While there are some apparent solutions, some creatures are the largest of their kind, reaching incredible sizes that we never expect to see!
Whether you’re just curious or doing some college adventuring, today’s post will show you what animals we’re talking about.
Is your screen big enough? Because these are the largest animals in the world!
The World’s Largest Animals
These are the largest organisms of each type within the animal country.
The Largest Arthropod: The Japanese Spider Crab
Originally from parts of Japan, the Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is the largest arthropod found on this planet.
These marine crabs also hold the record for the largest leg span (almost 12.5 feet) among all marine arthropod species. They are called Taka-Ashi-Gani in Eastern, translated as tall-legged crab.
These omnivorous crabs are named for their resemblance to spiders, even though they have ten legs. Males are generally larger than females, weighing around forty-four kilos.
They can live up to a hundred years in the wild, making them the crab species with the longest life expectancy. However, due to their status as a delicacy in several Asian countries, the act of fishing for them is causing a decline in the number of these crabs.
The Largest Insect: The Titan Beetle
The titan beetle (Titanus giganteus), native to parts of the rainforests of South America, is the largest and heaviest insect seen on Earth.
However, these beetles have a brief lifespan of just a few weeks, during which they do not feed. Instead, they live off reserves stored in their bodies during their pupal stage.
Reaching a length of up to 6.5 inches, they are among the largest animals in the world belonging to the insect family.
These beetles are generally reddish-brown, with some areas darker than the rest of the body. They have powerful jaws capable of breaking a wooden pencil in half. They are nocturnal insects that prefer to lead an isolated life.
The Largest Dolphin: The Orca
Orcas or killer whales (Orcinus orca) are large marine predators seen in all oceans. However, unlike what their name suggests, they are not whales, but the largest species of dolphin in the world.
At first, sailors called them “whale killers” because they were seen looking for larger whales in business. The name was later changed. These dolphins feed on fish, seals, sharks, whales, and other marine life.
The largest recorded orca was about 32 feet long and weighed close to 22,000 pounds. However, their sizes can also vary. They are social creatures with an average lifespan of 29 to 50 years in the wild.
The Largest Cephalopod and Mollusk: The Giant Squid
Giant squids (Architeuthis dux) are the largest squids in the cephalopod family.
Considered one of the largest animals in the world, these marine animals can measure up to 59 feet long, including tentacles. However, the longest specimen examined was around 42 feet long. Their average weight is over 1,000 pounds.
Although they can be found in international oceans, they are most common around the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans.
They feed primarily on squid and smaller fish and use dark ink to defend themselves from predators. These sea creatures have the largest eyes of any animal species on Earth.
The giant squid is only slightly smaller than this species.
The Largest Amphibian: The Great Chinese Salamander
The Great Chinese Salamander (Andrias davidianus) is native to China, where it lives in large mountain streams and rivers.
As the largest amphibian species in the world, these salamanders can grow to a length of 5.9 feet. Their tails contain more than half of their total body length.
They are nocturnal animals. They eat fish, insects, crabs, worms, and small amphibians. Because of their poor eyesight, they rely on the vibrations of the water to catch their prey.
These hideous animals, once common in China, are on the verge of extinction due to hunting and habitat loss. The population decline is due to them being considered a delicacy in the country.
The Largest Rodent: The Capybara
Similar in appearance to a guinea pig, the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest rodent species found on Earth.
These massive animals can reach up to 51 inches in length and are usually around 20 inches tall. Size varies by gender, with females being relatively larger than males. They can reach a weight of 174 kilos.
Found in Central and South America, capybaras prefer to live in moist environments such as rivers, streams, swamps, and estuaries.
These social animals are usually located in groups of 10 to 40 individuals, or sometimes more. They are herbivorous animals that choose to feed on grasses and plants that grow in or near bodies of water.
The Largest Fish: The Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus, the impressive whale shark, features a grey body adorned with white spots and patterns. Growing up to forty-six feet in length, these light giants are the largest species of fish on the planet, after the blue whale, of course. They are comparable in length to some species of whale, hence their name.
These fish can be found in the warmer currents of the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. As they are clean feeders, their diet consists mainly of smaller fish, crustaceans, and plankton, which are found in abundance in the oceans.
In addition to being one of the largest animals in the world, whale sharks are also long-lived – they can live up to 150 years in the wild. However, their population is declining due to illegal fishing for their fins, meat, and oil.
The Largest Carnivore: The Polar Bear
One of the largest animals in the world, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is native to the Arctic Circle. These massive animals can stand around 9.8 feet tall and reach 1,300 pounds in weight, making them the largest carnivores roaming the Earth.
Polar bears are born toothless and blind, with a coat of short, white fur covering their bodies. They are marine mammals that spend much of their time hunting for seals, their favorite prey, in the cold Arctic waters.
In their natural habitat, their life expectancy ranges from 15 to 18 years at most. Sadly, these massive carnivores are currently an endangered species, with climate change contributing to their habitat loss.
The Largest Snake: Green Anaconda
The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), native to parts of South America, is the heaviest snake seen on the planet.
These snakes prefer to inhabit slow-moving streams and swamps, where they feed on a variety of mammals, fish, amphibians, and aquatic animals. The average length of these non-venomous snakes is about 20 feet and they can weigh up to 700 pounds. They are usually dark green with large black spots on their backs and smaller yellowish spots on their sides.
Their nostrils are located on the top of their heads, allowing them to breathe even when submerged underwater.
These snakes can live an average of ten years in the wild, although longer lives are not uncommon.
The Largest Lizard: The Komodo Dragon
Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis), one of the largest lizard species in the world, are found on just five rugged volcanic islands in Indonesia. These large lizards can grow to be 10 feet long and weigh about 600 pounds.
Outside of the breeding season, these animals prefer to lead a solitary life. Their diet consists of a wide variety of smaller animals and reptiles. They can even kill people. They hunt with the help of ambushing their prey and returning a venomous bite. Even if the prey escapes, the animal will surely die within a day due to blood poisoning.
Being born with a superior sense of smell, the Komodo dragon can easily spot the prey and finish the hunt.
The Largest Living Bird and the Largest Flightless Bird – The Ostrich
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world. These giant flightless birds can reach around nine feet in height and weigh close to 330 pounds. They are found in the wild and only in Africa, where they live in arid and semi-arid regions.
Besides being one of the largest animals in the world, they also lay the largest eggs, each of which reaches a length of around 6 inches. One of the most exciting facts about this herbivorous bird is that it has three stomachs.
Its legs are its best weapons – it can easily kill humans or any other animal with a single kick. In addition, the largest birds that live here are very fast: they can run at speeds of 45 miles per hour.
The Largest Reptile: The Saltwater Crocodile
The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is a lethal predator native to South Asia and Australia.
They are the largest reptiles in the world, with adult males growing up to 23 feet long and can weigh over 2,000 pounds.
These dangerous animals are opportunistic feeders that wait just below the surface of the water. They can feed on a variety of animals, including small and large mammals, birds, fish, and even humans.
Saltwater crocodiles were drastically hunted in the past, which almost brought them to the point of extinction. But, with the implementation of a proper conservation device, these large reptiles were able to obtain a low-risk status in the present.
The Largest Land Animal: The African Bush Elephant
African bush elephants, also called Loxodonta africana, have the name of being the largest animal species on Earth. They can grow to a length of 24 feet tall and reach a height of 13 feet, making them one of the largest animals in the world.
They are seen throughout the African continent, where they inhabit exceptional habitats. Both male and female animals of this elephant species have tusks.
Adult male African elephants are typically larger than females and can weigh up to 11 tons. To maintain their large size, they need to eat close to 350 pounds of food per day.
These larger land animals are herbivorous, so leaves, grass, bark, and other types of plants make up a large part of their diet. These animals typically have a life expectancy of seventy years in their natural habitat.
The Largest Mammal and Animal: The Blue Whale
The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest mammal in existence in the world.
These large marine animals can grow to around 30 meters and live primarily on small shrimp-like crustaceans called krill. These giant mammals can eat around 4 tons of krill per day.
Blue whales are blue-gray and can weigh a whopping two hundred tons, making them the heaviest animals ever known. They are found in all oceans of the world except the Arctic.
Despite their heavy bodies, they are good swimmers and can reach a top speed of 20 miles per hour when they want to. However, they generally prefer to cruise at a slow pace of five miles per hour.
They have a long lifespan, averaging around eighty to 90 years. However, the population of blue whales is currently declining, especially due to whaling.
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