Who is the lightest and heaviest of animals. The very best among animals

For four of the five heaviest animal species, the main habitat is water. Water environment reduces the force of gravity, gives room for movement, and provides nutrition to a huge organism.

However, all heavyweight champions trace their origins to land-based ancestors.

Fifth place - southern elephant seal

The fifth place among the heaviest representatives of the planet is occupied by the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) - pinniped sea ​​predator, a mammal from the seal family. The population lives off the coast of Antarctica. An adult male weighs on average 2-4 tons, the weight of the largest elephant seal reached 5 tons. The females of this type of seal are noticeably different from the stronger sex - they are miniature, weighing only 900 kg.

Elephant seals spend the lion's share of their lives in the water; they come ashore only in the spring - during the period of molting and mating. Male fights take place in the rookeries: tons of fat are knocked together and bones crack to the sounds of a threatening roar. Elephant seal calves are born weighing half a quintal, after a month their weight triples. Mothers leave the young and go to sea to feed. Elephant seals learn to survive on their own; almost 80% of the young become prey for white sharks and killer whales.

Third place - African elephant

The African elephant is the most heavy mammal living outside water bodies. The mass of elephants in the savannahs of Africa is 7.5 tons, and the largest specimen weighed over 12 tons (elephants of the Indian jungle weigh only 5.4 tons). How the African elephant differs from the Indian elephant is described in our article. Elephants eat most of their lives - 15-20 hours a day; they absorb up to 300-450 kg per day plant food and drink 100-300 liters of water.

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. She lives in the tropics 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 yourself large 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, young polar bear is already gaining its normal weight and is able to lift sea ​​hare, a ringed seal, or even a human 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.

About giraffes we can safely say 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 very tall trees V 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 was common to fashion trend V 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 came from 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 joke about the rhinoceros is that he has poor eyesight, but with such large sizes It's not his problem anymore. 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 each 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 contents itself 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 recognize a sperm whale in the ocean by its massive head. Sperm whales have the most big brain Of all living creatures on Earth, it weighs 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, which 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.

24.03.2013

Do you know which ones are the most big animals on the ground? Then you can view this top 10 and find out which one is the best big animal, although this list contains different kinds 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 most close-up view seal 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. Colonies of the southern 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 on the ground from fatigue after a long run.

7. Saltwater crocodile

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. Extended to African continent. Weight can reach 4 tons, length up to 5.4 m. Leads a predominantly semi-aquatic lifestyle. 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– savanna 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

The world is full of wonders, there are many amazing animals in it. They are all unique in their own way. Some eat plants, others only eat fresh meat. Some live in the sea, others on land. Each creature is interesting and unique in its own way. The palm among the giants is rightfully shared by the 3 largest representatives: the blue whale, the sperm whale and the African elephant.

The blue whale is a giant among marine mammals

The largest animal on the planet is considered to be the blue, blue or azure whale. The whale's body has a streamlined shape that is optimal for underwater habitat. The size of the animal can reach 30 m; there are giants weighing about 180 tons or more. Scientists consider the whale to be the largest individual on the planet that has ever lived on Earth. The heart of a blue whale weighs about 0.6 tons, the volume of the lungs is more than 3,000 liters, the tongue can weigh up to 2.7-3 tons and more.

The body of the whale is dark gray with a bluish-azure tint, covered with fancy marble stains. There is a large dorsal fin on the back and a pair of pectoral fins on the sides. Lives in the waters of the North Atlantic and Far East. The main food source is plankton, fish and squid. A full stomach of a well-fed whale can hold about 1.5 tons of food.

Sperm whale - giant toothed whale

The weight of an adult male sperm whale is approximately 60-70 tons, body length is up to 20 m. Females are much smaller. Habitat – from arctic waters to the equator. The teardrop shape of the sperm whale's body allows it to short time make long journeys during the migration period. Unlike whales, which prefer solitude, sperm whales usually stay in small groups of up to 150 individuals.

Animals feed mainly on fish and cephalopods. However, they can attack seals and freely dive to the bottom for crabs, squids, mollusks and sponges to a depth of more than 400 m. The way sperm whales communicate is interesting. They, just like blue whales, use sounds for this: characteristic clicks, creaks and frequent crackling sounds.

The African elephant is the largest land mammal.

The three largest animals on the planet are completed by the African elephant. It differs from its counterparts from other continents by its huge ears. They help him feel comfortable in the scorching sun of Africa. Elephant tusks are worth their weight in gold. It was this dignity of the proud animal that almost led to its disappearance. Hundreds of thousands of unfortunates were killed for the sake of an expensive trophy. National parks and the reserves literally saved the population from extermination.

An elephant's body weight is impressive. Adult males weigh about 7.5 tons, but despite this, the giant is quite mobile, swims excellently and feels comfortable even on rocky terrain. Elephants are herbivores, feeding on grass and young branches of trees and shrubs. An adult eats up to 100 kg of green mass per day. Lives in small herds of 9-14 units. Fortunately, elephants have no enemies except humans and human greed.

Planet Earth is full of amazing animals. It is inhabited by small and large, short and long, tall and short. Each one is unique in its own way.

But the real amazement is caused by animals of unprecedented size. In this article we will look at the largest animals in the world. They all belong to completely different species.

The heaviest animal in the world

Of the animals living on land, the African elephant is the heaviest. It ranks second in the ranking of the largest animals in the world. And it is the largest of those currently existing. Males African elephant They grow up to 7.5 meters in length, up to 3.3 meters in height, and weigh about 6 tons. Females are slightly smaller, reaching 7 meters in length, 2.7 meters in height, and weighing less than 3 tons.

The heaviest animal is the African elephant

By the way, an adult African elephant does not have natural enemies, and all because of its impressive size. However, cubs, particularly newborns, are very vulnerable to lions, crocodiles, hyenas and leopards.

Tallest animal in the world

Our TOP of the most gigantic animals in the world continues - the giraffe. This is the tallest land animal on the planet. The African artiodactyl mammal grows up to 5-6 meters in height. Average weight males - 1600 kilograms, females - 830 kilograms. The giraffe has an extraordinary Long neck– more than 2 meters in length. Almost half vertical height individuals. And this is the result of disproportionate lengthening of the cervical spine.

The largest carnivores in the world

The largest carnivore on the planet that lives to this day is the southern elephant seal, simply a seal. The size of females and males varies greatly, and this difference is greater than that of any other mammal.

Males are 5-6 times heavier than females. The average weight of males is 2200-4000 kilograms, while females are only 400-900 kilograms. Length – up to three meters.

The largest carnivorous land animals

At this point in the ranking of the largest animals in the world is the Kodiak bear (a species brown bear) and white polar bear. The sizes of the individuals are approximately the same and scientists still find it difficult to answer which bear is larger.

The height of the animals starts from 1.6 meters, the total length is about 3 meters. The heaviest individuals that were recorded weighed 1003 kilograms (polar bear) and 1135 kilograms (brown bear).

The largest reptile in the world

This is the saltwater crocodile. That's why he was included in the list of the largest animals in the world. You can see the reptile in suitable habitats ranging from east coast India and South-East Asia and ending with Northern Australia.

The weight of an adult male reaches 1000 kilograms, and the length ranges from 4 to 5.5 meters. Mature males can grow even larger. By the way, this species of reptile is the only one in existence whose size regularly exceeds 4.8 meters. The saltwater crocodile is a predator that attacks almost any animal in its vicinity (both in water and on land).

The largest amphibian in the world

The Chinese giant salamander is the largest amphibian in the world. Its length is at least 180 centimeters. However, today quite often the salamander does not live to this size. The animal lives in rocky mountain lakes and streams in China.

Their numbers are declining catastrophically due to environmental pollution and over-capture (salamander meat is considered a delicacy, and the animal is also used in Chinese traditional medicine).

The largest hare (rabbit)

The Flemish giant occupies a worthy position in the ranking of the largest animals in the world. This is an old breed of domesticated rabbit that was bred in the Flemish region. They began to be propagated in the 16th century near the Belgian city of Ghent.

Giant rabbit eats up its owners' budget

Such a mutant rabbit can weigh up to 13 kilograms and is as big as a large dog.

The largest bats in the world

Giant golden-crowned flying fox. For those who are afraid of mice, this is a real flying horror. Individuals grow up to 55 cm in length, the wingspan can reach 1.8 meters. Weight bat– about 1.5 kilograms.

It is worth noting that the simple large flying fox loses in mass and length, but wins in wingspan.

The largest rodent in the world

Capybara or guinea pig considered the largest rodent in the world. This miracle of nature lives in temperate or tropical parts of eastern South America and the Andes. Individuals live mainly near water.

Capybara - giant guinea pig

Adult capybaras grow up to 1.5 meters in length, up to a meter in height, and weigh about 105 kilograms. A huge guinea pig, by the way, easily gets along with people.

The largest bony fish in the world

Meeting one while swimming means getting shocked. Ocean sunfish have a bony rather than cartilaginous skeleton. The biggest bony fish resembles the head of a fish with a tail, where the main part is slightly smoothed from the side.

The oceanic specimen is 1.8 meters long, and from fin to fin, even more so, up to 2.5 meters. The fisherman's dream weight is 1000 kilograms. By the way, there were even more impressive specimens - up to 3.3 meters in length, weighing up to 2,300 kilograms.

The biggest snake

This is green anaconda. And therefore it takes pride of place with the TOP of the largest animals on the planet.

Maximum size, which was recorded, is 7.5 meters in length and 250 kilograms in weight. However, there are rumors about larger individuals.

The largest bird in the world

The largest bird in the world cannot fly. The ostrich is an inhabitant of the plains of Arabia and Africa. Male individuals grow up to 2.8 meters and weigh from 150 kilograms.

An egg laid by an ostrich is worth a lot. It weighs about 1.5 kilograms and is the largest egg in the world. By the way, ostriches run at a speed of about 100 kilometers per hour. And this fact makes it the fastest bird in the world and the fastest two-legged animal on the planet.

The largest living animal in the world

This is definitely a blue whale. He is marine mammals. The length of the individual reaches 30 meters, the weight of the monster is about 180 tons. And with such parameters, the blue whale can proudly bear the title of “the largest animal in the world” that has ever lived.

The mammal's tongue alone weighs about 2.7 tons. The size can be compared to the size of an average Indian elephant. The heart of a blue whale weighs about 600 kilograms. And it is the largest in the world. For comparison, the heart is comparable to a MiniCooper car in size and weight.

But animals can differ not only in physical size, but also in mental parameters. For example, among domestic animals, the smartest, no matter how surprising it may seem, are pigs.
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