Top 20 Most Massive Animals of All Time
These animals are HUGE! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the largest animals currently living on Earth.
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00:00You're gonna need a bigger boat.
00:01Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the largest animals currently
00:06living on Earth.
00:07Hi.
00:08Hi.
00:09Number 20, Komodo Dragon.
00:13When most people think of reptiles, the first thing that may come to mind is something like
00:17a frog or lizard.
00:18However, there are larger, cold-blooded creatures roaming amongst us, including the intimidating
00:23Komodo Dragon.
00:24So these are Komodo Dragons.
00:28The largest lizards on Earth.
00:30In the wild, some adults can grow up to over 8 feet in length and weigh up to 200 pounds.
00:35However, in captivity, they become even more massive, with the greatest one measured at
00:40over 10 feet long and coming in at over 330 pounds.
00:44They rule their domain with their intimidating mass, predating on everything from invertebrates
00:48to mammals.
00:50They can take on anything with ease, including humans.
00:53With the smell of blood in the air, I'm suddenly surrounded by ravenous, drooling jaws.
00:58So if you happen to see one on your travels, we recommend staying away and admiring from
01:03afar.
01:04So to have a bite that strong is incredible.
01:07Number 19, Common Ostrich.
01:09They may not be the most intimidating, but that doesn't diminish just how big they really
01:13are.
01:14Ostriches give as good as they get.
01:16While each type is huge in their own right, the Common Ostrich takes the cake.
01:20The females alone can be taller than the average man.
01:23The males are staggeringly huge, with some growing up to 9 feet tall.
01:27Their lengthy legs have been ideal for surviving the harsh South African terrain and the various
01:32predators that live there.
01:37When they kick into high gear, they can get their speed up to 40 miles per hour, even
01:41if it's just for a short burst while making their escape.
01:44You can tell just by looking at them why they hold the reputation of being the largest living
01:49dinosaur.
01:51Number 18, Liger.
01:53Despite all we know about nature, it still has a way of surprising us.
01:57There are several examples of cats interbreeding with other feline species, creating new ones
02:02that go on to thrive.
02:15Out of these, the biggest by far is the Liger, a combination of a male lion and a female
02:20tiger.
02:21Considering they both have an impressive stature, it makes sense that their offspring would
02:25be even more massive.
02:27Males grow up to be almost 12 feet long.
02:29The current largest non-obese Liger weighs over 900 pounds, and even he pales in comparison
02:35to the previous champ, who was 1,213.
02:47Luckily unlike their parents, you won't have to worry about running into them in the wild,
02:51as they only exist in captivity.
02:54Number 17, Eastern Gorilla.
02:56While some may think that humans are the largest primates, the truth is that we don't come
03:00close.
03:01That distinction goes to none other than the Eastern Gorilla.
03:14Silverbacks in particular are known for their stature, with the tallest recorded one coming
03:18in at over 6 feet 4 inches.
03:21Height isn't the only thing they bring to the table.
03:23Weighing hundreds of pounds, these dominant males lead their familial groups with ease.
03:31While they don't fight each other often, when they do, their monumental size plays to their
03:36advantage.
03:37Even their warning moves, such as beating their chest, are enough to ward off foes.
03:43It's clear that they're one of the most intimidating beasts not only within the rainforest, but
03:47the animal kingdom as a whole.
03:50Number 16, White Rhinoceros.
03:52There may only be a few left, but their sheer mass is a constant reminder of the power they
03:57held at their peak.
03:58This is the largest of the two rhino species in Africa, and is the heaviest species of
04:03rhinoceros in the world.
04:05The White Rhinoceros is the largest of the five rhino species, and only ranks behind
04:09a few kinds of elephants as the largest living land mammal.
04:13Females weigh well over 3,000 pounds, with the bulls getting up to over 5,000.
04:18While the cows aren't as heavy, they make up for it with their horns, which can extend
04:22out several feet.
04:24Males use their horns in combat to dominate other males.
04:28Their size ensured they had no natural predators, until humanity came along.
04:33Now they're at risk of extinction.
04:35Before long, this gentle giant may only live in our memories.
04:39These tremendous giants are extraordinary animals to see in the wild, and deserve to
04:44roam the bushvelts of Africa for years to come.
04:47Number 15, Giant Squid.
04:49There are plenty of mega-sized cephalopods out there, and this is one of the greatest.
04:54It's a deep ocean creature, it's elusive, and it more than lives up to its name.
04:59The giant squid has earned itself the title of the world's second biggest mollusk, only
05:03coming in behind the colossal genus.
05:06Their elusive nature has made it difficult to pin down their mating cycles, behavior,
05:10and even their true mass.
05:12And it comes out of the gloom straight at the camera, and it was huge.
05:18Those who have gotten the chance to study them have found that with their mantle and
05:22tentacles combined, females are around 40 feet long.
05:25Considering there have only been two filmed in their natural habitat so far, there could
05:30potentially be some that are even bigger.
05:32The ones we have recorded make it obvious why authors and artists have depicted them
05:37as vicious sea monsters.
05:40Number 14, American Bison.
05:42With how densely populated the United States is, it can be hard to fathom anything truly
05:47enormous living there.
05:49However, it's home to one of the most gigantic animals, the American Bison.
05:54They can hit a speed, hit the speed of 35 miles an hour.
05:57And you're talking about something that can get going at that speed that's 1,800 pounds.
06:02It's like a souped up hot rod of an animal hiding in a minivan shell.
06:08With each one having the ability to reach over 1,000 pounds, they're the most colossal
06:12in the entire nation.
06:14In fact, the heaviest known wild bull weighed nearly one and a half tons.
06:19They also tower over most people, coming in at well over six feet.
06:23With how vast they are, it makes sense that indigenous populations utilized every aspect
06:28of them while hunting.
06:29It was the United States government's policy that if they were able to eradicate the buffalo,
06:34then Indians would disappear because we would starve to death and our culture would die.
06:38Although they were nearly wiped out by settlers before the beginning of the 20th century,
06:43conservation efforts have helped their numbers to bounce back.
06:46Number 13, Whale Shark.
06:48The sea is home to plenty of gargantuan entities, and they're one of the biggest.
06:53The biggest of all fish, 30 tons in weight, 12 meters long, a whale shark.
07:02The whale shark is the largest fish on Earth, and yet is still incredibly docile around
07:08humans and other ocean-dwelling creatures.
07:10We don't know much about how massive they can truly get, but one was measured at nearly
07:1570 feet.
07:16How heavy they are is also a mystery, although one found off the coast of Pakistan revealed
07:21they can weigh over 30,000 pounds.
07:28Given how awe-inspiringly huge they are, the fact they subsist primarily off plankton and
07:33smaller fish is incredible.
07:36Their calm demeanors have made it easier to observe their behavior, and with luck, soon
07:41we'll be able to easily measure their size as well.
07:44Number 12, Moose.
07:45When looking at them, you might never guess they're a species of deer.
07:49Moose are vastly different, both in size and demeanor.
07:58The tallest of their kind can stand at over 7 feet, and they can weigh over half a ton,
08:03making them a genuine threat to anything that crosses their path.
08:11Their antlers are no joke, with some growing out to over 4 feet long.
08:16While they're slow-moving, that doesn't make them tranquil.
08:19They can snap in an instant, and can increase their speeds at alarming rates.
08:24They may not be territorial or predatory towards people, but they've still injured more than
08:29any other mammal across North and South America, especially while protecting their young.
08:34Number 11, Hippopotamus.
08:37Just because an animal primarily eats plants doesn't mean it's safe to be around.
08:42Hippopotamuses are the ultimate example.
08:56Their immense mass has made them virtually unafraid of every other being around them.
09:01Extremely large bulls have amassed nearly 6,000 pounds of weight, while more average
09:06ones come in at around 3,000.
09:08Despite that, they're still very nimble, especially in the water.
09:15They may be classed as mega-herbivores, but that hasn't stopped them from attacking humans
09:20in various ways.
09:22There have been several cases of them using their stature to capsize boats, with one incident
09:27even ending in the deaths of 13 people.
09:30Their two-foot tusks alone are enough to strike fear in the hearts of almost anybody who encounters
09:35them.
09:38Number 10, Japanese Spider Crab.
09:41Animation has given us plenty of cute little crabs in recent years, but until Tim Burton
09:46takes over as Pixar's creative director, the Japanese Spider Crab is unlikely to get a
09:51starring role.
09:53Why?
09:54Well, it's kinda the stuff of nightmares.
09:57These chilling crustaceans are basically giant underwater spiders, one big difference being
10:02that they have claws strong enough to seriously damage human beings.
10:05While the Japanese Spider Crab may have a body that's slightly smaller than the American
10:10Lobster, the staggering length of their legs, which can reach a span of up to 18 feet when
10:15outstretched, and an arm span of 12 feet from claw to claw, firmly establish them as the
10:21largest living arthropod.
10:23Maybe the most unsettling feature of these ocean dwellers is their apparent immortality.
10:28Spider crabs are known to easily lose limbs to predators and human nets, but they can
10:32survive while missing up to three limbs.
10:35Thankfully, they typically dwell at depths between 490 and 980 feet, so the likelihood
10:41of encountering one of these captivating yet intimidating creatures is slim.
10:46Number 9, Polar Bear.
10:48When it comes to colossal meat-eating land mammals, it's really a battle of the bears
10:53between the Kodiak Bear of southwest Alaska and the Arctic Polar Bear.
10:58Because of their tremendous size, polar bears have no natural predators, apart from humans.
11:04Both species can reach up to about 5.2 feet in shoulder length and weigh in at a maximum
11:10of somewhere between 2,200 and 2,400 pounds.
11:14That's substantially larger than any other bear species found around the world.
11:19Oh my, look at that.
11:22That's amazing.
11:23Polar bears are carnivorous, primarily eating seals and fish, whereas the omnivorous Kodiak
11:29Bear typically eats fish and a variety of plant life.
11:32Dietary considerations, coupled with the polar bear's distinct white coat, ultra-extreme
11:37habitat and impressive hunting skills, give it a slight edge over its Alaskan competitor.
11:43Hybrids between the two bears are possible, though.
11:47Number 8, Giant Pacific Octopus.
11:50Giant squids may be all the rage these days, but what about octopuses?
11:54The Giant Pacific Octopus is considered by most to be the biggest octopus species around.
12:00These cephalopods are solitary bottom-dwellers found in the cold, oxygen-rich waters of the
12:07temperate Pacific coast from southern California to Alaska and across to Japan.
12:14The largest living specimen weighed in at 156 pounds, but according to the Guinness
12:19Book of World Records, the largest ever recorded weighed nearly double at 300 pounds.
12:25With a total arm span of 32 feet, it can be found all across the Pacific Ocean, spending
12:31time cruising around at up to 25 miles per hour.
12:35Its pastimes include catching smaller prey in a parachute-like web found between its
12:40arms and paralyzing prey with the help of toxins contained in its salivary glands.
12:45Then, the octopus will return to its den to finish its meal.
12:49On special occasions, it's been known to eat small sharks or even wounded seagulls.
12:55Number 7, Saltwater Crocodile.
12:57Sure, Komodo dragons might be intimidating, but of all the reptiles currently walking
13:03the Earth, the saltwater crocodile is hands-down the biggest.
13:07They're commonly found across Australia and Southeast Asia, and they're massive.
13:13Relatively unchanged since their evolution 200 million years ago, they outlived the dinosaurs,
13:20emerging as the most advanced and successful of all reptiles.
13:25Male specimens have been recorded weighing in excess of 2,200 pounds and measuring over
13:3120 feet in length.
13:32While these particular crocodiles were of extraordinary size, saltwater crocodiles are
13:37the only living croc species to regularly reach 16 feet in length.
13:42Despite their size, crocodiles require surprisingly little food.
13:48With their metabolisms fueled by the sun, a crocodile can survive on a single meal for
13:54months.
13:55They are considered to be an apex predator, truly at the top of the food chain in their
14:00environment.
14:01It's a position they maintain by eating anything that dares to set foot, claw, wing, or fin
14:07in their domain, humans included.
14:10Number six, southern elephant seal.
14:13Polar bears might be the largest terrestrial carnivores, but southern elephant seals, found
14:18at the opposite pole, Antarctica, are the largest carnivores in the world, period.
14:23They typically weigh six to seven times more than a male polar bear.
14:27I want to see for myself why elephant seals have become supergiants.
14:31Mature males often weigh upwards of 7,000 pounds, but the largest recorded specimen
14:37came in at a whopping 11,000 pounds, measuring 22.5 feet.
14:42While the male elephant seals use that weight to their benefit when battling other males
14:46for a mate, their size can also prove intimidating for the females and deadly to pups.
14:52The males have to fight for mates.
14:55The bigger they are, the better their chances of success.
14:59Males are typically five to six times larger than the females, and in their enthusiasm
15:03to procreate, will often crush and kill pups.
15:07Number five, colossal squid.
15:09Also known as the Antarctic squid or giant crunch squid, the colossal squid is the largest
15:15invertebrate in the world.
15:16February 2007, they get the surprise of their lives when their lines bring up something
15:23no one's ever caught before.
15:26While the giant squid may be technically longer from tip to tip than the colossal squid, as
15:31the result of longer tentacles, the colossal squid beats out its giant counterpart in terms
15:36of mass as well as the girth of its body.
15:38They know no fear, absolutely no fear.
15:41Its eyes are the largest of any in the animal kingdom, with an estimated diameter of 12
15:46to 16 inches.
15:48Only a few whole specimens of this elusive deep-sea creature have ever been found.
15:52It is also rare among squids, since it has rotating hooks to grab its prey.
15:57The more you try and learn about the live animals, the more you realize that we know
16:01absolutely nothing about them.
16:03Number four, great white shark.
16:05This oceanic hunter requires little introduction given its prevalence in popular culture.
16:15In the case of great whites, the females are typically larger than the males.
16:20Confirmed female specimens have been seen to grow up to 4,300 pounds and 20 feet in
16:25length, but on average are closer to 15 or 16 feet in length.
16:36It is considered one of the largest lamniform sharks, with only the plankton-eating basking
16:41and whale sharks beating it out in terms of size when all species of shark are compared.
16:46It's not the bloodthirsty man-eater jaws would have you believe, but it is responsible for
16:51more attacks on humans than any of its peers, and has even been known to attack boats.
16:57Number three, giraffe.
16:59You might not think of them as colossal, but giraffes are freaking tall.
17:04In fact, they're the tallest animals on land.
17:11Standing at roughly 16 to 20 feet tall, 6 to 8 feet of height can be attributed to their
17:17absurdly elongated necks, meaning that on average the neck accounts for just under half
17:22the total height.
17:23A giraffe's neck is more than just for show, though.
17:26It enables them to reach the leaves of trees in their natural habitat.
17:30For male giraffes, the long neck also proves useful during mating season to fight other
17:35males in a ritual called necking.
17:38Despite their slender build, giraffes are deceptively heavy, males weighing about 2,600
17:43pounds on average.
17:45Giraffes are absolutely huge.
17:47An adult male can be a ton and a half.
17:49Number two, African bush elephant.
17:51The average male giraffe likely towers over even the largest elephant, but elephants bring
17:56more than enough weight to the watering hole to make up for their shorter stature.
18:01On average, these giant vegetarians spend up to 16 hours a day eating.
18:05The average male bush elephant is only between 10 and 13 feet tall, but also weighs between
18:1110 and 13,000 pounds, making it the largest terrestrial animal.
18:16But bulls have been known to outgrow that average by a wide margin.
18:20The largest recorded bull in history roughly doubled it, weighing an estimated 23 to 26,000
18:27pounds at the time of its death in 1956.
18:30Only 40% of what they consume actually gets absorbed into their bodies.
18:34Although Africa is home to another species of elephant, the forest elephant, they're
18:39much smaller than the bush elephant, rarely exceeding 8 feet in length, and typically
18:44weighing closer to 6,000 pounds.
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19:03Number one, blue whale.
19:05Even the largest bush elephant in history weighs less than one-tenth of an adult blue
19:10whale.
19:11The sperm whale of Moby Dick fame takes the title of the largest brain on Earth.
19:16But at 35 to 60 feet in length, it pales in comparison to the length of the blue whale,
19:22which typically measures between 69 and 90 feet.
19:25Blue whales are absolutely awe-inspiring.
19:29By all standards, they are the largest animals of all time.
19:32Limbs have been found that exceed 100 feet, with one particular female measuring 109 feet.
19:38That's longer than a regulation-size basketball court.
19:42If you're in water, you don't have to deal with gravity in the same way.
19:45You have the support of the aquatic medium, and that might allow you to evolve much larger
19:50size and you don't have to bear that weight with limbs as you would on land.
19:54In terms of weight, the record is 191 short tons.
19:59Even when you take dinosaurs into account, the blue whale is the largest creature this
20:03planet has ever seen, and still swims among us to this day.
20:07There's still so much that we don't know, and just their sheer size inspires this sense of awe.
20:14What's your favorite enormous animal?
20:16Let us know in the comments below.
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20:20That's real shag carpeting.
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