Millions of years ago, our planet was inhabited by hugeanimals are 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 ofanimals inhabiting 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.
It is interesting that an adult African elephant does not havenatural enemies, which, however, quite unsurprising, given the huge size of the animal. But lions, crocodiles, leopards and hyenas are a serious threat to newborns.
Seal
Before you - a sea elephant (southern) - a representativea kind 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.
Southern it was named in order to distinguish it from itsa close relative - a northern elephant seabird, inhabiting 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, what is the largest landthe animal in the world, for sure 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 isthe 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 in its sizes is not inferior to the northern giants. By their size, these animals are almost equal, so scientists have not yet come to a common opinion, 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 mostlarge animal (amphibian). Giant (giant) salamander is listed in the World Red Book, as it is currently on the brink of extinction.
It is difficult to call this creature attractive:His 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 disproportionately short. Tiny eyes resemble beads, and they are devoid of age. The body is covered with warty skin with fringes on the sides. The body length of this "cutie" reaches one hundred and seventy centimeters, and weight - about thirty kilograms.
An interesting fact is that the amphibian has a verydelicious meat, considered a delicacy. In addition, some of its organs are used in folk medicine. Healers argue that preparations made on the basis of 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 notcartilaginous, and bony. Outwardly it resembles a giant fish head with a tail. This amazing creature weighing up to a thousand kilograms 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 largeThe habitat ranges from the east coast of India and South-East Asia to Northern Australia. Adult male marine crocodile weighs up to a thousand kilograms, length - up to 5.5 meters. These are averaged values. Researchers claim that there are more than 6 males.
Marine crocodile is an active predator,eating mollusks, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, fish and small reptiles. However, it attacks virtually any animal that is on its territory, regardless of where it is - on land or in water.
Sperm whale
Today, only one species lives on Earthsperm whales. In length they reach twenty meters and weigh almost fifty tons. At 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 tridact
In front of you (pictured below) is the largest mollusk in the world. An animal squad, to which it refers, is called Veneroida. It combines bivalve mollusks from a subclass of raznochub.
Giant tridacna, widespread in the Pacificocean, 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, which 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 a huge mantle protrude between the leaflets andThey are equipped with an optical system - small light-refracting cones, which 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 Indianoceans, 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. They live tridakny almost two centuries.
Giant shellfish can produce quitelarge 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. Thanks 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.
