Animals That Could Be the Largest of Their Respective Species

Last updated: Jan 13, 2023

From big pets to large wild animals, it’s always fascinating to see just how large different animal species can get. Perhaps you have a giant, fluffy critter of your own at home. Or perhaps you’re curious to learn more about the sheer size of other large species in comparison to human beings.

Let’s take a look at how some of the largest animals out there compare in size. You may be surprised to learn just how massive certain animal species can become.

Werewolves are Real and They Make Great Pets

It would appear that the werewolf isn’t a myth, but a reality. Sure, this guy isn’t running around on two legs and attacking anyone, but it’s hard to believe that this isn’t the creature of legend. Between his size, wolf-like features, and gray and brown fur, he could be out of a horror movie.

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Source: Reddit

Luckily, he’s a friendly werewolf, or more accurately part dog part wolf, who loves its owner. A hybrid animal, this blend of husky, German Shepherd, and wolf got a second chance at life upon being adopted from a shelter

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The Belgian Draft Horse Towers Over Its Peers

A lot of people think about the iconic Clydesdale as the world’s largest horse, but the Belgian Draft is comparable at 17 hands apiece. For its part, the Belgian Draft also the record holder for the tallest and largest individual horses in the world.

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Source: Free Range American

Belgian Draft Horses are so big that you would be surprised if you were told they weren’t a horse at all, but their own species altogether. As it stands, though, they’re just one of the best work horses in the world.

Blending In With Other Normal Sized Cows

A cow’s spots are generally used to confuse the horseflies from landing on them, but as a standard form of camouflage from predators, they’re not the best. They really don’t help you hide, however, when you’re not only one with spots but by far the largest of your peers in the area.

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Source: ABC

Is it any wonder that all the other cows seem to clear a path for our spotted friend? Of course not. They’re smart enough to avoid being trampled.

This Has to be Papa Bear

When Goldilocks goes into the Three Bear’s home, she runs into issues with everything of Papa Bear’s. His food is too hot, and his bed is too hard. She can’t make any use out of any of these things, but at least there is an explanation for why Papa Bear needed everything to be so extreme. He’s extremely large.

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Of course, it’s almost hard to believe that this bear is even real, it’s so big. The only reasonable option is that this bear chased Goldilocks out of his home.

Fat And Playful Elephant Seals

Elephant seals are some of the chubbiest ocean animals. All that fat is intended to keep them warm while they swim through freezing water. In Japan’s Enoshima Aquarium, visitors used to routinely fall under the spell of Minazo, the elephant seal.

Source: Reddit

The massive seal loved playing with his trainers and impressing guests at the zoo. Unfortunately, he is no longer with the zoo as he died of natural causes. Curious about Japan’s largest seal? You can still watch videos of him online.

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Where is the Line Between Pet Cat and Killer Cat?

Anyone who has spent any amount of time around a pet cat knows that the only reason they don’t kill everyone in their path is the difference in size between you and them. So, when a cat grows to be absolutely enormous, there has to be a fair bit of trust between you and them.

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Source: heart radio

Simply put, this isn’t a house cat. It’s a big cat that could be thought of as closer to a lynx or bobcat than any pet.

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Enjoy Swimming With Sunfish

If you’ve ever seen sunfish as babies, you would be surprised to learn that they can grow to around 2,200 pounds. The photo below illustrates the incredible transformation of this sea creature.

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From being so tiny you can barely see them, these creatures expand to a truly monumental size. The sunfish is one of the largest fish species on the planet. They may look intimidating, but these gentle giants are not aggressive. You can safely enjoy snorkeling with these swimming buddies – just don’t forget to take a selfie!

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Not a Frog, But a Monster Toad

Do toads like to hang out on the couch the same way a dog does, or find a spot of lap the way cats do? Well, this one does at least, and he’s about the size of a dog anyway. This is a full-blown toad, different from a frog in a few key ways, most notably the sturdy center of weight that they bring.

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Source: New Scientist

But, hey, at least he looks angry when he holds your hand. Right? That doesn’t sound like a good thing to be completely honest.

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Every Dog is a Lap Dog

Everyone knows that dogs don’t have a sense of personal space, especially when they want to spend time with their human. So, it doesn’t matter if they’re a big breed or a small breed, dogs will jump up and sit on your lap if you let them.

Source: Youtube

It’s just that some dogs are big, even for their large breed. The average German Shepherd might be over 24 inches tall and 80lbs in weight, but plenty grow bigger. Those bigger ones still want to sit on your lap, potentially crushing you.

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The Ardennes Horses Have Massive Size and History

Also known as the Ardennais Horse, the Ardennes Horse is one of the oldest breeds of workhorses that exists in the world today. Their history dates all the way back to the time of Ancient Rome, and as their name implies, they’re from the Ardennes region of France, Belgium, and Luxemburg.

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Their impressive size and strength, reaching sixteen hands tall, has made them impressive workers throughout their history. Today, they’re primarily used on farms, though they were once commonly used to carry artillery in wartimes.

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This Is How You Know It's Time to Move

Finding a reason to move can sometimes be difficult, even if you are looking for one. However, the second you have a dragon climbing into your home it has to be time to move out and leave whatever is inside behind.

Source: Wikipedia

In defense of this monitor lizard, what is it supposed to do? Not climb the fence when you left foot holds right there for it? Hopefully, the lizard enjoys the house. It’s his now, and nothing is going to change that.

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Held Like A Baby

Salamanders are creatures typically found in creeks, brooks, and wetlands. They come in bright colors like green and red, and most of them are small enough to fit in a human’s hand. The Chinese salamander this man is carrying is the biggest on the planet.

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Source: Salamander

This slimy critter emanates a pepper-like smell and makes screeching cries like a kid. They are critically endangered, so it’s essential for them to be protected. This could be the reason why this giant salamander likes to be cuddled like a baby!

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Forget Texas-Everything is Bigger in Australia

Native to Australia, the wombat is a marsupial, which puts it in a different category than rodents, but in the same grouping as a kangaroo. Normally, wombats live around 15 years and reach between 50 and 70lbs.

Source: Imgur

This guy broke all of those wombat rules, living to be 32 years old. He was also much larger than any other wombat that you were likely to find, reaching 88lbs. His name was Patrick, and unfortunately, he passed away in 2017.

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A Queen Ant

Say hello to this queen leafcutter ant, which was seen outside of her colony and close to a few of the male worker ants. A lot of people don’t understand the tremendous contrast in sizes between the female queen ants and the ordinary male ants.

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Source: Wagner

This queen ant may appear mutated to some, but she is perfectly normal. For reasons unknown, she has chosen to join the male ants outside of the anthill. If you see a queen ant, don’t panic. She may be massive, but her bite isn’t poisonous.

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Is This The Biggest Manta Ray Ever Caught?

Manta rays are arguably pretty ocean animals that cruise along the sandy reefs under the water. In the past, people didn’t comprehend the need to safeguard the ocean and save its animals. The huge manta ray in the image was reportedly caught and measured by the captain in the picture. Is it real, though? 

Source: Snopes

The story goes that Captain A.L. Khan did in fact catch a large manta ray in 1933 in New Jersey. It was said to weigh around 5,000 pounds and measure 20 feet in width. As for the photo above, this is a taxidermy version of the catch.

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Alright, Go Put on Your Baby Costume

Sometimes you just can’t be separated from your pets. They really are like little babies, aren’t they? So, when you can’t leave them at home, have them put on their human costume and come with you to the store.

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If they’ve outgrown their human costume, well that’s fine too. A backpack and carrier are more than enough. So, don’t ever spend a moment without your pets, even if it means carrying them with you wherever you need to go.

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The Prophecy of a Fat Orange Cat

It happens. There are times when you just have to stand in awe of a prophecy that has come true. What is that prophecy? Well, that’s up for a bit of debate. Some say that a fat orange cat will struggle to reach the roof, but once it does there will be an immediate need to help him off.

Meanwhile, others argue that it isn’t a large cat, but a small tiger that you need to be concerned about. Either way, it’s funny to wonder how that cat ended up on the roof.

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Remember to Sheer Your Sheep

Sheep, as a species, are completely domesticated. This means that they truly rely on humans for everything. Sheering is one of the most important things that they do for sheep. Without being sheered, sheep can overheat and die. Their wool can also get dirty and tends to have maggots live in it if it gets too long.

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So, don’t let a sheep’s wool get this long. Sheer it, because that’s what’s best for them. Besides, it doesn’t hurt them any worse than getting a haircut hurts a human.

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Now, That's a Lot of Escargots

Ok, so no one is going to be eating one of these snails, but that’s probably just because they think it’s going to burst out of someone’s chest. It’s simply unimaginable to see one of these snails sliding past you because they’re just so out of the ordinary for what people normally expect when they think of a snail.

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The reason these snails grow to be so big is that they never stop growing the way that mammals do once they reach maturity.

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Someone Take the Bench Press Away From The Tiger's Den

Tigers are incredibly strong animals. That’s not news. In the same breath, this tiger is ridiculously strong, and when standing on his hind legs, he’s incredibly tall too.

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Let this tiger serve as a reminder to the sheer size of this wild cat compared to a human. Same tree, big difference. Tigers may remind you of your cute and cuddly house cat, but they are strong, fierce, and large animals who don’t mess around.

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A Bold Trick-or-Treating Squirrel

Why is it that only people get to have fun on Halloween? This squirrel can’t give you a great answer why, so she decided to go trick-or-treating herself. She did so by overeating and going through all of this house’s jack o lanterns. After all, it was pumpkin spice season.

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The truth is this is a shockingly bold move, but it’s not surprising given the bold nature of squirrels. Leave foot on the porch, and they’ll probably go ahead and eat them.

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A Good Boy Who Doubles as a Horse

Dogs are incredible for the wide variety of colors, personalities, and of course sizes that different dog breeds come in. Bullmastiffs are among the largest of those dog breeds, standing at two and a half feet tall and up to 130lbs.

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Yes, Bullmastiffs are massive dogs, but they’re also a gentle giant. Incredibly kind, loyal, and loving, it’s well worth putting up with a bit of drool to have one of these dogs in your family. Just beware of them breaking the scale.

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Watch Out For The Wandering Coconut Crab

Yes, this sized crab actually exists and is definitely nightmare-inducing. Coconut crabs are the largest crabs and largest terrestrial arthropods on earth. While they would be frightening to stumble upon attached to your garbage bin or inside your bathroom, these creatures are relatively harmless.

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Coconut crabs are omnivores and thus mainly eat things like coconuts, fruits, and nuts. However, they also eat organic objects like tortoise hatchlings. These giant crabs are mainly found on islands around the Indian Ocean.

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Cats Can Be Cozy Too

Cats come in a wide range of sizes, but it’s safe to say that this cat’s size is a bit shocking. That doesn’t seem to bother the cat though, who is smiling, eyes closed, in its comfy sweater. That’s the good life that we all strive for, which this cat is living.

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So, yeah. Mr. Whiskers is on the huskier side, but that doesn’t bother them. They’re just as cozy as ever, enjoying life to the fullest at all times.

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This Croc Enjoys Showing Off

The wilderness of Australia will not disappoint people who are looking for thrilling adventures. You can expect to see crocodiles if you head up north. These powerful creatures appear prehistoric, and they have all the power and might of their dinosaur buddies.

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The crocodile in this photo is popular because he was spotted fighting with a shark, which ended up taking one of his limbs. He survived the wild battle and now shows off for island guests. If you look closely, you can see that the croc’s right arm is missing.

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This Bear Has Found Plenty of Food for Winter

Apparently, this bear has had no issue finding food to hoard for winter. Swelling to a massive size, you’d be forgiven for thinking this bear played for Chicago’s defensive line in the 1980s. Alas, this is just a regular, everyday bear preparing for winter.

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It really just goes to show how much fat bears add to their bodies before they hibernate because this bear looks like it would struggle to waddle from place to place, let alone hunt or gather food.

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Forcing Humans to Jump the Ship

These sea lions appear to have taken over this boat as if it were an iceberg to sunbathe on. They’re truly fantastic in their size, but also their intelligence. Undoubtedly there was chum or some kind of fish on board that intended to go fishing with. It’s those beautiful sea lions’ now.

The next key question you have to ask yourself is this, “Where is the boat’s owners?” It’s a trick question because that boat is owned by sea lions now.

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Horns Way Up, Until They Curl Back Down

Animals have horns for a ton of different reasons. There are times when they’re used as a weapon or tool. Sometimes, they’re used to attract a mate. Horns also look incredibly heavy, but oftentimes that’s not the case, as honeycomb and hallow horns are common.

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Unfortunately, poaching and overhunting of horned animals are incredibly common. They’re seen as a trophy, with the larger the horns being more impressive to collectors. It’s a cruel act that has led to the endangering and even the extinction of species around the globe.

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The Cat and the Pauper

What is it about cats and a feeling of superiority? This cat, with its fur fluffed out to look like it’s wearing a ruff, thinks that it’s the queen of the universe. And, you know what? No one is going to argue with this cat about that either.

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Would this cat lose its sense of superiority if it lost its monarch-styled haircut? Absolutely not. That’s just not how cats, regardless of this one or any other, think. They’re always in charge.

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It Turns Out Pigs Can Be an Issue Everywhere

This isn’t the fun loving Pumba that we all know and love. This is a goliath of a warthog who is about to break into the trash for food. This is a pig who doesn’t skip leg day at the gym, or arms, chest, and back day for that matter.

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Is trash all that nutritional that it leads to this type of strength, or did this warthog just end up on the lucky end of the genetic pool?

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Don't Worry Fred, Diets Don't Work for Any of Us

Outside the odd Simpsons mobster named “Fat Tony,” it’s hard not to feel bad for anyone who gets known as fat for a nickname. After all, Fat Fred is at least trying to diet. Why do we have to bring up his weight all the time?

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Luckily, Fat Fred is a good cat who enjoys the little things in life, like getting scratched and hanging out in a lawn chair. Besides, it’s not like diets work for anyone else, anyway.

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Little Big-Sis of a Malamute

Just take a quick look at his paws, and you’ll know whether a puppy is going to be a big or small dog. In the case of this puppy, he might be dealing with his big sister standing over him for now, but that won’t be the case for very long.

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That’s because this puppy with large paws is a Malamute. Malamutes are a sled dog that predates the modern classification of dog breeds while reaching about two feet tall and 90lbs. If you count fluff, they’re even bigger.

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Someone Let This Dog (Not a Hedgehog) Inside

You’d be forgiven for thinking this is a photo of a massive hedgehog. After all, between the color of its fur and the shape that it’s holding itself in, it is almost indistinguishable from a hedgehog. However, that is a dog in the snow that has tucked itself into a ball to stay warm.

Someone needs to let this dog inside because it’s desperate to stay warm and that isn’t happening in the snow. Bring the dog inside, and it and its human can get cozy.

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The Bats That Only Eat Fruit

While bats are really astounding animals, fruit bats may very well be the coolest. Aside from being big, these bats have remarkably human-like bodies, which makes them a little eerie to look at. As their name suggests, they prefer to eat fruit.

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These bats are mostly vegans, preferring sweet and juicy fruit over anything else. You must still be cautious around these cool creatures, though. They can convey infectious diseases like Lyssavirus that can lead to encephalitis and other problems for humans.

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This Giant Anaconda At A Construction Site

Allegedly, Brazilian construction workers came across this anaconda while in the process of building a dam. In February of 2016, the construction team was setting off explosives to make room for the Belo Monte Dam when they uncovered this 33-foot snake, weighing 880 pounds!

Alexandre Flores/ YouTube

Alexandre Flores uploaded a video of the discovery on YouTube which later went viral. The video shows the remarkable anaconda chained to a crane then lifted away. It then goes on to show a close-up video of just how long the snake was. We certainly wouldn’t want to be anywhere near this giant thing!

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The Easter Bunny Can Sit On Your Lap Too

When the Easter Bunny comes to the mall, typically children sit on his lap, but there Easter Bunny can also sit on your child’s lap. Ok, sure that’s actually a guy in the suit, but when Peter Rabbit plumps up to this massive size you can’t expect him to be hopping so fast.

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Truly, this is the only rabbit that most people would ever pick against in a race against a tortoise. Well, this rabbit probably goes slow and steady, so maybe everything will be alright.

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Another Day, Another Monster Bear

Let’s be honest, there can’t be a more perfectly designed land animal in the world than this particular bear. He looks like he could put up elite NFL combine numbers on the bench press. Hopefully, he doesn’t have an NFL caliber vertical leap too because he’d be right out of the enclosure if he were able to.

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It’s easy to wonder about how animals in captivity spend their time. Apparently, the answer is that they just work out all day.

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The Real Jaws?

Now, this image gives us reason to fear the water. This shark looks like he’s straight out of the movie Jaws, and we’re a bit nervous about what will happen next. Great White Sharks are the most aggressive sharks in the world. However, you are 47 times more likely to get stuck by lightning than attacked by a shark.

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Great White Sharks like the one shown here are on average 15 to 20 feet in size and can weigh 2.5 tons or more. That’s the equivalent of 5,000 pounds! They are without a doubt massive underwater creatures you don’t want to mess with.

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Now, That's a Battering Ram

Battering rams are a tool that have been around for centuries to open up locked doors that someone otherwise doesn’t want opened. It was part of siege warfare at one point and is often a tactic in executing search warrants today.

This ram seems like it is a better-designed battering ram than any that has ever existed. It’s thick and short, making it easy to carry. Its horns are a weapon not to be messed with. I just wouldn’t be the one to try and pick up this ram.

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Giant Alligator Spotted in Florida

Florida of course is known for its gator and crocodile population as its marshy, swamp-like regions are the perfect location for these creatures. Here we see an image of a gator around 12 to 15 feet long spotted at the Circle B Bar Reserve in Polk County. This massive gator has been given a variety of different nicknames from “Mr. Humpback” to “Godzilla.”

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Mary Wells Frates (Facebook)

While such a sighting is wild to see, it also is imperative to stay at a safe distance from alligators to avoid any incident. The people seen in the back of this photo appear to be incredibly shocked by the massive creature they happened to stumble upon on their walk, and we can’t blame them.

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Don't Mess With This Dad

As a breed, the Pitbull has struggled due to a negative reputation as a violent dog. That isn’t entirely fair, as a properly trained Pitbull is one of the best family pets that you can have. It’s just that they’re so strong and commonly improperly trained that many people shy away from them.

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It doesn’t help with how intimidating this Pitbull is with his pups, as he shows off his muscles. However, that doesn’t make him a bad pet, just a big and strong one.

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A Happy Hippopotamus

By now, you’ve probably heard that the deadliest animal in Africa is the hippopotamus. Though lions certainly seem scarier, hippos are powerful creatures. They love to float around, and luckily humans aren’t on their menu. However, if they sense an impending threat, they will attack.

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The jaws of a hippo can smash and grind almost anything. There are reports of these creatures attacking people and killing them. The kid in the photo seems unphased by the giant hippo behind him. Thank goodness for the glass!

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Dwarfed By A Giant Whale

We’re sure there are many huge mammals out there, but nothing on earth is larger than the blue whale. These stunning ocean animals can weigh up to 200 tons and be up to 100 feet in length. Wow!

The number of blue whales today is sadly dwindling, and they are extremely uncommon as whalers have historically targeted them whenever they get the chance. This skull of a blue whale shows just how massive the ocean mammals are. This is only the skull! The man looks minuscule, right?

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Big Bird of Long Ago

This big bird is the largest flying bird that we know about to have existed in the world, existing some 6 million years ago.

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It was a giant vulture whose wingspan was 7.5 meters. It’s fossil was discovered in 1979 outside of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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A Master in the Art of Begging

You don’t get to be a hefty dog if you haven’t mastered the art of begging, while living in a home that rewards it. This is a dog who has clearly taken advantage of every opportunity to earn extra treats a bits of table scraps.

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Just look at how this dog lays down by the feet of someone at the table, the looks up and smiles. This isn’t an obnoxious beg, but a subtler and cute one only broken up to give the camera a smile. Perfect form.

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Moose-Inspired Traffic Jams

While people in Canada are used to seeing big moose, we couldn’t help but wonder what it feels like to encounter one up close. These lovely creatures are the biggest of the deer family and are easily identified by their size and their horns.

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Given their size, it’s easy to assume that moose could be hostile, but in reality, they truly aren’t. When driving on Canadian highways, be cautious as moose will quite often stroll across highways and stop traffic, which can cause mishaps.

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Is This a House Cat or Jaguar?

What goes through the average cat’s head? They’re likely thinking about where they’ll get their next meal or find a bit of sunlight to sleep in. Now, what really goes through this cat’s head? Does this cat have the same thoughts, or is it thinking about what’s on TV because that’s actually a human in a cat costume?

It’s tough to say, but it’s also safe to say that hopefully, this cat has never had a cruel thought in its life because it’s basically a jaguar.

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This Could Be You After Enough Soda

Coca-Cola is known for its iconic ads, especially its ads around the holidays that showcase polar bears. As it turns out, with enough snow, time, desire, and capability you too can have your own Coca-Cola polar bear. If you really love the soda, you can even have a massive snow bear in place of your front yard.

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Just be careful not to have too much soda, or you’ll balloon up like this snow polar bear and need to find a new diet to try out.

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Intimidating Talons

Known as one of the largest flying predators on earth, bald eagles are characterized by their white and brown feathered bodies. Their claws are notably huge, and the birds use them to get a handle on the prey they chase from their vantage point in the sky.

Each claw is around two inches long, and the taloned feet are much like those of a dinosaur. If birds evolved from dinosaurs, then eagles are our closest links to Velociraptors and the T-rex. We hope the person holding this eagle’s talons is safe and sound.

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How Big Can a Single Cell Organism Be?

Bubble algae is the largest single-celled organism. What that means is that this is an organism only comprised of one cell, as compared to multi-celled organisms like humans. Naturally, this means that single-celled organisms are typically microscopic, like cells. However, the bubble algae is anything but tiny.

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Bubble algae, which has a scientific name of Valonia ventricose, can fit comfortably in the palm of your hand, like a clementine or tennis ball. Bubble algae comes from the ocean, and there might be larger ones in the depths of the sea, but for now this is the largest single-celled organism that we know.

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Gentle Giants

There are a ton of giant dog breeds, such as Irish Wolfhounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and Wolfhounds. However, Great Danes are one of the largest. These giant creatures are gentle and lazy. They would rather relax on the sofa instead of taking a walk. Relatable, right?

Sadly, the larger a canine is, the shorter its lifespan tends to be. Most Great Danes only make it to around eight years of age. After this, their hearts generally can’t support the size of their body any longer.

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That's More Than Enough Time Outdoors

Whether you refer to them as a mountain lion, cougar, or even a catamount, the last thing that you want is to find yourself near is one of these beautiful creatures. Now, they are gorgeous, and you could see finding one in the wild as a rare treat, but let’s be real they’re extremely large and terrifying.

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So, once you do run into a mountain lion, take a breath and don’t panic. Do head home for the day, though. You’ve had a long enough hike.

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The King Of The Jungle

Lions deserve their “king of the jungle” title. Many animals have tried, but only a few can successfully defend themselves against these huge cats. Their biggest threats are hyenas, but only when they’re in a large enough pack. 

Some people attempt to train these wild creatures, but most fail in doing so. The truth is that lions are born to be wild and wandering around the grasslands of Africa. People like Joe Exotic may be funny and charismatic, but keeping majestic animals in small cages is cruel.

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Spot The (Giant) Difference

Emus are like ostriches in that they can’t fly. Their wings just couldn’t support their massive bodies. Another side-effect of their enormous size is that they produce enormous eggs. Ostrich eggs are even larger than these green emu ones.

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As seen in the photo, a typical chicken egg is tiny by comparison. Are you planning to make an omelet or bake a cake? You may want to consider emu eggs in your ingredients. We don’t know whether they taste like chicken eggs, though.

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Giant Grasshoppers

Regular grasshoppers can be seen all over the world. However, in Costa Rica, you can find an exceptionally unique species. The special grasshoppers there can grow more than six inches in length, and they love exploring people’s homes! As you can see from the picture, these beasts can get larger than a human hand.

Of course, it’s best to avoid placing your hand over one of these spiky creatures. They’re not all that keen on being picked up, and you don’t want a thorny experience with their spiky backs.

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Biggest Butterfly

The Queen Alexandra’s birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) wins first place for largest living butterfly! This beautiful butterflies wingspan is almost 1 foot across. Alexandrae however, is rare. You can find them in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea — and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists these beautiful butterflies as endangered.

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Females of the species are brown and have the previously mentioned wingspan of 11 to 12 inches, while the males are yellow, green, black and blue are slightly smaller, with wingspans of 6.7 to 7.4 inches.

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The Giant Clam

Looking like it’s straight out of Bikini Bottom is this larger than life sea species. Reaching lengths of up to 4 feet and weighing in at more than 500 lbs the largest living bivalve mollusk is the giant clam.

The giant clams are the members of the clam genus Tridacna that are the largest living bivalve mollusks. There are actually several species of “giant clams” in the genus Tridacna, which are often misidentified for Tridacna gigas, the most commonly intended species referred to as “the giant clam”

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Giant Shipworm

The giant shipworm is just a tad longer than is previously discussed counter part, the giant clam, though it weighs much less.

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This weird marine mollusk, whose shells look like an elephant tusk, measures between 3 and 5 feet long! The animal inside the shell is black and slimy, and measures about the length of a baseball bat.

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The Red Kangaroo

The red kangaroo is the largest living marsupial in the world. It measures up to 5.3 feet from its head to its tush. Its tail can be add up to an additional 3.6 feet. The marsupial weighs about 200 lbs.

However, the largest marsupial on record is the four-legged Diprotodon, which looked somewhat like a bear. It was 5.5 feet tall at its shoulders and just under 13 feet long. If you can believe it, the Diprotodon weighed up to 6,100 lbs! This animal went extinct about 25,000 years ago,

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The lion’s mane jellyfish can be quite small, just over 0.5 inches in diameter. It can also be astoundingly large. Potentially reaching a diameter of 6.6 feet ! If you can believe it, its tentacles are even longer, some topping 49 feet long!

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These jellyfish care also known to sting large amounts of people at once. One lion’s mane jellyfish reportedly stung from upwards of 50 to 100 people swimming off the coast of New Hampshire back in 2010.

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The eastern gorilla takes the prize as largest primate, with a height of up to 6.2 feet  and a weight of roughly 450 lbs. These gorillas live in the mountainous forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. There are fewer than 5,000 eastern gorillas left in the wild, making them critically endangered.

As compared with other gorillas, the Eastern gorilla has a smaller nose, shorter arms, longer hair as well as larger jaws and teeth. Mature males are often called silverbacks due to a large patch of hair on their backs, which is silver or grey in color.

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Giant Squid

The giant squid is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of deep-sea gigantism.

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Recent estimates put the maximum size at around 40 feet for females and 30 feet for males, from the posterior fins to the tip of the two long tentacles.

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Goliath Beetles

Hiding in the undergrowth of African tropical forests, the Goliath Beetles take the top spot as the heaviest insect in the world.

Goliath Beetles can weigh up to 3.5 ounces and grow to a length of 4.5 inches. They are brown, black, and white in color.

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That's A Big Bird

The ostrich is the largest living bird, with a height of 9 ft and weight of up to 344 lbs. The ostrich also has the largest eyes of all birds. They don’t have teeth and can survive without water for days as they can make their own water internally and extract the rest from the vegetation they eat.

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When threatened ostriches run using their powerful long legs. Those long legs can also be used as a weapon, capable of killing a potential predator, like a lion or even a human. Most people don’t know ostriches in fact are a completely flightless bird.

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How's The Air Up There?

At a height of 19 ft, the Giraffe is the tallest living animal on Earth.  The neck of a giraffe alone is 6 feet tall. At home in grasslands of East Africa, they feed mostly on vegetation high off the ground.

Using their long prehensile tongues to pull shoots and leaves from the trees. Baby giraffe’s are born after a 15 month gestation period and come out already 6 feet tall!

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African Elephant

The largest living land animal is the African Elephant. The African Elephant can weigh up to 7 tons and they typically grow to 35 ft from trunk to tail and have a shoulder height of 13 ft.

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In an unprecedented decision, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species has separated African elephants (which have historically been treated as one species) into two distinct species—forest and savannah—and elevated their respective statuses from “vulnerable” to “critically endangered” and “endangered.”

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Killer Whales

Orca, also known as killer whales, are actually the largest animal in the Delphinidae family of oceanic dolphins. At an average of 26 feet long and weighing in between 6,600 – 8,800 lbs an average-sized orca can eat up to 500 lbs of food a day.

These apex predators have no predators, and hunt in family pods, targeting anything from fish to adult whales. Orcas are found in all of the world’s oceans, with some hunting techniques and vocal communication specific to individual pods, and passed on through the generations.

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Tarantula Hawk

The tarantula hawk is arguably the largest wasp in the world. These wasps are a type of spider wasp that specializes in hunting tarantulas. Many species can frequently measure up to 2 inches long, but Pulszkyi’s tarantula hawks (Pepsis pulszky) are easily the biggest of them all. They can grow up to 2.7 inches long, with a wingspan of 4.5 inches in length!

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Their coloration is typically blue-black, with rust-colored wings. Although they rarely attack humans, they do deliver one of the most painful stings among all insects. Thankfully, the pain from their sting only lasts about five minutes. Few animals prey on tarantula hawks because of their large stinger, with the roadrunner being a notable exception.

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Male Goliath Bird-Eating Spider

The world’s largest known spider is a male goliath bird-eating spider. It has a record leg-span of 11 in – sufficient to cover a dinner plate. This species is found in the coastal rainforests of Surinam, Guyana and French Guiana, but isolated specimens have also been reported from Venezuela and Brazil.

This spider weighs between on average weighs 5 and 6 ounces. While people have observed a few of the largest ones eating small birds like hummingbirds, most of their diet consists of insects and small terrestrial vertebrates. You will not usually see one dining because they drag their prey back to their hidden nests before eating.

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The Atlas Moth

The atlas moth is a gentle giant – but behind every oversized moth is a very hungry caterpillar. The atlas moth is among the biggest insects on the planet, with a wingspan stretching up to 27 centimetres across – that’s wider than a human handspan!

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It is thought that these moths have a defense against predators strategy built into their colorful pattern. The tips of the wings resemble the heads of snakes which would ward off enemies. During the caterpillar stage, they will spray secretions much like skunks when predators are nearby.

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