Top 10 Abnormally Large Animals That Really Exist
#20: Hippopotamus
Native to sub-Saharan Africa, these water-loving mammals are among the largest on earth today. Males of the species average up to 3,310 pounds, but some specimens have been recorded topping out at staggering 5,800 to 9,900 pounds. Those are some hungry, hungry hippos! And despite their portly build, they can move quick. If a hippo feels threatened, it will attack with not only surprising ferocity but also speed; they can run at 19 miles per hour for short bursts. So while they might look cute and cuddly, please appreciate them from afar. Very afar. Sadly, we’re still waiting on scientists to make house hippos a thing so we can safely bring one home.
#19: Japanese Spider Crab
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Animation has given us plenty of cute little crabs in recent years, but until Tim Burton takes over as Pixar’s creative director, the Japanese spider crab is unlikely to get a starring role. Why? Well, it’s kinda the stuff of nightmares. While the Japanese spider crab may have a body that’s slightly smaller than the American lobster, the staggering length of their legs, which can reach a span of up to 18 ft when outstretched, and an arm-span of 12 ft from claw to claw, firmly establish them as the largest living arthropod. Thankfully, they typically dwell at depths of between 490 and 980 ft, so the likelihood of encountering one of these captivating, yet intimidating, creatures is slim.
#18: Polar Bear
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When it comes to colossal meat-eating land mammals, it’s really a battle of the bears - between the Kodiak bear of Southwest Alaska and the Arctic polar bear. Both species can reach up to about 5.2 ft in shoulder height, and weigh in at a maximum of somewhere between 2,200 and 2,400 lbs. That’s substantially larger than any other bear species found around the world. Polar bears are carnivorous, primarily eating seals and fish, whereas the omnivorous Kodiak bear typically eats fish and a variety of plant life. Dietary considerations, coupled with the polar bear’s distinct white coat, ultra-extreme habitat, and impressive hunting skills, give it a slight edge over its Alaskan competitor. Hybrids between the two bears are possible, though!
#17: Titanoboa
Personally, we think that snakes that currently exist on earth are large enough as is, thank you for very much! But for those who subscribe to the ideology of “bigger is better”, you’ll surely be giddy to make the acquaintance of the Titanoboa. Just like the name suggests, this prehistoric snake was a boa of titanic proportions, weighing in at an estimated 2,500 pounds and measuring up to 42 feet in length. Discovered in 2009, the Titanoboa was likely a formidable hunter, if not an apex predator within the tropical South American habitat it called home during its lifetime. Though more research is required to be sure, certain characteristics actually suggest that it primarily hunted fish.
#16: Rhinoceros
The second largest terrestrial mammal surviving today, rhinos can be found in Africa and Asia, but it’s the white rhino that claims the title as the largest extant species. Males of the species can weigh up to 5,000 pounds on average, and at 4,000 pounds, the females are by no means small either. While hippos might look deceptively docile, rhinos, with their intimidating horns, thick skin and muscular build, make it clear that they are not a species to be trifled with, herbivore status be damned. The species of rhino that live today are undeniably impressive, but they represent a small fraction of Rhinocerotoidea that once roamed the earth, like their massive, hornless prehistoric relative, Paraceratherium.
#15: Ocean Sunfish
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Water covers roughly 71% of the earth. As such, it should come as little surprise that the world’s oceans play host to an impossibly wide variety of life — including some truly colossal creatures. That being said, without a proper introduction, you’d be forgiven for assuming that this was an aquatic alien species from a distant world. The Ocean Sunfish is an oddly shaped creature; adults often weigh up to 2,205 pounds! The species’ unique anatomy makes it approximately as long as it is tall, giving it a roughly circular shape when viewed in profile. They like to sunbathe near the ocean surface (hence the name) and have been known to grow to nearly 11 feet in length.
#14: Jaekelopterus
Also referred to as a “giant sea scorpion”, this arthropod grew to about 8 and a half feet in length. So for anyone who enjoys going for a swim, their extinction is likely comforting news, because these things look like mutants from some post-nuclear war apocalyptic future. Knowledge of their lifestyle and habitat is limited, but all signs point to them having lived in shallow freshwater environments and NOT the ocean floor like you may have assumed. At maturity, these impressive and terrifying creatures were likely apex predators, and are thought to have resorted to cannibalism in times of food scarcity. Oh, and they’re just one of a number of prehistoric giant scorpion-type creatures. Have fun never sleeping again!
#13: Southern Elephant Seal
Found in Antarctica, these massive aquatic mammals are the largest members of the Carnivora order. They typically weigh six to seven times more than a male polar bear. Mature males often weigh upwards of 7,000 lbs, but the largest recorded specimen came in at a whopping 11,000 lbs - measuring 22.5 ft. While the male elephant seals use that weight to their benefit when battling other males for a mate, their size can also prove intimidating for the females... and deadly to pups. Males are typically five to six times larger than the females, and in their enthusiasm to procreate, will often crush and kill pups.
#12: Giant Pacific Octopus
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Giant squids might be all the rage these days, but what about octopuses? The giant pacific octopus is considered by most to be the biggest octopus species around. The largest living specimen weighed in at 156 lb, but according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest ever recorded weighed nearly double, at 300 lbs, with a total arm-span of 32 ft. It can be found all across the Pacific Ocean, spending time cruising around at up to 25 MPH. Its pastimes include catching smaller prey in a parachute-like web found between its arms, and paralyzing its prey with the help of toxins contained in its salivary glands. On special occasions, it’s been known to eat small sharks or even wounded seagulls.
#11: Gigantopithecus Blacki
Giants, in the folklore or mythological sense never existed, but we’ll settle for giant apes as the next best thing. This prehistoric mammal finds its closest living relative in the modern day orangutan. For some perspective, orangutan males weigh approximately 165 lbs at maturity and stand at an average height of 4 feet 6 inches. Gigantopithecus Blacki, on the other hand, was built more like a gorilla (but 42% heavier) and is speculated to have weighed up to 660 pounds. People continue to debate the creature’s height, but estimates range from 9 to 12 feet. So regardless of where it actually lands along that range, it was an ape that made a big impression.
#10: Colossal Squid
Also known as the Antarctic squid, or giant cranch squid, the colossal squid is the largest invertebrate in the world. While the giant squid may be technically longer from tip to tip than the colossal squid (as the result of longer tentacles), the colossal squid beats out its “giant” counterpart in terms of mass, as well as the girth of its body. Its eyes are the largest of any in the animal kingdom, with an estimated diameter of 12 to 16 inches. Only a few whole specimens of this elusive deep-sea creature have ever been found. It is also rare among squids since it has rotating hooks to grab its prey.
#9: Megalodon
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Sharks have long inspired a primal fear in humans. And to think, those that we actually have a chance of encountering today are a fraction of the size of those that used to swim our oceans. Widely regarded as being among the largest and most impressive predators in the history of the planet, the Megalodon more than earns the “mega” in its name. Megalodons are believed to have measured up to 59 feet in length and weighed in somewhere between 66,000 and 143,000 pounds. Add to that a bite force of 25,000 to 40,000 pounds and you’ve got a creature that feels downright mythical. Despite some mockumentaries suggesting otherwise, the Megalodon went extinct millions of years ago.
#8: Quetzalcoatlus
Named after a Aztec deity, Quetzalcoatl the feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatlus is among the largest flying creatures to have ever taken to the skies. A pterosaur that took to the air throughout the Late Cretaceous period, Quetzacoatlus has generated much debate since its remains were first unearthed in 1975. The creature’s weight has been estimated at anywhere between 150 pounds to 550 pounds That might sound light-ish, but remember, this creature needed to take the skies, and that’s much heavier than any bird today. Quetzacoatlus achieved lift with a wingspan that, over the years since its discovery, has been estimated at anywhere between 36 and 68 feet. Either way, it was a truly massive creature unlike anything that exists in the current animal kingdom.
#7: Saltwater Crocodile
Sure, Komodo dragons might be intimidating, but of all the reptiles currently walking the earth, the saltwater crocodile is hands down the biggest. They’re commonly found across Australia and Southeast Asia, and… they’re massive. Male specimens have been recorded weighing in excess of 2,200 lb and measuring over 20 ft in length. While these particular crocodiles were of extraordinary size, saltwater crocodiles are the only living croc species to regularly reach 16 ft in length. They are considered to be an apex predator, truly at the top of the food chain in their environment - it’s a position they maintain by eating anything that dares to set foot, claw, wing or fin in their domain - humans included.
#6: Giraffe
You might not think of them as colossal, but giraffes... are freaking tall. In fact, they’re the tallest animals on land. Standing at roughly 16 to 20 ft tall, 6 to 8 ft of height can be attributed to their absurdly elongated necks, meaning that on average, the neck accounts for just under half their total height. A giraffe’s neck is more than just for show though - it enables them to reach the leaves of trees in their natural habitat. For male giraffes, the long neck also proves useful during mating season to fight other males in a ritual called necking. Despite their slender build, giraffes are deceptively heavy - males weighing about 2,600 lb on average.
#5: Great White Shark
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This oceanic hunter requires little introduction, given its prevalence in popular culture. In the case of Great Whites, the females are typically larger than the males. Confirmed female specimens have been seen to grow up to 4,300 lb and 20 ft in length, but on average are closer to 15 or 16 ft in length. It is considered one of the largest lamniform sharks, with only the plankton-eating basking and whale sharks beating it out in terms of size when all species of shark are compared. It’s not the bloodthirsty man-eater “Jaws” would have you believe, but it is responsible for more attacks on humans than any of its peers, and has even been known to attack boats.
#4: Leedsichthys Problematicus
Notice anything about that name? Leedsichthys problematicus earned the “problematic” in its title because upon its discovery, the fossils were so badly damaged that the researchers struggled to piece it together. First uncovered and documented in the 1880s, this jaw-droppingly massive species of ancient fish was estimated at a staggering 90 to 115 feet in length. Contemporary studies have drastically reduced its size to a much more modest maximum estimated length of 54 feet. But only relative to past estimates could a creature just under one-third the length of a football field be considered “modest”. Likely a suspension feeder like whale sharks, Leedsichthys problematicus remains the largest known fish to ever swim earth’s oceans — which it did at remarkable speeds, considering its size.
#3: Patagotitan Mayorum
You’d think that, living or dead, all of the world’s biggest animal species would have been discovered by now. But in third place, we have a dinosaur that was only uncovered in 2008, announced in 2014 and officially named in 2017. Given the limited samples available, we can’t confidently put a cap on the creatures potential maximum size. But based on the fossils we do have, it’s been suggested that this giant measured up to 131 feet in length and weighed up to 77.6 tons. If true, this makes the Patagotitan both the largest dinosaur and the largest animal to ever walk the earth. Time travelers, you’ll be relieved to know that, like other sauropods, Patagotitan mayorum was an herbivore.
#2: African Bush Elephant
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The average male giraffe likely towers over even the largest elephant, but elephants bring more than enough weight to the watering hole to make up for their shorter stature. The average male bush elephant is only between 10-13 ft tall, but also weighs between 10-13,000 lb, making it the largest terrestrial animal. But bulls have been known to outgrow that average by a wide margin. The largest recorded bull in history roughly doubled it, weighing an estimated 23-26,000 lb at the time of its death in 1956. Although Africa is home to another species of elephant, the forest elephant, they’re much smaller than the bush elephant, rarely exceeding 8 ft in height, and typically weighing closer to 6,000 lbs. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Deinosuchus This “Terrible Crocodile” Earned the Title Coconut Crab The Largest Living Arthropod Lion's Mane Jellyfish The World’s Largest Jellyfish Goliath Beetle The Heaviest Living Insect on Earth
#1: Blue Whale
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Even the largest bush elephant in history weighs less than one tenth of an adult blue whale. The sperm whale, of “Moby-Dick” fame, takes the title of largest brain on earth, but at 35 to 60 ft in length, it pales in comparison to the length of the blue whale, which typically measures between 69 and 90 ft. Specimens have been found that exceed 100 ft, with one particular female measuring 109 ft - that’s longer than a regulation size basketball court. In terms of weight, the record is 191 short tons. Even when you take dinosaurs into account, the blue whale is the largest creature this planet has ever seen, and still swims among us to this day.
