Animals are in numerous sizes, shapes, and types. So, it is best to specify exactly how you define “largest” when digging into the most significant animals.
How do we get to know the biggest animals in the world?
First, there is no contradiction that some animals are giants compared to other animals in their class, whether you measure in weight, length, or height.
1. Blue Whale
The Blue Whale is the most significant animal in the whole world. It reaches a weight of about 180 tons and has a length of 30m.
Their tongues weigh as much as an elephant, and their hearts as much as an automobile. They survive by eating a diet full of rich plankton.
Thus, the Blue Whale is also called the baleen whale.
Quick Facts
Description | Largest marine animal, long torpedo-shaped body |
Diet | Tiny shrimp-like animal called krill |
Sexual Maturity | Ages 6 10 |
Range | All oceans except Arctic ocean |
Population | 10,000 to 25,000 |
Weight | 70,000 to 150,000kg |
Incubation | 10-12 months |
Habitat | Oceans |
Size | Female: 25m, Male: 24m |
Life Span | 80 to 90 years |
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Mammalia |
Order | Cetacea |
Family | Balaenopteridae |
Genus | Balaenoptera |
Scientific Name | Balsenoptera musculus |
More Awesome Facts About The Blue Whale
- The blue whale is the largest animal to have ever lived on earth.
- Despite being gigantic, the blue whale feeds on tiny shrimp-like animals called krill.
- An adult blue whale can take up to 36,000kg of krill daily.
- Blue whales are great swimmers.
- They catch their food by diving.
- Blue Whales have emotions.
- They are the loudest animals on earth.
- They quickly form attachments.
- Their females usually have one young.
- A baby blue whale is among the biggest animals in the world.
2. Colossal Squid
Squids are cephalopods that belong to the superorder Decapodiformes. They have elongated bodies, eight arms, two tentacles, and large eyes.
The colossal squid is a giant squid in Antarctica’s deep sea. The colossal squid not only has enormous eyes, more significant than the great whales’ eyes, but it is also the largest invertebrate on earth.
Quick Facts
Description | A large deep sea predator, two eyes, a beak, eight arms |
Diet | Small and large fishes |
Sexual Maturity | 3 years old |
Range | Antarctica to southern South America |
Population | Unknown |
Weight | 1100 pounds |
Incubation | 16 to 22 days |
Habitat | Antarctic waters |
Size | 46 feet |
Life Span | Two years |
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Mollusca |
Class | Cephalopada |
Order | Teuthida |
Family | Cranchiidae |
Genus | Architeuthis |
Scientific Name | Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni |
More Awesome Facts About The Colossal Squid
- This creature is difficult to catch, so little is discovered about it.
- Studying them in their natural habitat is hard because they live at depths of around 1000m.
- Their eyes are the largest in the animal kingdom.
- The largest documented squid was 45ft long.
- Their only known predator are sperm whales.
3. African Elephant
The African Elephant is the largest land animal. It can weigh about 7 tons and grow to 35ft from the trunk to the tail. However, they have a shoulder height of 4.2m.
The African Elephant has two species: The Savanna Elephant and The Forest Elephant.
Quick Facts
Description | Biggest land mammal, large ears, long trunk |
Diet | Herbivores that feed on grass |
Sexual Maturity | Male: 10 to 20 years, Females: 10 to 11 years |
Range | Sub-Saharan Africa |
Population | Unknown |
Weight | 7000 to 14000 lb |
Incubation | 22 to 24 months |
Habitat | Forest, amrshes |
Size | 10 to 13 feet at shoulder |
Life Span | 70 years |
Scientific Classfification
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Mammalia |
Order | Proboscidae |
Family | Elephantidae |
Genus | Loxodonta africana |
Scientific Name | Loxondonta |
More Amazing Facts About the African Elephant
- African Elephants can make numerous sounds like grunting, trumpeting, and whistling.
- They live in a highly developed and organized social structure called the matriarchal herd.
- The most known feature of elephants is their trunk.
- Female elephants live beyond their reproductive years.
- They have the longest pregnancy at 22 months.
4. Giraffe
The giraffe is the tallest living animal on earth, with a height of 19ft. The neck of the giraffe alone is 6ft.
Giraffes feed primarily on vegetation far above the ground, using their long tongues to pull leaves off the trees.
The babies are born after a gestation period of 15 months and are already 2m tall.
Quick Facts
Description | Tallest mammals, with their towering legs and long necks |
Diet | Leaves and buds on trees |
Sexual Maturity | 12 to 14 months |
Range | In Chad |
Population | 117,000 |
Weight | 800kg |
Incubation | 15 months |
Habitat | Grasslands in East Africa |
Size | 4.2 m |
Life Span | 26 years |
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Mammalia |
Order | Artiodactyla |
Family | Giraffidae |
Genus | Giraffa |
Scientific Name | Giraffa camelopardalis |
More Amazing Facts About Giraffe
- Giraffes have 32 teeth.
- Their tongues are dark blue.
- They give birth after 400 to 600 days of mating.
- They sleep for only four hours a day.
5. Brown Bear
Brown bears and Polar bears share the position of the largest living carnivore on land.
They weigh about 907kg and reach up to 10ft when standing on their hind legs. It has made them earn their spot as the biggest.
You can find brown bears in North America, Asia, and Europe, but you can see polar bears in the Arctic Circle.
Quick Facts
Description | Slight slump above its shoulder, round ears, curved claws |
Diet | Plants, fish, berries, small mammals |
Sexual Maturity | 3.5 to 7 years |
Range | Yukon and Northwest territories |
Population | 200,000 |
Weight | 80 to 600kg |
Incubation | 180 to 270 days |
Habitat | Ice fields, forests |
Size | 2.8m |
Life Span | 20 to 30 years |
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Mammalia |
Order | Carnivora |
Family | Ursidae |
Genus | Ursus |
Scientific Name | Ursus arctors |
More Amazing Facts About Brown Bear
- They are intelligent animals.
- They care so much about family.
- Some species of bears build nests in the trees.
- They have a great sense of sight, smell, and hearing.
- They cry when separated from their mothers.
6. Whale Shark
Underwater, the whale shark is the largest living fish. It is 12m long and weighs up to 22 tons. Even though they are massive, they mostly feed on tiny plankton.
They are present in tropical areas and are vulnerable.
Quick Facts
Description | World’s largest fish, broad head, large mouth, large gill slits. |
Diet | zooplanktons like shrimps. |
Sexual Maturity | 25 to 30 years |
Range | Deep and shallow coastal waters |
Population | 119,000 to 238,000 |
Weight | 19,000kg |
Incubation | —– |
Habitat | Australia |
Size | 5.5 to 10m |
Life Span | 100 years |
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Mollusca |
Class | Chondrichthyes |
Order | Orectolobiformes |
Family | Rhincodontidae |
Genus | Rhincodon |
Scientific Name | Rhincodon typus |
More Amazing Facts About The Whale Shark
- The whale shark is a filter feeder. It expands its large jaws and filters everything it comes across to digest tiny creatures.
- The baby shark’s lifecycle has not been discovered.
- They inhabit the warm waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
7. Saltwater Crocodile
The Saltwater Crocodile is the largest reptile on earth. It has an average length of 17ft, but sometimes it can reach 21ft. Their weight is up to 453kg.
They are evenly distributed in salt and brackish waters in Australia, India, and Asia. They feed on every animal they can get their teeth on.
Quick Facts
Description | Largest reptile, pale yellow, black stripes |
Diet | Meat |
Sexual Maturity | Female: 10 to 12 years, Male: 16 years |
Range | Northern Australia, Eastern India, Southeast Asia |
Population | More than 200,000 |
Weight | Male: 1,000kg; Female: 76-100kg |
Incubation | 80 days |
Habitat | Fresh water rivers |
Size | Male: 4.3 – 5.2m; Female: 2.3 – 3.5m |
Life Span | 70 years |
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Reptilia |
Order | Crocodilia |
Family | Crocodylidae |
Genus | Crocodylus |
Scientific Name | Crocodylus acutus |
More Amazing Facts About The Saltwater Crocodile
- Saltwater crocodiles were nearly hunted to extinction in the mid-1960s.
- They raise their young ones in fresh waters.
- Their egg takes about 90 days to develop.
- Saltwater crocodiles can also live in brackish waters and swamps.
8. Ostrich
The ostrich is the most prominent and largest living bird in the world. It has a height of 2.7m and a weight of 156kg.
Also, they do not have teeth. The ostrich can survive for days without drinking water because they can make their water internally and get the rest from the vegetation they consume.
Quick Facts
Description | Largest bird, long legs, long neck, dangerous long beak |
Diet | Plants, roots, lizard, insect |
Sexual Maturity | 4 to 5 years |
Range | In the wild in Africa |
Population | 150,000 |
Weight | 63 to 140kg |
Incubation | 44 days |
Habitat | Savannah, Sahel |
Size | 9ft |
Life Span | 45 years |
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Aves |
Order | Sthruthioniformes |
Family | Sthruthionidae |
Genus | Sthruthio |
Scientific Name | Sthruthio camelus |
More Awesome Facts About The Ostrich
- They have three stomachs.
- Ostriches can go without drinking water for days.
- The largest bird in the world is the flightless ostrich.
- Their eggs are the largest among the living birds.
9. Chinese Salamander
The Chinese Salamander is the largest amphibian in the world. It weighs about 30kg, but sometimes it can reach up to 60kg, also growing to 6ft.
They are called living fossils but are endangered and scarce in the wild despite their fascinating nature.
Quick Facts
Description | Largest amphibian, thick body, four stubby limbs, blunt head, tiny eyes |
Diet | Fish, frogs |
Sexual Maturity | 5 to 6 years |
Range | Forested regions, 100 to 1500m |
Population | 50,000 |
Weight | 25 to 30kg |
Incubation | 40 to 60 days |
Habitat | Mountain rivers, large streams |
Size | 1.2m |
Life Span | 50 years |
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Amphibia |
Order | Urodela |
Family | Cryptobranchidae |
Genus | Andrias |
Scientific Name | Andrias davidianus |
More Amazing Facts About The Chinese Salamander
- The Chinese Salamander has poor eyesight.
- They don’t have gills but spend their entire lives underwater.
- The females lay between 300 to 400 eggs during breeding.
10. Goliath Beetle
The Goliath Beetle is ranked the heaviest insect in the world. It has a length of 4.5 inches. Its habitat is in the African tropical forests, and they are usually brown, white, or black.
Quick Facts
Description | Heaviest beetle in the world, sharp claws, six legs, two set of wings |
Diet | Fruit and tree sap |
Sexual Maturity | —- |
Range | West Africa, 80 to 115mm |
Population | —- |
Weight | 60 to 110mm |
Incubation | 12 to 14 days |
Habitat | Warm climates and dense rain forest |
Size | 1.2m |
Life Span | Three months |
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Arthropoda |
Class | Insecta |
Order | Coleoptera |
Family | Scarabaeidae |
Genus | Goliathus |
Scientific Name | Goliathus |
More Awesome Facts About The Goliath Beetle
- They got their name from the Bible’s Goliath.
- Goliath Beetles enjoy food high in sugar.
- Their males have Y-shaped horns on their heads.