Ever catch yourself wondering why some animals have such gigantic noses?
In the animal kingdom, noses come in every imaginable shape, but a few creatures really take things to the extreme.
Animals with big noses usually rely on these unique features for survival—whether that’s sniffing out food, sensing danger, or even impressing a potential mate.
Take the iconic elephant and its trunk, or the bizarre proboscis monkey, maybe the biggest-nosed primate out there.
Then you’ve got aardvarks and tapirs, both using their long snouts to forage through swamps and rainforests for their next meal.
These noses aren’t just for looks. They’re packed with sensitive tissues and muscles that help animals survive.
Some, like the elephantnose fish, use their snouts to feel their way through muddy African rivers, searching for food.
So, let’s check out some of the world’s most interesting big-nosed animals—and maybe figure out why evolution gave them such memorable faces.
1. Elephant
Elephants just might have the biggest nose of any animal. Their trunk can reach up to 7 feet and has over 40,000 muscles. That’s kind of mind-blowing, honestly.
This incredible nose does just about everything: grabbing food, slurping water, and even tossing dust for a quick bath.
Elephants pick up peanuts or logs with the same organ. The trunk acts as both nose and upper lip. It’s flexible and strong.
Elephants reach food, grab things, and even “talk” to each other with it.
Fun Trunk Facts:
- Can hold up to 2 gallons of water
- No bones inside
- Finger-like tips
- More sensitive than a human fingertip
They also use their trunks for social stuff. Baby elephants suck on their trunks for comfort—kind of like human babies with thumbs.
These brilliant animals depend on their trunks for nearly everything.
They breathe, smell, touch, grab, and even trumpet through this amazing organ.
2. Proboscis Monkey
The proboscis monkey stands out with the biggest nose of any primate.
The males, especially, sport a huge, floppy nose that’s impossible to miss.
Male proboscis monkeys use their pendulous noses to attract mates. The bigger the nose, the better their chances—nature’s own dating game.
Locals in Borneo call them “Dutch monkeys” because they think the monkeys look like Dutch colonists with big bellies and noses. Not exactly a compliment, but it stuck!
Where to find them:
- Only in the jungles of Borneo
- Swampy rainforests and coastal areas
- Mentawai Islands
Some males have noses so big they hang below their mouths. When they get excited, their noses swell and turn red.
Scientists think the nose might help amplify their calls, too.
Females have much smaller, pointier noses, and babies are born with blue faces and tiny snouts that grow as they age.
Proboscis monkeys mostly eat leaves, seeds, and unripe fruits.
Their stomachs are pretty complex, letting them digest tough plant stuff.
Unfortunately, these monkeys are endangered. Their Borneo rainforest homes are shrinking fast because of palm oil and logging.
3. Tapir
Tapirs really stand out with their odd noses. They’ve got a short trunk—technically a proboscis—that looks like a mini elephant trunk, though they’re not related.
This nose is prehensile, so tapirs can grab things with it. They use it to snatch leaves and fruit from trees and bushes, which is honestly pretty cool.
Even though they look a bit like pigs, they’re actually closer to horses and rhinos. Tapirs have hardly changed in millions of years.
Today, you’ll find four main tapir species:
- Malayan tapir
- Brazilian tapir
- Mountain tapir
- Baird’s tapir
The tapir’s broad nostrils give them a sharp sense of smell.
That helps them find food and stay alert for predators in the forest.
Tapirs are herbivores, munching on leaves, buds, fruit, and even aquatic plants.
Their noses help them sniff out the best snacks in the jungle.
Baby tapirs are extra adorable with reddish-brown coats and white stripes and spots—perfect for blending into dappled forest light.
4. Saiga Antelope
The saiga antelope looks like it wandered out of a sci-fi movie. Its nose is just wild—big, droopy, and totally unique.
That trunk-like nose hangs over the mouth and does some heavy lifting.
It warms up cold air in winter before it hits the lungs and filters out dust in the summer. Not bad for a snout.
Male saigas use their noses to make low calls that attract females during mating season. Who knew noses could be so romantic?
Both sexes have the big nose, but only males grow horns. Sadly, hunters target them for those horns, which are used in traditional medicine.
The saiga’s odd nose is a perfect example of nature’s creativity.
They evolved it to handle the tough grasslands of Central Asia.
Unfortunately, saiga antelopes are critically endangered. Their numbers have crashed because of hunting and habitat loss.
5. Aardvark
The aardvark is a one-of-a-kind African mammal with a super distinctive nose.
This nocturnal animal sports a long, pig-like snout that’s its main tool for survival.
Its nose is all about function. Aardvarks have a killer sense of smell, letting them track down ants and termites even when they’re buried deep underground.
This snout works as a foraging tool. Once they sniff out a termite mound, they dig it open with powerful claws and use a sticky tongue to lap up insects.
Fun Nose Facts:
- Can reach up to 12 inches
- Works with a sticky tongue to catch bugs
- Helps them navigate at night
- Protected by tough skin
Aardvarks are the only surviving members of their family and order.
Their name comes from Afrikaans, meaning “earth pig”—a nod to their snout and digging skills.
They kind of look like pigs because of their nose, but they’ve also got kangaroo-like tails and almost no hair.
It’s a weird combo, but you’d never mistake them for anything else.
6. Male Elephant Seal
The male elephant seal might just have one of the wildest noses out there.
That big, floppy thing hanging over his mouth? It’s called a proboscis, and when he’s relaxed, it kind of just droops down.
But this nose isn’t just some goofy decoration. When a male gets worked up or feels threatened, he can puff up his nose and let out these deep, thunderous roars to scare off the competition.
Why such a big nose?
- Shows sexual maturity
- Amplifies their roaring
- Makes them look tougher to other males
- Gets the attention of female elephant seals
Bigger nose, bigger reputation—at least in the world of elephant seals.
Scientists figure this giant nose signals maturity to both mates and rivals.
Full-grown males can hit 16 feet long and tip the scales at about 4,500 pounds.
Their huge heads are dominated by these bulbous noses that honestly do look a bit like an elephant’s trunk. No surprise that’s where they get their name.
Younger males don’t have much of a nose at all. The proboscis only starts growing as they mature, eventually becoming the badge of dominance they need for breeding season.
In elephant seal society, bigger is better. The largest males with the most ridiculous noses usually end up with the biggest harems during breeding time.
7. Long-Nosed Fruit Bat
The dagger-toothed long-nosed fruit bat is a small, oddball bat with a stretched-out snout.
These bats are lightweights—just 16-21 grams—and their wingspan is only about 15 centimeters.
That long nose? It’s not just for looks. The snout lets them dig deep into flowers and slurp up nectar, a bit like flying, furry vacuum cleaners for plants.
They’re part of the Phyllostomidae family, which includes all kinds of nectar-loving bats.
Some cousins, like the Mexican long-nosed bat, even sport a weird “noseleaf” at the end of their snout.
Physical Characteristics:
- Long, skinny snout
- Tiny body
- Specialized tongue for nectar
- Big eyes for seeing at night
At night, these bats zip from flower to flower, sucking up nectar and carrying pollen along for the ride.
They’re important pollinators—plants actually depend on them.
Some, like the eastern tube-nosed bat, take it to another level with nostrils that stick out like little tubes from their face.
You’ll mostly find these bats in tropical forests, where flowers and fruit are everywhere.
Sometimes they’ll snack on soft fruits or even insects, which helps spread seeds around too.
8. Narwhal
The narwhal, often called the unicorn of the sea, is famous for its so-called “nose.” But here’s the twist: it’s actually a tooth!
Male narwhals grow a single, spiral tusk that can get up to 10 feet long.
This thing is a stretched-out left canine tooth that pokes out through the upper lip. Occasionally, a narwhal grows two tusks, but that’s pretty rare.
These animals have a stocky body, blunt snout, and a big forehead (the “melon”). The real nose? Not so impressive next to that tusk.
Fun Tusk Facts:
- Millions of nerve endings inside
- Flexible—can bend up to a foot in any direction
- Might help sense water conditions
- People once sold them as unicorn horns for a fortune
Narwhals use their tusks for all sorts of things: breaking ice, showing off to females, checking water temperature, and sometimes sparring with other males.
These pale porpoises live in the Arctic, hunting fish, squid, and shrimp. They really do look like something out of a fantasy book—one of the ocean’s oddest sights.
Despite that fierce tusk, narwhals are shy. They avoid boats and prefer the cold, deep Arctic waters, usually hanging out in pods of 15-20.
9. Hammerhead Shark
Hammerhead sharks? You can’t mistake them. Their heads look like hammers—wide and flat, technically called cephalofoils.
That’s where the name comes from. But it’s not just for looks.
The wide gap between their nostrils helps these sharks sniff out prey fast—way faster than sharks with skinny, pointed noses.
That head shape comes with some perks:
- Wider field of vision (eyes at each end of the “hammer”)
- Supercharged sensory skills
- Better at finding prey
They’re part of the Sphyrnidae family, which covers several hammerhead species.
Some get huge—like the one in this video, which was almost 12 feet long and 800 pounds!
Scientists think the hammerhead’s wide nose helps them hunt.
They can sense electrical signals from hidden prey, almost like they’re using a built-in metal detector to find stingrays under the sand.
Artists even get inspired by these sharks, painting hammerheads with all sorts of odd nose shapes. Their faces really are one of a kind.
10. Bloodhound Dog
The Bloodhound is basically a nose on four legs—and that’s not an exaggeration.
They’ve got one of the strongest senses of smell in the animal world.
Bloodhounds have a huge nasal chamber compared to other dogs, which gives them their amazing tracking skills.
They usually weigh in at 80 to 110 pounds and stand about 23 to 27 inches tall. Big dogs, big noses.
Their legendary nose can follow trails that are days old. Courts have even used Bloodhound evidence in cases—how wild is that?
Their wrinkly faces and long, floppy ears aren’t just for show.
The skin and ears help sweep scent particles toward their nose.
Bloodhounds need lots of exercise and time to sniff. Owners should use sturdy leashes and take them on long, sniff-filled walks.
Fun tidbit: A Bloodhound can sniff out a single drop of blood in a gallon of water.
Their sense of smell is at least 1,000 times better than ours.
They’re gentle at heart, but their noses sometimes get them into trouble—they can’t resist following a scent, even if it means wandering off!
11. Proboscidean Relatives
Proboscideans are a wild bunch when it comes to noses. This order includes elephants and their extinct cousins like mammoths and mastodons.
“Proboscidea” comes from “proboscis,” which literally means “nose”.
These animals are all about the trunk—long, flexible, and super useful.
Only one proboscidean family is still around today—the Elephantidae family. But back in the day, there were all sorts of trunked giants.
Notable Proboscidean Relatives:
- Mammoths (woolly and columbian)
- Mastodons
- Gomphotheres
- Deinotheres
These ancient animals lived at different times, but most disappeared after the last ice age.
Gomphotheres stand out—they had shorter trunks and some even had four tusks instead of two!
Proboscideans all share a few things: they’re big, have pillar-like legs, and of course, that famous trunk.
The trunk lets them grab stuff, eat, drink, and even talk to each other.
The African elephant, a true modern proboscidean, is the biggest land animal alive.
Their trunks are like Swiss Army knives—grabbing, splashing, trumpeting, you name it.
12. Elephant Shrew
The elephant shrew is a fascinating little mammal with one feature you can’t miss—its long, trunk-like nose! Oddly enough, they’re not actually shrews.
The “elephant” part of their name comes from that distinctive nose, which looks a bit like a miniature elephant’s trunk.
This snout moves around a lot and is super sensitive, letting these animals poke, sniff, and check out their world.
They put their noses to work, sniffing out insects and other tiny snacks.
Their sense of smell is pretty remarkable and helps make up for other senses that might not be as sharp.
Native to Africa, elephant shrews are pretty rare—some estimates say there are only about 15,000 left in the wild.
Their scarcity and quirky look definitely catch the eye of wildlife fans.
But there’s more to them than just an adorable nose:
- Sharp vision: They spot predators from far away
- Excellent hearing: Handy for finding both dinner and danger
- Quick movements: They dart off at surprising speeds
The long nose isn’t just cute—it’s a survival tool. You’ll often see their snouts twitching and poking around as they explore.
Sometimes people call them “sengis.” These curious little mammals prove that big noses aren’t just for big animals—sometimes, they’re the best thing about the tiniest ones.
