On our planet there are millions of animal species and, in fact, many of them are still unknown to us. Really, throughout history we humans have made an effort to discover all the secrets and all the wonders that planet Earth has to teach us, perhaps one of the things that has always surprised us the most is the animals of spectacular dimensions, those in which we think and feel a mixture of amazement and respect.
For this reason, in this new article on our site we are going to reveal the 10 largest animals in the world. Keep reading and you will be surprised to discover the size and weight of the giants that live with us.
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
The blue whale or Balaenoptera musculus, is not only the largest animal in the ocean, but is the largest animal that inhabits planet Earth today. This marine mammal, also known as the blue whale, can measure up to 30 meters in length and weigh up to 150 tons. This is a truly surprising fact if we think about the feeding of the blue whale, since these whales feed mainly on krill.
Although it is known as a blue whale, its long and large body usually has various shades from dark blue to light gray. Unfortunately, these amazing animals that vocalize underwater to communicate are in danger of extinction due to indiscriminate hunting in some parts of the world.
Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
Another of the world's animals that also lives in the ocean is the fin whale or Balaenoptera physalus, in fact, it is the second largest animal on our planet. This marine animal can reach 27 meters in length, with the Antarctic whale being the one that usually reaches the longest, and the largest specimens can weigh more than 70 tons.
The fin whale is dark gray above and white below, it feeds mainly on small fish, squid, crustaceans and krill. Due to the intensive hunting of this animal during the 20th century, today the fin whale is considered a threatened species.
Giant Squid (Architeuthis)
There is debate among squid scientists as to whether there is only one species of giant squid or Architeuthis or whether there are as many as 8 different species of this animal. These animals that usually inhabit the depths of the ocean are one of the 10 largest animals in the world, since according to scientific records the largest specimens have been a female giant squid that measured 18 meters and was found on the coast of New Zealand in 1887 and also a male 21 meters long and 275 kg.
Today the most common sizes recorded in this marine animal are 10 meters in males and 14 meters in females. For all this, the giant squid is considered one of the largest animals in the world.
Whale shark (Rhincodon typus)
among the largest animals in the world, a shark cannot be missing, specifically the whale shark or Rhincodon typus is the largest shark that exists. This shark lives in warm seas and oceans, in tropical areas, but there have also been sightings of this animal in some somewhat colder waters.
The whale shark's diet is based on krill, phytoplankton and algae, although it also usually eats small crustaceans. It locates its food through olfactory signals. This animal species is also considered today as an endangered species.
Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
The white shark or Carcharodon carcharias is one of the largest animals in the world that lives in temperate and warm waters of almost the entire world. This animal that provokes fear as well as admiration in many people, is considered one of the largest sea fish in the world and is also considered the largest predatory fishNormally it can measure up to 6 meters long and weigh more than 2 tons. A curious fact about this animal is that females are always larger than males.
In recent decades, fishing for this shark has increased and this has meant that today, although it is a widely distributed species throughout the world, it is considered a vulnerable species, approaching being threatened.
Elephant (Elephantidae)
On the terrestrial plane of our planet we find that the largest animal is the elephant or Elephantidae, since it measures up to 3.5 meters high and up to 7 meters long, weighing between 4 and 7 tons. To become so heavy, these animals must eat a minimum of 200 kg of leaves per day.
There are many curiosities about the elephant, such as its characteristic trunk with which it reaches the highest leaves of the trees to feed and its long tusks. In addition to their physical attributes, elephants are well known for their excellent memory, in fact their brain can weigh up to 5kg, and for their herd social relationships, as they live in herds of related females and male elephants leave the herd when grow up to create an isolated group of their own or lead a more solitary life.
Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
The giraffe or Giraffa camelopardalis is another of the largest land animals in the world, more because of its height than its weight, since that can reach almost 6 meters in height and weigh from 750 kg to more than 1.5 tons.
There are many curiosities about giraffes, such as the brown spots on their fur and their tongue, which can reach 50 cm. In addition, it is one of the most widespread African animals, so there is less concern about its existence in the immediate future.
Anaconda (Eunectes)
Another terrestrial animal that enters the list of the largest animals in the world is a snake, we are talking about anacondas or Eunectes that can measure 8 meters or more and weigh up to almost 200 kg.
This giant snake lives mainly in the river basins of Latin America and, specifically, where it is most often seen is in Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil and Peru. It usually feeds on capybaras, tapirs, birds, deer, alligators and their eggs.
Crocodile (Crocodylidae)
Although there are up to 14 different species of crocodile, there are some specimens of truly impressive size. The crocodiles or Crocodylidae are large reptiles, in fact, the largest recorded crocodile was a marine crocodile found in Australia and measured 8.5 meters long and weighed more than 1.5 tons.
Crocodiles are currently of Least Concern on the scale that measures the conservation status of the species. These reptiles live both outside and inside the water, so they feed on aquatic animals and those that get too close to the waters they inhabit.
Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
The polar bear, white bear or Ursus maritimus is another of the 10 largest animals in the world. These bears can grow up to almost 3 meters long and can weigh more than half a ton.
They are carnivorous animals and, therefore, the polar bear's diet is based on both fish and other animals that inhabit the pole such as seals, walruses, arctic foxes, among many others. The white bear is currently considered to be in a vulnerable situation.
