The largest animal in the world: description, habitat and interesting facts

Millions of years ago, our planet was inhabited by huge animals - dinosaurs. Today, there are no such giants, but even today there are incredible creatures on Earth. What is the largest animal in the world? We will try to answer this question in this article.

African elephant

This giant is the largest and heaviest of the animals inhabiting the land. African elephants grow to a height of 3.3 meters, in length - up to seven and a half meters and at the same time weigh about six thousand kilograms. Females are slightly smaller than males, their length is a little over two and a half meters, weight is about three thousand kilograms.

Interestingly, the adult African elephant has no natural enemies, which, however, is not surprising, given the huge size of the animal. But for lyan babies, lions, crocodiles, leopards and hyenas seriously threaten.

Seal

Before you - a sea elephant (southern) - a representative of the genus of sea elephants, a family of true seals. This is the largest representative of pinnipeds on our planet. Its mass reaches 4 tons, and the body length is more than 6 meters. This is the largest animal in the world (carnivorous) got its name because of the fat body and unusual skin sac on the nose of males, which during the mating season or when the seal is worried swells into a huge ball.

The southern one was named to distinguish it from his close relative - a northern elephant seabird, living near the California coasts and considerably inferior to it in size. Surprisingly, the basis of the diet of these huge animals is squid and fish, living at a depth of thousands of meters. In search of food, seals are dived and much time is made under water. The record was officially recorded - about two hours.

Most of the life of sea elephants spend in the waters of the ocean, they rarely get out on land, usually in the mating season. Often at this time, males arrange real battles.

Giraffe

Answering the question, which is the largest land animal in the world, probably many of our readers will say: "Giraffe!" Indeed, no one on our planet can be compared to him. A cloven-hoofed mammal grows to six meters in height. Males weigh on average about 1600 kilograms, females are almost twice less - 830 kilograms.

Even the children know about the peculiarity of this animal - a long and strong neck that makes up almost half of its height.

The Bears

And again we return to the question of who is the largest animal in the world. Many people know that white (or polar) bears can claim this title, but there is also a kind of brown bear in the world - Kodiak, which is not inferior in size to the northern giants. By their size, these animals are almost equal, so scientists have not yet come to a consensus, which of them is more.

The height of these bears is from 1,6 to 2 meters, the length sometimes exceeds 3 meters. The largest officially registered individuals weighed 1003 kilograms (polar bear) and 1135 kilograms (Kodiak).

Giant salamander

And now we will go to Japan, where the largest animal (amphibian) lives. Giant (gigantic) salamander is listed in the World Red Book, as it is now on the verge of extinction.

It's hard to call this creature attractive: its huge body is completely covered with mucus, the huge head is slightly flattened from above. The long tail is compressed from the sides, the paws are thick, but at the same time disproportionately short. Tiny eyes resemble beads, and they are devoid of age. The body is covered with warty skin with fringe on the sides. The body length of this "cutie" reaches one hundred and seventy centimeters, and weight - about thirty kilograms.

An interesting fact - this amphibian has very tasty meat, considered a delicacy. In addition, some of its organs are used in folk medicine. Healers argue that drugs made from giant Salamander meat cure diseases of the digestive tract, tuberculosis and certain blood diseases.

Ocean Solar Fish

And now let's talk about water dwellers. This is not the largest animal in the world, but you can not not mention it in our review. We are sure if someone from the scuba diving lovers will meet such a fish on their way, he will certainly experience a shock.

In oceanic solar fish (Mola-Mola) the skeleton is not cartilaginous, but bony. Outwardly it resembles a giant fish head with a tail. This amazing creature weighing up to a thousand pounds and a length of almost two meters can amaze even experienced travelers who have seen a lot of strange animals. Inhabits and multiplies the largest bony fish in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Often it can be seen in the waters of Iceland, Newfoundland, Norway, Britain, the Kola Peninsula.

Sea Crocodile

This giant reptile has a fairly large range of habitats - from the east coast of India and Southeast Asia to Northern Australia. An adult male marine crocodile weighs up to a thousand kilograms, length - up to 5.5 meters. These are averaged values. Researchers say that there are more than 6 males.

The marine crocodile is an active predator, feeding on mollusks, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, fish and small reptiles. At the same time, it attacks virtually any animal that enters its territory, regardless of where it is - on land or in water.

Sperm whale

Today, only one species of sperm whale lives on Earth. In length they reach twenty meters and weigh almost fifty tons. With such an impressive form, the animal in the depths of the ocean does not have enemies. The only exception may be killer whales, which sometimes attack females and their offspring.

Giant tridacna

Before you (pictured below) is the largest mollusk in the world. The order of animals to which it refers is called Veneroida. It combines bivalve mollusks from a subclass of raznochub.

Giant tridakna, widespread in the Pacific, has a huge shell. Its length is more than two meters. Mollusc weight is 400 kilograms. An interesting fact is that animal tissues are inhabited by zooxanthellae that live by photosynthesis and are food for the mollusk. Tridakna digests and part of the algae directly in the tissues, because the intestine is underdeveloped.

The edges of the huge mantle protrude between the valves and are equipped with an optical system-small light-refracting cones that are immersed in the body of a mollusk. Shells of the shell are massive, thick, uniform in shape. Like all representatives of this subclass, the mollusk shell does not have a pearlescent layer.

Inhabits the "king of shellfish" in the Pacific and Indian oceans, at a depth of 25 m. He is called a killer, as there are cases when divers accidentally fell into their doors and perished. Clam shell valves are sensitive to water vibrations, so they can easily slam shut with the slightest movement next to the mantle. Tridakni live almost two centuries.

Giant shellfish can produce quite large pearls: the largest documented pearl of Lao Tzu weighs about seven kilograms. However, this pearl of jewelry does not matter.

The largest animal in the world is the blue whale

This marine mammal is up to thirty meters long and weighs about 180 tons. Such dimensions make it possible to assert that the blue whale is the largest animal in the world now inhabiting our planet.

The blue whale, despite its huge size, eats small creatures that are very similar to shrimp. They are known as krill. The basis of the whale's diet is plankton. Due to the availability of a tectonic apparatus consisting of whalebone plates, the blue whale consumes up to forty million krill daily in the summer months. The whale's language weighs about two and a half tons. The heart of a blue whale weighs almost six hundred kilograms. It is recognized as the largest in the world.