Walrus
Males representing the Pacific subspecies of walrus mostly weigh 800-1700 kg, but there are also those that can boast a mass of up to 2 tons. The Atlantic subspecies of walrus has a smaller mass. The tusks, which both male and female walruses have, are elongated fangs. They can be up to 1 m long and weigh up to 5.4 kg.
7 White Rhinoceros
Rhinoceroses usually weigh 2-2.5 tons, but older males can weigh 4-5 tons. The body length of a white rhinoceros is about 4.2 m, and the height at the shoulders is about 1.6-2 m. White rhinoceroses have two horns . The front one is always longer than the back one. The following record is known: the length of the front horn of a white rhinoceros is 1.58 m. The white rhinoceros is divided into two subspecies: the northern white rhinoceros and the southern white rhinoceros. The northern white rhinoceros is slightly larger than the southern one. Due to rhino poachers, at the end of November 2015 there were only three northern white rhinos left in the world. These two females and one male live in a reserve in Kenya.
6 Hippopotamus
Among hippopotamuses (aka hippopotamuses), there are often cases when a male weighs up to 3 tons. Most often, males have a mass of approximately 1.6 tons, and females - 1.4 tons. The height of a hippopotamus at the shoulders reaches 1.65 m. The body length can be from 3 to 5.4 m. The tail of the hippopotamus alone has a length of 56 cm.
5 Southern elephant seal
Males have a mass of 3-5 tons, and females - 400-900 kg, less often - up to 1 ton. The body length of a male is usually 4.2-5.8 m (as other data states: the body length of the southern elephant seal can reach 6 ,2-6.5 m). Females usually have a body length of no more than 2.6-3 m. Southern elephant seals are impressive in their size. Even a newborn baby has considerable size and weight. If you think that it is called a southern elephant seal, then you are mistaken: the calves of southern elephant seals are called pups. So, this puppy has a body length of up to approximately 127 cm and a weight of about 40-50 kg.
4 Indian elephant
Males of the Indian (also called Asian) elephant can weigh up to 5.4 tons and are 2.5-3.5 m tall. Females have less mass: their weight is usually about 2.7 tons. The body length of the Asian elephant is approximately 5 .5-6.4 m. Even the elephant’s tail is quite impressive in size! Its length is approximately 1.2-1.5 m. Pregnancy in an elephant lasts for 18-21.5 months, after which she gives birth to a calf (less often two elephants), weighing approximately 90-100 kg and shoulder height approximately 1 m. A baby elephant has tusks from birth. In the first days of his life, they are only 5 cm long. By the age of two, the baby elephant changes its milk teeth to adult ones, and at this time the tusks fall out. In adult elephants (mostly males, as female Indian elephants rarely develop tusks), the tusks grow up to 1.6 m long and weigh about 20-25 kg.
3 African elephant
African elephants are divided into savannah and forest elephants. Savannah elephants are larger than their forest counterparts. Males from savannahs usually weigh about 7 tons, and females - 5 tons. However, a record was recorded when a male savannah elephant weighed 12.24 tons.
This animal usually weighs more than 150 tons. The body length of the blue whale is about 33 m. The blue whale is also called the blue whale or vomit. There are three subspecies of the blue whale, but a fourth subspecies is sometimes recognized. Subspecies of the blue whale differ slightly in size and build.
Despite the fact that dinosaurs with their impressive size became extinct many centuries ago, today there are species of enormous size on our planet. Despite their external power, they need our careful attitude towards them, their habitat and nature in general.
Our world is truly amazing. It is full of creatures big and small, low and tall. Today we offer you an extremely interesting selection. It contains photographs of fifteen of the largest animals in the world, divided into various categories such as mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, etc. Some of these animals are real giants!
1. The largest animal in the world is the blue (or blue) whale.
The blue whale, also called the blue whale or vomit whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal that belongs to the order Cetaceans in the suborder Mysticetes. Reaching 30 meters (98 feet) in length and weighing 180 metric tons or more, it is the largest animal known to have ever lived on our planet. A blue whale's tongue can weigh about 2.7 tons (5,952 pounds), which is approximately the same weight as an average-sized Asian elephant. The blue whale's heart weighs about 600 kilograms (1,300 pounds) and is the largest such organ of any living creature. Not only is the heart of a blue whale the size of a small car, but it also weighs about the same as said car. And the volume of a blue whale’s lungs exceeds 3 thousand liters.
2. The blue whale is thought to feed almost exclusively on small shrimp-like creatures known as krill.
3. The diet of the blue whale is based on plankton. Thanks to its filtering apparatus, which is composed of baleen plates, the blue whale can consume a whopping 3.6 metric tons (7,900 pounds) or more daily during the summer months.
4. This means that it can eat up to 40 million krill per day, while the daily caloric requirement of an adult blue whale is in the region of 1.5 million. kcal
6. The largest land animal in the world: African elephant. The African elephant is the largest land animal. Male African elephants reach 6 to 7.5 meters (19.7 to 24.6 ft) in length, 3.3 m (10.8 ft) high at the withers, and can weigh up to 6 tons (13,000 lb). Female African elephants are much smaller, measuring on average 5.4 to 6.9 m (17.7 to 22.6 ft) long, 2.7 meters (8.9 ft) high at the withers, and weighing up to reach 3 tons (6600 lb). Adult African elephants generally have no enemies in their natural habitat due to their extremely large size, but baby elephants (especially newborns) are one of the favorite prey species for bloodthirsty attacks by lions or crocodiles, and are also often attacked by leopards or hyenas. According to recent data, the population of African elephants in the wild ranges from 500 to 600 thousand individuals.
7. Tallest land animal in the world: giraffe.
The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African mammal from the order of artiodactyls of the giraffidae family. It is the tallest land animal in the world. its height averages 5-6 meters (16-20 ft). Male giraffes have an average weight of 1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb), while females can weigh around 830 kilograms (1,800 lb). A distinctive characteristic of the giraffe is its very long neck, which can reach over 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) in length. In fact, the neck accounts for almost half of the animal’s vertical height. The long neck is the result of a disproportionate lengthening of the cervical vertebrae, and not an increase in the number of vertebrae, of which the giraffe, like almost all other mammals, has only seven
8. The largest predator in the world: Southern elephant seal.
The southern elephant seal is the largest carnivore on our planet. The size of the southern elephant seal is evidence of extreme sexual dimorphism, the most significant of any mammal, as male southern elephant seals are typically five to six times heavier than females. While females on average can weigh 400 to 900 kilograms (880 to 2,000 lb) and be 2.6 to 3 meters (8.5 to 9.8 ft) in length, male southern elephant seals weigh on average approximately 2,200 to 4,000 kg (4,900 to 8,800 lb) and can reach 4.5 to 5.8 meters (15 to 19 ft) in length. The all-time record holder of the southern elephant seal, shot at Possession Bay, South Georgia, on February 28, 1913, measured 6.85 meters (22.5 ft) in length and was estimated to weigh approximately 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb).
Southern marines can dive repeatedly when hunting, remaining underwater for more than twenty minutes each time, stalking their prey, squid and fish, to depths of 400 to 1,000 meters (1,300 to 3,300 ft). The documented record for staying underwater for a juvenile elephant seal was approximately two hours. The maximum depth to which southern elephant seals can dive is more than 1,400 meters (4,600 ft).
9. Largest land predator in the world: Polar bear and Kodiak bear.
The world's largest land-based predators are the white polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and the Kodiak brown bear (Ursus ARCTOS). If everything is more or less clear with the white polar bear, then the Kodiak bear is less known.
10. Kodiak is a subspecies of brown bear that is found on Kodiak Island and other islands of the Kodiak archipelago off the southern coast of Alaska. Since the polar bear and the Kodiak brown bear have approximately the same body size, it is not clear which of them actually ranks first in size. In both species, the height at the withers is over 1.6 meters (5.2 ft), and the total body length can reach 3.05 m (10.0 ft). The absolute weight records for polar and brown bears were 1,003 kg (2,210 lb) and 1,135 kg (2,500 lb) respectively.
11. The largest reptile in the world: Saltwater (combed or spongy) crocodile.
The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the largest reptile currently existing in the world. The habitat of saltwater crocodiles ranges from Northern Australia to Southeast Asia and the east coast of India. An adult male saltwater crocodile can weigh between 409 and 1,000 kilograms (900-2,200 lb) and is typically between 4.1 and 5.5 meters (13-18 ft) in length. However, males can exceed 6 meters (20 ft) in length and sometimes reach weights of over 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). The saltwater saltwater crocodile is the only crocodile species that regularly reaches lengths of 4.8 m (16 ft) and even exceeds this mark. The saltwater crocodile is an active predator that feeds primarily on insects, molluscs, amphibians, crustaceans, small reptiles and fish. However, it attacks almost any animal that is on its territory, either in the water or on land. The crocodile always drags the victim it watches on land into the water, where it is more difficult for it to resist it.
12. The largest amphibian in the world: the Chinese giant salamander.
The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is the largest salamander in the world. Individual specimens of the Chinese giant salamander can reach a length of 180 centimeters (6 feet), although giants like these are now extremely rare. This species is endemic to mountain rivers and lakes in China. One of the conditions necessary for the survival of the Chinese giant salamander is clean and very cold water.
13. Today, the species is considered critically endangered due to habitat destruction, pollution and targeted killing, as the meat of the giant amphibian is considered a delicacy and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
14. Largest rabbit/hare in the world: "Belgian Flanders". The Belgian Flanders is an ancient breed of domesticated rabbit that originates from the Flemish region.
15. They were first bred in the sixteenth century in the vicinity of Ghent, Belgium. Belgian Flanders rabbits can weigh up to 12.7 kilograms (28 pounds).
16. The largest bat in the world: the giant golden flying fox. Pictured: a giant golden flying fox. Spectacled flying fox.
The largest of all bat species is the giant golden flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), an endangered species of bat from the rainforests of the Philippines that is part of the fruit bat family. The main diet of giant golden flying foxes is fruit. Giant golden flying foxes can have a maximum weight of 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), they can reach 55 centimeters (22 in) in length, and their wingspan can be almost 1.8 meters (5.9 ft). The giant flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) is inferior to the golden flying fox in body weight and length, but is ahead of it in wingspan. Scientists recorded individuals with wingspans ranging from 1.83 meters (6.0 ft) to 2 meters (6.6 ft).
17. The largest rodent in the world: capybara.
The largest existing rodent is the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), a species that is found along the shores of various bodies of water in the tropical and temperate parts of Central and South America, east of the Andes - from Panama to Uruguay to northeastern Argentina. One of the main conditions for the existence of a capybara is the presence of a nearby body of water.
18. The largest capybaras can reach 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) in length and 0.9 meters (3.0 ft) in height at the withers. They can weigh up to 105.4 kg (232 lb). This is a very active species. Capybaras are social animals that live in groups of up to hundreds of individuals, but the usual size of one colony is on average 10-20 individuals.
19. Largest bony fish in the world: common sunfish (sunfish, headfish).
Osteichthyes, also called "bony fish", are a taxonomic group of fish that have bony rather than cartilaginous skeletons. The vast majority of fish belong to the species Osteichthyes. This is an extremely diverse and numerous group, consisting of more than 29,000 species. This is the largest class of vertebrates currently existing.
20. The largest representative of bony fishes is the widespread common sunfish (sunfish, headfish) or Mola Mola. It has an extremely strange body shape - it is laterally compressed, very high and short, which gives the fish an outlandish appearance and a disk-like shape. In fact, it does not have a body as such - the sunfish is literally a “head and tail”. Mature Common Headfish have an average length of 1.8 meters (5.9 feet), a fin-to-fin width of 2.5 meters (8.2 feet), and an average weight of 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds). However, scientists have recorded individuals that can be up to 3.3 meters (10.8 feet) long and 4.2 meters (14 feet) across. These giants can weigh up to 2,300 kilograms (5,100 pounds).
21. Largest lizard/snake in the world: giant green anaconda.
The giant anaconda, sometimes also called the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), is a species of snake in the subfamily Boa constrictors. It lives in the tropical part of South America east of the Andes, Paraguay, Northern Bolivia, and French Guiana. The maximum recorded body length is 7.5 meters (25 feet), and the maximum recorded weight reaches 250 kilograms (550 pounds), although there are rumors of green anacondas being much larger. The reticulated python (Python reticulatus) of Southeast Asia is larger in body length but slimmer, and members of this species are reported to reach a maximum length of 9.7 meters (32 ft).
22. The world's largest bird: ostrich.
The ostrich, the largest bird on our planet (Struthio Camelus), is found on the plains of Africa and Arabia. The scientific name of ostrich comes from Greek and means “camel sparrow.” A large male ostrich can reach a height of 2.8 meters (9.2 feet), and weigh more than 156 kilograms (345 pounds). Ostrich eggs can weigh up to 1.4 kilograms (3 pounds) and are the largest bird eggs in the world today. Ostriches can run at a top speed of up to 97.5 km/h (60.6 mph), making the ostrich the fastest bird on earth and the fastest bipedal creature in the world.
The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is a member of the pelican family. The Dalmatian Pelican's habitat covers a large area from South-Eastern Europe to India and China. Dalmatian pelicans live in swamps and shallow lakes. It is the largest of the pelicans, and on average members of this species can reach 160-180 centimeters (63-70 inches) in length, and weigh 11-15 kilograms (24-33 pounds). The Dalmatian Pelican has a wingspan of just over 3 meters (10 feet). With an average weight of 11.5 kilograms (25 lb), the Dalmatian Pelican is the heaviest flying bird. Although a large male bustard or swan can exceed a pelican in maximum weight.
24. Largest arthropod in the world: Japanese spider crab.
The Japanese spider crab is a species of sea crab that lives in the waters off the coast of Japan. It has a leg span of 3.8 meters (12 feet) and can weigh up to 41 pounds (19 kilograms).
26. In its natural habitat, the Japanese spider crab feeds on shellfish and animal carcasses and can live up to 100 years.
The fauna of planet Earth still never ceases to amaze us! Our planet is inhabited by a huge number of different animals, and it would seem that all species have long been discovered and known, but sometimes, even among the most ordinary animals, there are unique representatives! It is these representatives that we will consider below.
The largest rabbit
A 22-kilogram rabbit named "Darry" entered the record books as the largest. No wonder, because his height is 130 centimeters!
Blue Great Dane
And this giant Great Dane was also recorded in the Book of Records as the largest dog on the planet! 7 years ago, this dog was 1.10 meters tall, and this giant weighed about 110 kilograms. The specialists who took the measurements were shocked by the size of the dog!
Largest grasshopper
The scientific name of such a large grasshopper is Veta. It reaches a length of just under 20 centimeters. Usually such creatures live in New Zealand. And such a mutant weighs as much as several mice (about 50 grams).
Palm thief (coconut crab)
The terrifying appearance of this monster is unlikely to make you smile when you meet it. The coconut crab is not a crab at all, it was so named because of its external resemblance, but in fact the palm thief is an ordinary hermit crab that has 10 limbs. Their length is almost 100 centimeters, they are the largest arthropods in the world! The most amazing thing is that such mutants can live for half a century, or even longer. Palm thieves live on the Pacific Islands.
Tallest cow
At the moment, the tallest cow on the planet is 13 years old and weighs just over 900 kilograms. The owners named the huge creature “Bloss”, and the veterinarian said that he had never seen such a huge but calm cow. As it became known, last year the Guinness Book of Records recognized this cow as the tallest in the world, because its height is almost 195 centimeters!
The largest donkey on Earth
The name of the giant beast is Romulus. This breed was specially bred in America. At the moment, the donkey lives in America on the ranch of his owners. Kara and Phil Yelot are very proud of their ward. The donkey weighs 600 kilograms and is 172 centimeters tall!
The largest liger on Earth
The largest cat in the world has been registered - the Liger - a hybrid of a lion and a tigress. Up to this point, there have been a huge number of different records about the largest cats. So, in 1973 the record holder was Liger, who weighed almost 800 kilograms. His place of residence was the Bloemfontein Zoological Gardens in Africa. It is also known about a hybrid of a lion and a tiger, which lived in a reserve called Valley of the Kings animal sanctuary, located in America. It is known that the liger weighed just over half a ton.
The largest reptile in the world is the saltwater crocodile
The weight of an adult male individual was 1075 kilograms, the length of the crocodile exceeded 6 meters. Because of its size, locals nicknamed it Lolong. As it turned out, the residents decided to catch the predator because it ate two people. It took hunters and ordinary people almost 3 weeks to catch this giant monster.
flying fox
This species is called the Bismarck's flying fox. The home of this huge winged creature is New Guinea. This animal can weigh up to one and a half kilograms.
The biggest spider
The Goliath tarantula spider is recognized as the largest in the world, its paw span was 28 cm, it was found in Venezuela back in 1965.
The biggest sunfish
Some types of fish make you not only be horrified, but also smile. Take a look at this giant representative of the underwater world. Its weight can be more than two tons, and its dimensions are simply amazing. Vertically, this “baby” grows up to 400 centimeters, and vertically - up to 350 centimeters.
Largest mammal
Among mammals, the blue whale is recognized as the largest. Its length can reach up to 30 meters, and its weight can reach up to 180 tons; the tongue of this animal alone weighs 2.7 tons, and the heart weighs about 600 kilograms.
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Let's take a look at the giants that still walk the Earth.
15. Giant flying fox ≈ 1.5 kg
The largest bat on Earth. These bats live in the Philippines. The fox's body size is about 55 cm, weight is 1.5 kg, but the wingspan is very respectable - up to 1.8 meters.
14. Belgian Flanders Giant – up to 25 kg
Domesticated form of the hare (rabbit). The main selection was carried out in the meat and skin direction, which left an imprint on its size. This is the largest breed of rabbit. Their average weight is 10-12 kg, the maximum recorded is 25 kg.
13. Chinese giant salamander ≈ 70 kg
The largest amphibian on Earth. The length of the salamander reaches 180 cm. These amazing creatures live in China, where their meat is revered as a delicacy, so few salamanders grow to their maximum size.
12. Capybara ≈ 105 kg
The largest rodent on Earth. These cute animals live in South America. Adult capybaras grow up to 1.5 meters in length and can gain up to 105 kg in weight. By the way, these rodents happily live next to humans.
11. Giant green anaconda ≈ 250 kg
This is a close relative of the python on Earth. It lives in the tropics of South America. The maximum recorded body length is more than 7.5 meters, and the weight is 250 kilograms. The Asian python surpasses the anaconda in length, which is 9.7 meters, but loses in weight.
10. Polar bear ≈ 500 kg
To find the largest bear in the world you need to go to the Arctic. There, among the snow and ice, live majestic polar bears - the living embodiment of the formidable forces of nature.
The Inuit call polar bears "nanuk", which means "respected".
At birth, a newborn polar bear cub weighs only 700 grams. And the milk it feeds on is superior in fat content to the milk of other types of bears. Just two months after birth, the cub weighs 10 kg.
Until he is one and a half years old, he is accompanied everywhere by his caring mother. And at the age of two, when many human children still have difficulty walking and soil their diapers, a young polar bear has already gained its normal weight and is capable of picking up a seal, a ringed seal, or even a person if he is not careful enough.
Even for the world's largest bear, finding food can be a challenge. Less than two percent of polar bears' hunts are successful, so half their lives are spent searching for food.
9. Saltwater crocodile ≈ 590 kg
Most of the largest animals are not peaceful. But even among them, saltwater crocodiles stand out for their aggressiveness and bloodthirstiness. It even got into the Guinness Book of Records for devouring a thousand Japanese soldiers along with its relatives during World War II.
But it is unlikely that saltwater crocodiles can be counted among the allies, because they would feast on Russian, American, and any other soldiers with the same pleasure.
8. Giraffe ≈ 800 kg
Among the largest animals in the world, giraffes immediately stand out for their long necks. Thanks to her, they are the tallest land creatures on the planet. The neck makes up 1/3 of the length of the animal's body and, at the same time, consists of only seven cervical vertebrae, like most other mammals.
One can safely say about giraffes that they have a big heart. It weighs 12 kilograms, and creates pressure that would terrify any hypertensive patient. The body will go to great lengths to ensure that blood can reach the brain.
Giraffes are also famous for their long tongue. Only they need him not for gossip, but in order to eat leaves from the tallest trees in the African savannah. This organ reaches a length of 45 centimeters.
7. Hippopotamus ≈ up to 4.5 tons
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the third largest land animal in the world. But hippos don’t really like to walk on the ground. They are semi-aquatic mammals, meaning they spend most of their day in rivers and lakes. This is how they keep their hairless bodies hydrated under the scorching African sun. If the hippopotamus does not have the opportunity to immerse itself in cool water, its skin cracks.
Female hippos began giving birth underwater long before it became a fashionable trend in the human world. By the way, hippos are one of the few mammals whose cubs can suck mother's milk while underwater.
In most European languages, hippopotamus is called "hippopotamus". This word comes from the Latin language (and there, in turn, from Greek) and translated means “river horse.” Of course, this massive creature cannot be compared, but in the water it is very fast and agile.
6. Southern elephant seal ≈ 2.2 tons
Among the largest animals on our planet there are two elephants, one of them is terrestrial, and the other is sea.
This seal got its name from the leather pouch on its nose, which, when restless or during mating fights, inflates, turning into a large ball.
5. White rhinoceros ≈ 2.3 tons
The old rhino joke is that he has poor eyesight, but at such a large size this is no longer his problem. Indeed, these giants do not particularly rely on vision. And even hearing plays a secondary role. But the sense of smell in white rhinoceroses is very well developed. So don't approach it from upwind.
By the way, unlike their small brothers black rhinos, white ones usually run away when they see a person. But Black rushes to attack.
Due to the uncontrolled extermination of white rhinoceroses, the northern subspecies has disappeared. This happened as recently as 2018, when the last male, Sudan, died. So now we can only admire the photos of these largest animals in the world.
But the southern population still exists. But the question is: for how long?
4. African savannah elephant ≈ 7 tons
Here is a seven-ton answer to the question of what is the largest animal among land creatures. Due to its size and body weight, the elephant was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest land mammal. Savannah elephants also have their own heavyweights. Thus, in Angola in 1974, an elephant weighing 12.2 tons was shot.
Like their smaller cousins, African elephants can use their trunks (which have over 40,000 muscles) to lift anything weighing up to 180 kg. Unfortunately, the largest land animal does not boast the largest population. 25,000 elephants die every year due to poaching.
3. Large whale shark ≈ 20 tons
It seems strange that this is not the most terrible representative of the shark species. It doesn't even hunt whales, contrary to its name. Unlike most of its predatory counterparts, the large whale shark is content with plankton for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
This sea giant does not swim very fast, and hardly pays attention to people swimming nearby. Which allows divers to ride on the back of a whale shark if they wish.
In videos of the world's largest animals, you can often see people swimming with whale sharks.
2. Sperm whale ≈ 40 tons
One of the best ways to identify a sperm whale in the ocean is by its massive head. Sperm whales have the largest brain of any living creature on Earth, weighing up to 7.8 kg.
However, the fact that their heads are filled with spermaceti is what makes the biology of these creatures so fascinating. It is the spermaceti sac that accounts for 90% of the weight of the sperm whale's head.
Scientists suggest that it is spermaceti that helps these huge toothed whales dive and emerge from the depths. There must be something that keeps all 40 tons of sperm whale afloat!
1. Blue whale ≈ 150 tons
The largest animal on Earth is a majestic, carnivorous sea creature that weighs a whopping 150 tons and reaches a length of 33 meters. And this is still on average, since whalers encountered 180-ton and even 190-ton whales.
The blue whale's heart is one and a half meters in size, weighs about 180 kilograms, and its aorta is wide enough for a baby to swim through.
However, despite their gigantic size, blue whales are not dangerous to humans. They do not attack swimmers, and feed on krill, small crustaceans, cephalopods and fish.
But a person is the most dangerous enemy for a blue whale. Due to active whaling and severe sea pollution, the largest animal in the world almost disappeared. In 1693, only 5 thousand individuals remained. And although the blue whale population has now grown to 10 thousand individuals, it is still on the verge of extinction.
The fauna is diverse. Some species live in ocean and sea waters, others in jungles and forests, and others in the desert. Some are tiny in size, while others are giants whom you wouldn’t want to meet one on one.
In this article we will talk about the five largest representatives.
Fifth place – White Rhinoceros
The body weight of a white rhinoceros can reach 5 tons (in old males), so it is in 5th place in the ranking of the largest animals. On average, the weight is 2 -2.5 tons. Other parameters: body length is approximately 4.2 m, shoulder height varies from 1.6 to 2 m. The main food is grass.
White rhinoceroses, which are actually dark gray in color, have two horns: a front and a back. With them the animal fights off its enemies. These horns caused the almost complete extermination of the northern white rhinoceros subspecies: the two surviving females now live in the Kenyan reserve.
The southern white rhinoceros is still found in the wild, but is under protection. The habitat of the animals is southern Africa. Now the subspecies is not in danger of extinction.
Fourth place – Indian (Asian) elephant
In size it is inferior to its African relative: the male reaches a mass of 5.4 tons, the female - half as much, 2.7 tons. Height varies from 2.5 to 3.5 m. The body length also has impressive parameters - 5.5-6 .4 m, and you can still add 1.2-1.5 m of tail length to it.
The habitat of the animals is the Indus-Malayan biogeographical region, which includes India (northeast and south of the country), Thailand, Brunei, island. Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, etc. Depending on the environment, they are divided into four subspecies: Indian, Sri Lankan, Sumatran, Bornean. The fifth subspecies is sometimes identified as a population common in Laos and Vietnam.
It is interesting that Indian elephants are right-handed and left-handed, that is, they use more of the right or left tusk. The degree of wear and roundness of a particular tusk helps determine this fact.
They are herbivores, spending up to 20 hours a day searching for food. During the day they absorb 6-8% of their weight, which is 150-300 kg. The advantage in the diet belongs to grass; bark, flowers, fruits, roots and leaves of various plants are also used.
Third place – African elephant
Belongs to the order Proboscidea. Mammal. It can be found on the African continent in regions located south of the Sahara. This is the largest land animal and one of the most dangerous on earth..
There are two subspecies of African elephants: savannah and forest. The first ones are larger; the weight of one representative is recorded at 12.24 tons (currently a record). On average, animals reach 4 m in height, 7.5 tons in weight (males) and 5 tons (females).
African elephants are very smart and are ready to help their relatives. So, if one individual cannot cope with a leech, the second is able to take a stick and unhook the bloodsucker.
How the African elephant differs from the Indian elephant is written in our article.
Second place – Sperm whale
The dimensions of an adult male reach 20 m in length and 50 tons in weight. Females are smaller in size - 15 m and 20 tons, respectively. Habitat: almost the entire sea ocean, excluding areas close to the polar poles. The diet consists of cephalopods, less often fish.
The sperm whale is a dangerous animal. It shows aggression when wounded, so hunting a mammal is a risky business. There are known cases of the death of sailors hunting sperm whales and the sinking of whaling ships. But until the 80s of the 20th century, production was of a predatory nature, which affected the number of livestock in a decreasing direction.
Among the animal world, the only enemy of the sperm whale is the killer whale, and even then it is mostly young individuals and females. An orca cannot cope with an adult sperm whale.
The largest animal in the world
The blue whale is the largest animal in the world. If some animals are ranked by size, either moving one step higher in the hierarchy or moving them down in the ranking of the largest animals, then no one can encroach on the leadership position. The giant of the deep sea weighs over 150 tons and its length is 33 m.
The blue whale lives in tropical and polar seas. The diet consists of krill, sometimes small fish, cephalopods and large crustaceans are eaten as a meal. Among the senses, touch and hearing are well developed, taste, smell, and vision are poorly developed.
There are three subspecies of the blue whale, and some scientists also identify a fourth. The animal is smart and peaceful. Unfortunately, it is subject to destruction, in particular due to whalebone, fat and mass.
TOP-5 largest animals are two sea and three land animals. The blue whale has no equal, and the rest will not catch up with it in weight (up to 150 tons). A sperm whale, two elephants (Indian and African) and a rhinoceros can reach a weight of 5 to 7.5 tons.
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