Read on for pictures and more about ten of the biggest animals in the world.
Polar Bear
Polar bears are the largest species of bear and biggest carnivores on land. Males commonly weigh in around 1,300 pounds while females are typically smaller and weigh up to 650 pounds. Warming temperatures are shrinking the polar bear’s arctic habitat, and some scientists believe the bears could be extinct by the end of the century.
Dinosaurs
According to USGS, “The largest complete dinosaur we know of was Brachiosaurus; it reached 75 feet in length and 40 feet in height. The smallest dinosaurs were just slightly larger than a chicken; Compsognathus was 3 feet long and probably weighed about 6.5 pounds.” Regardless of size, though, barely any dinosaurs survived the mass extinction 65 million years ago.
Hippo
Common hippos, Hippopotamus amphibious, are the second heaviest land mammals on Earth. Hippos in Congo have been reduced to less than 900, and scientists think this population will be extinct by the end of the century.
Saber-Toothed Tiger
Fossil evidence indicates that the saber-toothed tiger (Smilodon californicus) , known for its 8-inch upper canine teeth, was somewhat shorter than a modern lion, but weighed more. This meat-eater was very common in California during the late Pleistocene epoch that ended about 11,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Whales
Whales are the largest animals on Earth. Some can be 100 feet long and weigh up to 150 tons. Yet many of them feed on tiny shrimp-like crustaceans called krill.
Manatee
The average adult manatee grows to be about 10-12 feet long and weighs about 1,000-1,800 pounds. Known as the “cows of the sea,” these endangered beasts hear 10 times better than humans underwater.
Sea Turtle
A sea turtle can grow to 200 pounds or more, but despite its size, many die from being choked by six-pack holders or from getting trapped in abandoned fishing nets.
Buffalo
Weighing in at 2,000 pounds, the American buffalo is the largest terrestrial animal in North America. Also known as the bison, millions of the animals roamed the plains until they were hunted to near extinction in the 19th century. Now conservation efforts have brought the population up to 350,000.
African Elephant
The African elephant is one of only four species of elephants still alive. African elephant generally weigh in around 16,000 pounds, and illegal poaching and habitat reduction has cut their population in half in the last 30 years.
Rhino
The heaviest white rhinoceros can weight as much as 5,000 pounds. Rhinos also suffer from habitat reduction, and poachers value the beast’s magnificent horn.
Follow Animals-Zone!