The largest marine life in history. The largest inhabitants of the deep sea. The largest reptile in the world - Saltwater crocodile
Everyone knows that the largest animal in history, a giant animal inhabited the Earth many millions of years ago, is a dinosaur. There were many types of them. And today, the dimensions of prehistoric animals seem simply stunning.
However, the modern animal world is no less amazing and diverse. The earth is full of creatures that are striking in their size and shape. It is even difficult to imagine what influenced their weight and height so much. However, they are what they are, and they 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 they live. So, below is a ranking of the 10 largest animals on our planet. This list is based on the height, length, and mass of the creatures. Let's start at the end.
Saltwater crocodile
In tenth place is the saltwater crocodile. It is also called ridged or spongy. This crocodile is the largest animal of the reptiles existing 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 an average of eight hundred kilograms.
Saltwater crocodiles are widespread. Their range begins in Northern Australia and ends in Southeast Asia. The crocodile is an active predator. His daily diet includes insects, molluscs, 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 the water, where it is already useless to resist.
An interesting fact: the saltwater crocodile is highly valued due to its skin, which serves as a material for handbags, shoes, clothes, etc. Therefore, this type of crocodile is grown in artificial conditions: on special farms.
Black rhino
Since black rhinos are huge, powerful and absolutely fearless, they have no enemies among animals. But they are easy prey for numerous poachers. Black rhinos prefer to follow the same paths, and they also have very poor vision. Therefore, they are an excellent target for trophy hunters.
Walrus
In eighth place is the walrus. This is perhaps the largest animal of those who have existed since the times ice age... For example, 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 strong and thick skin. Especially in the neck area, where it reaches ten centimeters. And under the skin is another layer of fat fifteen centimeters. Thanks to this, walruses feel great in harsh arctic conditions... The diet of these animals mainly consists of molluscs, but fish are occasionally caught.
White rhino
Seventh place - white rhinos. They are considered the second largest herbivores on the planet. They grow up to two meters in height and four in length. Rhinos are heavyweights. Some of the larger specimens are up to eight tons!
Fun fact: Despite the name, these animals are gray in color. Why, then, is the "white" rhinoceros, and not the "gray"? Most likely, the rhinoceroses got 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 english word"White" (white).
Hippo (hippopotamus)
In sixth place is the hippopotamus, a native of Africa from the artiodactyl order. Hippos grow up to one and a half meters in height and five in length. The weight of these mammals fluctuates in the region of three tons, or even more. Throughout life, the mass of the hippopotamus gradually increases. The same applies to his teeth. In older hippos, teeth can be up to half a meter in size!
An interesting fact is that only one hippopotamus skin weighs half a ton.
Southern elephant seal
The 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 elephant seal was shot in the winter of 1913 in South Georgia. It weighed more than five tons and was seven meters long.
The main diet of these animals is fish and squid, which live at depths of up to thousands of meters. In search of prey, elephant seals dive many times and spend a lot of time under water. So a record was registered - the animal was under the ode for about two hours. By the way, these mammals spend most of their life in the open ocean, they rarely go to land, as a rule, during the breeding season.
Southern elephant seals are the largest dangerous animals. They are the largest carnivores in the world.
Indian elephant
The Indian elephant also has a second name - "Asian". He would have earned the title of "the largest animal in the world" living on land, "if not for his African counterpart. Elephants reach a height of three and a half meters, and a length of about six meters. In addition, these animals have enough long tail(from one 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 broadleaf forests... Elephants love bamboo and shrubbery. They move with ease through overgrown jungle and swampy areas.
Interesting fact: Indian elephants live in flocks, led by the most experienced and adult female.
African elephant
In third place in the ranking - the African elephant - the largest animal among those who live on land. Males weigh about six tons and reach eight meters in length and three in height. Females weigh half as much, and in height - no more than two to three meters.
The largest animal living on land has practically no enemies. Due to its size, of course. But little elephants are still attacked by bloodthirsty lions, leopards, hyenas and crocodiles.
Elephants move surprisingly fast enough. So, their average speed is about forty km / h. Thus, an elephant is able to easily overtake a person. 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 intelligent and even capable of compassion. But, despite this, they are considered one of the most dangerous on the planet.
Interesting fact: because of its enormous size, the African elephant has to sleep standing up.
Sperm whale
The second place is taken by the sperm whale. Today it is the largest animal on earth from the suborder of toothed whales, and also the only remaining from the sperm whale family. Huge males of the sperm whale reach twenty meters in length and weigh fifty tons! But the females are much smaller: up to eleven meters in length, weighing fifteen tons. Of course, you can meet sperm whales and larger, but this is an exception.
In nature, adult male sperm whales do not have enemies. And for calves and females, only killer whales pose a threat.
Interesting fact: thirty-five percent of the sperm whale's entire body is only one head.
Blue whale
So, the largest animal (photo - in the article) is a blue whale. Other names are blue, or vomit. Refers to marine mammals. In total, there are three species of these giants in the world - southern, northern and dwarf whales. They practically do not differ in outward signs and sizes. Sometimes scientists distinguish a fourth species - the Indian whale. Northern and southern blue whales live in cold, circular waters, while dwarf whales live in tropical seas. All subspecies lead almost the same lifestyle. They swim, as a rule, one by one, sometimes in pairs. You can also meet small groups, but even in them, each of the whales is kept separately.
The blue whale is the largest animal in the world that has ever existed and known to science... Even dinosaurs are unable to compete with him - he is truly huge! So, an adult can grow up to thirty meters in length. The weight can be of the order of 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 about the size of a car and weighs about the same. The lung capacity reaches three thousand liters. This allows the whales to remain at submerged depths for about half an hour without oxygen. These giants swim fast enough (about forty km / h). You can notice them even from afar by the ten-meter fountains that appear during the ascent to the surface.
The blue whale's diet is mainly plankton and small creatures similar to shrimp. They are called "krill". About forty million krill are consumed by whales every day.
Largest pet
But what about our smaller brothers, whom we have tamed? Among them, there are also quite large individuals, which cannot be ignored.
The largest dog breed 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 - somewhere up to one hundred kilograms. These dogs are aristocrats. They are loved not only for their power, but also for their poise, courage, and also peacefulness. The English Mastiff will become both an excellent watchdog and a funny companion dog.
The largest animal in the world of this breed is an English mastiff named Aikama Zorbo. He got into the Guinness Book of Records thanks to a weight of one hundred and fifty-odd kilograms.
The largest breed of domestic cats is the Ashera. It reaches a meter in length and at the same time weighs about fifteen kilograms.
This is an exotic hybrid cat that looks like a small leopard. This species was bred in 2006. To create the usher, the genes of the African serval, the Asiatic leopard and the common domestic cat were mixed. The animal got its name thanks to the pagan goddess Ashera.
This cat is not only the largest, but also the most expensive. So, an Usher kitten costs more than twenty thousand dollars. However, this does not at all bother those who want to get such a pet, they take the queue in advance. This cat is very rare, as the company only raises one hundred animals a year.
Ashera is somewhat reminiscent of a small sphinx. She is the perfect pet. It is considered hypoallergenic, loves to play with children, rub on legs and, of course, sleep. Yes, and absolutely not picky about food. Ashera is the only cat you can walk with on a leash.
The world's largest rabbit is the Belgian Flanders. This is a very ancient Flemish breed, developed in the sixteenth century (city of Ghent, Belgium). These rabbits can weigh about thirty pounds (thirteen kilograms) and be the size of a large dog.
Marine animals are very diverse. These include both huge giant whales and microscopic plankton. Captures the diversity of the inhabitants of the deep sea.
Whale photos
The largest animals of the sea are whales. However, not only at sea, but also on land, whales have no equal in size.
In total, there are about 130 species of whales left on Earth, about 40 extinct species of whales are known. Depending on the species, the length of the whales ranges from 2 to 25 meters. The world's largest species is the blue whale.
Whales live in all oceans and almost all seas of our planet. In northern waters, whales feel great thanks to a thick layer of fat.
Most whales feed on small fish species and plankton. But there is also a more predatory type of whale that preys on large animals - the killer whale. This is one of the most beautiful whales.
Although outwardly, killer whales are similar to dolphins, but they are very different from them. Most notable hallmark killer whales is their contrasting black and white color.
Killer whales hunt whatever they can catch and are quite voracious. If killer whales are sedentary, then they feed on fish and small marine animals. Migrating killer whales can attack even a sperm whale. There are known cases of killer whales attacking a herd of moose crossing the reservoir.
Shark photos
Another type of large marine predators is sharks. These are mainly large predatory fish, which have practically not changed their nature for billions of years. appearance in the process of evolution.
Like whales, sharks live in almost all oceans and seas. There are sharks that feed on fish, but there is also a species that feeds on plankton - the whale shark.
Moray eels
Another genus of marine predatory fish is moray eels. They live in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
Moray eels can be confused with snakes, outwardly they are very similar. But the view of moray eels is very disgusting, although there are terrible lovers of these fish.
In ancient European mythology, moray eels became the prototype of huge sea monsters. Some ancients believed that moray eels are the fry of sea monsters, when they grow up, they float far into the ocean.
Dolphin photos
Probably the most beloved marine animals by people are dolphins. They also exist in many types of various sizes. Dolphins accompany various ships and bring joy to people with their jumps from the water.
Dolphins are mammals, not fish.
The life of dolphins in captivity is halved, and in nature they live up to 50 years. Probably longing and despondency in captivity oppresses them.
Dolphins love to communicate with people, by nature they are kind and social animals. but these marine animals are tactful and never intrude.
Photo of seals
Seals live in the northern seas and oceans. They are carnivorous pinnipeds that colonize coastal cliffs. Such places serve them as a refuge from predators.
Their main food is fish, but they do not mind eating shrimp or other crustaceans and shellfish.
Look.
One of the most voracious seals is the leopard seal.
This species of seals got its name because of the unique shape of the nose of the males and because of its enormous size. Males of this species can reach six meters in length and weigh over four tons.
In the north of Russia, there is another large view seals - sea hare. The largest bearded hares weigh 360 kg.
But despite its size, the sea hare seal can become prey polar bear.
Walrus photo
Other pinniped inhabitants of the seas are walruses. They have powerful tusks.
Only males have tusks. They use them as weapons during fights for females during the mating season.
Walruses can fend for themselves, as they are very large animals. But they are threatened by killer whales and polar bears.
On this we will finish with pinnipeds and move on to the mollusks.
Octopus photo
"Eight legs" - so they called this sea inhabitant in ancient greece... And the octopus lives up to its name.
Octopuses inhabit tropical and subtropical seas. In total, there are more than 200 species of them.
Octopuses are able to change their color by disguising themselves from other predators and using camouflage to wait for their prey. They can even take on the appearance of a predator and copy its behavior.
Photo of cuttlefish
The cuttlefish, like the octopus, is a cephalopod mollusc.
The cuttlefish has a mouth similar to a beak. Behind the tentacles, it is hard to see in the photo, but believe me, it can bite through the shell of a crab.
Like octopuses, cuttlefish are able to change color and pour into the terrain in order to hide from the enemy or hide in ambush.
In total, about 30 species of cuttlefish are known. Most small view has a size of 1.5-1.8 centimeters.
Squid photo
Squids are another cephalopod molluscs. Squids inhabit all seas and oceans, including the northern ones. Northern squid species are somewhat smaller, and they are also often colorless. The rest of the species also rarely have bright colors.
How many species of squid live on our planet is unknown. Many species live at great depths, which makes them difficult to study.
Usually the size of squid is 25 - 50 cm. But there is a unique species - a giant squid, its size can reach 18 meters. Some deep-sea squid species are capable of glowing, so they attract prey in the pitch darkness of the sea depths.
Many squid species have fins on the sides. These organs act as a balancer when swimming, and using them, the squid can accelerate and jump out of the water to escape the predator.
Photo of crabs
Let's move on from cephalopods to crabs. These are representatives of the crustacean class.
These marine animals have five pairs of paws, one of which has evolved into pincers. A crab can lose a claw in battle, but it then grows back like a lizard's tail.
There are many types of crabs and they are very diverse in size and color. Different species eat completely differently, the diet may consist of algae, crustaceans, small fish or shellfish.
Lobster photos
Large crustaceans live in the oceans and seas: lobsters and lobsters. Lobsters are similar to common crayfish, only they have larger claws.
Mostly lobster color different types very simple, camouflage. This is due to the presence a large number enemies of these animals. But sometimes there are mutant individuals with an unusual color.
This is a blue lobster, a very rare specimen. This color is one in two million lobsters. Yellow, red, white or two-colored lobsters are even more rare.
Photos of lobsters
Another large crustacean are lobsters. These crustaceans prefer warm waters, in contrast to lobsters, which are also found in cold waters.
Lobsters do not live at depths higher than 200 meters. They try to settle in places where they can find refuge. Many predators don't mind eating lobster.
Lobsters are loners. All their lives, except for the breeding season, lobsters spend in solitude, without communicating with representatives of their kind.
Marine animals include seabirds. For example, penguins are peculiar seabirds living in the Southern Hemisphere.
Penguins live not only in Antarctica. There are large colonies of these birds in the south of Australia and South America.
A total of 18 species of penguins are known. They are different in size, there are some differences in color. but the main color is contrasting black and white.
Let's take a look at the giants that still roam the Earth.
15. Giant flying fox ≈ 1.5 kg
The largest bats on Earth. Inhabited by these the bats in the Philippines. The body size of the fox is about 55 cm, weight is 1.5 kg, but the wingspan is very solid - up to 1.8 meters.
14. Belgian Flanders giant - up to 25 kg
Domesticated form of 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 rabbits. 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 in weight they can gain up to 105 kg. By the way, these rodents happily live next to humans.
11. Giant green anaconda ≈ 250 kg
This is a close relative of python, on Earth. She lives in the tropics of South America. The maximum recorded body length is over 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 travel to the Arctic. There, among the snow and ice, the majestic polar bears live - the living embodiment of the formidable forces of nature.
Inuit call polar bears "nanuk", which means "respected."
At birth, a newborn polar bear cub weighs only 700 grams. And the milk he feeds on surpasses milk of other species of bears in fat content. Already two months after birth, the bear weighs 10 kg.
Up to a year and a half, he is accompanied everywhere by a caring mother. And at the age of two, when many human children still have difficulty walking and getting diapers dirty, a young polar bear is already gaining its normal weight and is able to bully a bearded seal, 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 bear hunting is successful, so half of their life is spent looking for food.
9. Salted crocodile ≈ 590 kg
Most of the largest animals are not peaceful in nature. But even among them, crested crocodiles stand out for their aggressiveness and bloodthirstiness. even got into the Guinness Book of Records for the fact that, together with relatives, he ate a thousand Japanese soldiers during the Second World War.
But it is unlikely that the combed crocodiles can be counted among the allies, because they would eat with the same pleasure both the Russians and the American and any other soldiers.
8. Giraffe ≈ 800 kg
Among the largest animals in the world, giraffes immediately stand out for their long neck. Thanks to her, they are the tallest terrestrial creatures on the planet. The neck is 1/3 the length of the animal's body and, at the same time, consists of only seven cervical vertebrae, like most other mammals.
We can safely say about giraffes that they have a big heart. It weighs 12 kilograms and creates pressure that would terrify any hypertensive patient. What the body does not go to, so that the blood can reach the brain.
Also, giraffes are famous for their long tongue. Only they need him not for gossip, but in order to eat leaves from the very tall trees v African savannah... In length, this organ reaches as much as 45 centimeters.
7. Hippo ≈ up to 4.5 tons
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the world's third largest land animal. But hippos are not very fond of walking 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 body hydrated under the scorching African sun. If the hippopotamus does not have the opportunity to dive into cool water, his hide is cracking.
Female hippos began to give birth underwater long before it became a fashionable trend in the human world. By the way, hippos are one of the few mammals whose young can suck their mother's milk while under water.
In most European languages, the hippopotamus is called the "hippo". This word came from the Latin language (and there, in turn, from the Greek) and in translation means "river horse". Of course, this massive creature cannot be compared, but in the water it is very fast and dexterous.
6. Southern elephant seal ≈ 2.2 tons
Among the largest animals on our planet, there are two elephants at once, and one of them is terrestrial, and the second is sea.
This seal got its name for a leather bag on its nose, which, during anxiety or during mating fights, swells, turning into a large ball.
5. White rhino ≈ 2.3 tons
An old joke about a rhino says 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 sight. And even hearing plays a secondary role. But the sense of smell in white rhinos is very well developed. So don't approach it from the upwind side.
By the way, unlike their smaller counterparts, black rhinos, white ones usually run away when they see a person. But Black rushes to the attack.
Due to the uncontrolled extermination of white rhinos, the northern subspecies has disappeared. This happened quite recently, in 2018, when the last male named 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 bush elephant ≈ 7 tons
Before you 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 entered the Guinness Book of Records as the largest land mammal. Among the savannah elephants, there are also heavyweights. So, in Angola in 1974, an elephant weighing 12.2 tons was shot.
Like their smaller brethren, African elephants can use their trunks (which have over 40,000 muscles) to lift anything up to 180 kg. Unfortunately, the largest land animal does not have the largest population. Poaching kills 25,000 elephants every year.
3. Great whale shark ≈ 20 tons
It seems strange that this is not the scariest shark species. She doesn't even hunt whales, contrary to her name. Unlike most of its predatory counterparts, the great whale shark is content with plankton for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
This sea giant does not swim very quickly, and almost does not pay attention to people passing by. This allows divers to ride on the back of a whale shark if they wish.
Videos of the largest animals in the world often show people swimming with whale sharks.
2. Sperm whale ≈ 40 tons
One of better ways to recognize a sperm whale in the ocean - by its massive head. Sperm whales have the largest brain of all living things on Earth, it weighs up to 7.8 kg.
However, the fact that their heads are filled with spermaceti makes the biology of these creatures so fascinating. It is the sperm bag that accounts for 90% of the weight of the sperm whale's head.
Scientists speculate 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 the 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 33 meters in length. And this is still on average, since whalers encountered 180-ton and even 190-ton whales.
The heart of a blue whale is one and a half meter in size, weighs about 180 kilograms, and its aorta is wide enough for a baby to swim through it.
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 man for a blue whale is the most dangerous enemy. Due to active whaling and severe pollution of the seas, the largest animal in the world almost disappeared. In 1693, only 5 thousand individuals remained. And although now the population of the blue whale has grown to 10 thousand individuals, it is still on the verge of extinction.
- Nomura is the largest jellyfish on the planet. Weighs more than 200 kg, diameter - more than 2 m. Lives in the Pacific Ocean. The largest populations are found off the coast of China and Japan. Life expectancy is less than a year.
- Moon fish- the biggest bone fish on the planet. The absolute record is 4 m with a weight of 2.2 tons. The body has the shape of a circle when viewed in profile. The moon fish has a surprisingly small brain. With such a value, the brain accounts for only 4 g. Also, the moonfish is the most prolific of the fish on the planet: it lays more than 300 million eggs at a time. Dwells in the Quiet and Atlantic oceans... Due to the fact that it does not swim well, its habitat depends on sea currents. Has bone-like growths on the surface in order to protect against predators. It is not dangerous for a person.
- Manta or sea Devil- the largest of the stingrays. In length it can reach 9 m, weight - over 2 tons, lives in the Indian Ocean. Unlike other species of rays, manta rays do not have a thorn to protect them from predators. For humans, the sea devil is not dangerous, it feeds on small fish and plankton.
Just like a whale, it can jump over the surface of the water, the jump height can reach 1.5 m
- Tridacna or Death trap has a shell 1.5-2 m long, weighing from 100 to 300 kg. Life expectancy is about 100 years. It lives in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans among the corals of the shelf, at a depth of up to 100 m. Adults pose a certain danger to humans - if the shell closes with a mollusk.
- Japanese spider crab- the largest representative of crabs. Its shell is more than 50 cm in size, and its paws are longer than 4 m, and its weight is about 20 kg (!). It lives in the Pacific Ocean near the Japanese Islands, at a depth of 300-400 m, and feeds on carrion. Lives over 50 years.
- Arctic cyanea Is the longest jellyfish in the world. The length of its tentacles can exceed 20 m, and the largest has more than 36 m (!). The diameter of the “cap” is about 2 m.
- Kraken Is the largest squid in the world. Its length can reach 18 m, and its weight exceeds 1 ton. Dwells in ocean waters tropical latitudes... May be dangerous to humans. An attack in 2011 is mentioned on Internet resources, as a result of which a kraken sank a 12-meter vessel.
- Whale shark is the largest shark in existence, as well as the largest modern fish. Its length reaches 12-14 m and weighs 36 tons.
- Octopus Doflein- a cephalopod mollusk, the largest of the octopuses. It can reach more than 4 m in length with a weight of over 180 kg (a specimen weighing more than 270 kg was caught once). Despite the enormous size of adults, cubs are born only 6 mm long.
Distributed in the North Pacific Ocean at depths of up to 300 m. It is not known for certain how safe this species is for humans. Within a few minutes, they can, like a chameleon, change color, adapting to conditions the environment.
- Blue whale- the world's largest mammal. Weight - about 150 tons, length - over 30 m. Lives over 100 years. It feeds on plankton, its stomach capacity is more than 2 tons. For humans, the whale is not dangerous as long as the person himself does not pose a threat to this animal.
People tend to feel inexplicable delight at the sight of everything huge. Animals are no exception: elephants, whales and other giants of the fauna world invariably attract our attention and fascinate. But here we will not be talking about them, but about the most prominent representatives of the animal world, belonging to species that are usually not associated with particularly impressive sizes. So outstanding that it is difficult to believe in the real existence of some of them on our planet.
1. Goliath tarantula spider. What do we know about spiders? These are small, sometimes poisonous creatures with 8 legs, weaving webs. They eat flies, and they, in turn, are eaten by lizards and birds. But not always ... Before you is the goliath tarantula (or Terafosa Blonda) - the most big spider in the world. It lives in the Amazonian jungle and hunts frogs, toads, lizards, mice, and even small snakes. It can weigh 175 grams with a limb span of up to 28 cm. But, despite its name, it does not eat birds.
2. Zeus is the tallest dog in the world, according to the 2013 Guinness Book of Records. If Zeus stood up on his hind legs, his height was more than 2 meters. Mastiff owners called him a gentle giant and said that they were often asked if they were sure that it was a dog and not a horse. Zeus was a certified therapy dog and loved to squat his "patients" on their knees to make them smile. True, due to the weight of 70 kg, these smiles sometimes turned into grimaces. Unfortunately, Zeus is no longer with us, he did not live only 3 days before his sixth birthday.
3. Giant African snail. It is not hard to assume that the giant African snail must be large. It is not for nothing that it is called gigantic. But so much? .. This palm-sized giant lives not only in Africa and, with its not sickly appetite and high reproduction rate, is a serious threat to agriculture.
4. Darius is the largest rabbit in the world. This, if one may say so, bunny weighs 22.5 kg and exceeds 130 cm in length. By the way, he has a son named Jeff, who is still growing, but is already catching up with his dad in size. The couple costs their kind-hearted owner, 63-year-old Annette Edwards, £ 5,000 a year.
5. Chinese giant salamander. This thing is the largest modern amphibian, its length, together with its tail, can reach 180 cm.Despite its eerie appearance, the Chinese eat their gigantic salamanders with pleasure, so how many they still have left is unknown. But do not despair, because there is also a Japanese giant salamander, a little smaller.
6. Ludo is the world's longest cat. Maine Coons are known to be quite large and fluffy cats. But Ludo is no ordinary average Maine Coon. Already at 17 months, he weighed more than 11 kg and exceeded 110 cm in length. At the same time, according to his owners, who themselves are shocked by the size of their pet, he eats even less than the rest of their cats. Maine Coons are considered to be very friendly. Would you dare to pet a cat the size of a dog?
7. Goliath frog. If you are afraid of frogs, you better stay away from Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea - the habitat of this monster. Goliath is the largest modern frog. The length of her body can reach 30 cm, and even more with outstretched paws. Otherwise, it differs little from the most common frogs, its tadpoles at birth do not have outstanding sizes. They just grow very actively.
8. Big Jake is the largest horse in the world. Horses, in principle, can hardly be called small animals, but among them there are especially outstanding individuals. The official height of this Belgian gelding is 210.2 cm, and it weighs more than a ton. Already at birth, he weighed over 100 kg - much more than the average foals of his breed. Big Jake lives on a farm in Wisconsin, works in harness, and has many fans.
9. Liger Hercules. The liger is a hybrid of a male lion and a tigress. And it not only exists, but sometimes reaches colossal proportions. Hercules was registered in the 2006 Guinness Book of Records as the largest feline living on earth. Standing on hind legs Hercules is 3.7 meters and weighs over 400 kg. He was born at the Institute for Endangered and rare species in Miami, Florida, lives in Florida's Jungle Island interactive theme park and participates in the Tiger's Tale show every day.
10. Japanese spider crab. The place of this giant, reaching 19 kg in weight and 5.5 meters in claw span, is not on a gourmet plate, but on the set of a horror movie, you might think, and you will be wrong. In Japan, it is considered a delicacy and is actively caught, which leads to a sharp decline in the population. Currently, measures are already being taken to preserve the largest arthropod on earth.
11. Blossom is the tallest cow in the world. Blossom was lucky to get into the Guinness Book of Records twice. In 2015, she was recognized as the tallest living cow, but, unfortunately, did not live long after that. This sad event so upset the representatives of the Book of Records that the next year they decided to add it again, already as the tallest cow in history. The growth of this beautiful Holstein breed was 190 cm, and the weight was close to a ton.
12. Stingray stingray. This whopper was caught by an American TV show star about wildlife Jeff Corwin at the Mai Klong River in Thailand. A stingray weighing over 360 kg was recognized as the largest stingray, and possibly the largest freshwater fish ever caught in the world.
13. Medusa - the longest snake in the world, another holder of a record in the Guinness Book. The reticulated python named Madame Medusa is over 7.5 meters long. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, belongs to the show group Full Moon Productions, and regularly participates in performances for the nerve-tickling fans. Madame's menu consists of rabbits and piglets, and every 2 weeks she is served a whole deer for dinner. When Medusa is in a good mood, she purrs like a cat. But if it starts to hiss, it's better to get away with your feet as soon as possible, Madame is in anger.
14. Lolong is the world's largest saltwater crocodile. Unlike other good-natured giants on this list, Lolong was not only impressive in size, but also aggressive disposition... In September 2011, a huge crocodile suspected of attacking people was caught in the vicinity of the city of Bunawan in the province of Agusan del Sur in the Philippines. This required the joint efforts of the authorities, the local population and crocodile hunters, three weeks of continuous hunting and 100 people to pull the animal ashore. What they managed to catch as a result turned out to be a 50-year-old combed crocodile 6.17 meters long and weighing just over a ton. Lolong was settled in an eco-park 8 km from Bunawan, where he became a local celebrity and brought in a good income until he died two years later, according to one version - from pneumonia, burdened by stress.
15. Big Bill is the world's largest pig. Big Bill set his record back in 1933. But since then, not a single pig has been able to come close to the impressive performance of this giant from Tennessee - weight 1157.5 kg, height 150 cm and length 275 cm.