Who is taller giraffe or elephant. What is the largest animal in the world? place. Blue, or blue whale
We all know very well that the largest animals, or giant animals, lived on our Earth millions of years ago - these are various dinosaurs, mammoths, terrible birds and many, many other prehistoric animals. Their giant size And appearance seem stunning to us today.
But even today our world is full of the most amazing creatures that amaze with their shapes and sizes. It’s even hard to imagine what could have affected their height and weight, but they are what they are, the main thing is that they feel quite comfortable among us. What kind of animals are these, and in what natural conditions they live and we'll talk about it today. The rating is based on the weight, height and also the length of the animals.
1 place. Blue, or blue whale
The largest animal currently living on Earth is the blue, or blue whale (lat. Balaenoptera musculus). Even dinosaurs cannot compete with it - its size is impressive. This marine mammal grows up to 30 meters in length, weight can be more than 180 tons, even the tongue of this giant weighs about 2.7 tons (the size of an Asian elephant, medium in size). Mass of the heart blue whale about 600 kilograms is the most a big heart in the world.
The huge lungs of the blue whale (whose volume is 3 thousand liters) allow it to stay at a depth without oxygen for about 20 minutes. Max Speed, developed by this mammal about 35 km / h, and the fountain released by it, which occurs when it comes to the surface, is up to 10 m.
2nd place. Sperm whale
The next representative - (lat. Physeter catodon) is the only representative of the sperm whale family today. It is the largest of the toothed whales. The male sperm whale grows up to 20 m in length, and it weighs up to 50 tons. Females of less impressive sizes - from 11 to 13 m, and weigh about 15 tons.
Interestingly, the head adult makes up approximately 35% of the total body length. There are sperm whales and more large sizes, but this is more of an exception. In nature, sperm whales have practically no enemies. Killer whales attacking females and cubs are an exception; they cannot compete with an adult male.
3rd place. African elephant
African elephant (lat. Loxodonta africana) is the largest land animal living on earth. Includes two types - and. It occupies an honorable third place in this rating. With a height of 3 to 3.5 meters and a body length of 6-7.5 m, the mass of these animals can reach up to 6 or even 12 tons. Female African elephants are smaller than males: they grow up to 2.7 meters in height and 5.4-6.9 meters in length.
Despite its impressive size, it can move at a speed of 35-40 km / h (it will easily overtake a person). For a day, he can eat 300 kg of plant food. Due to its huge mass, it sleeps standing up. A very intelligent animal that is capable of mutual assistance and compassion. But, despite this, it belongs to the most dangerous animals on the planet.
4th place. Indian elephant
Indian, or asian elephant(lat. Elephas maximum) is the second largest land animal after the African elephant. The height can reach 2.5-3.5 m, the length of its body is about 5.5-6 m, and the tail of this elephant is not short - 1-1.5 m. This elephant can weigh from 5 to 5.5 tons . Females, just like African elephants significantly less.
These elephants are forest dwellers. Prefer light tropical and subtropical broadleaf forests with dense undergrowth, which consists of shrubs and bamboo. Easily move through dense forests and swampy terrain. They live in groups led by the most mature and experienced female.
5th place. southern elephant seal
Southern sea Elephant(lat. mirounga leonina) - is considered the largest pinniped in the world. These large and obese animals can grow up to 6 m in length and weigh up to 4-5 tons.
They can stay under water for about 2 hours (an officially registered record), dive to a depth of more than 1300 meters. They lead their entire life in the ocean, and rarely get out on land - mainly during the breeding season.
6th place. Hippo or hippopotamus
Behemoth (lat. Hippopotamus amphibius) is a mammal from the order of artiodactyls and the suborder of pigs. Indigenous African.
Hippos can steal up to 1.5-1.65 meters, body length can be from 3 to 5 meters, and weight - 3 tons or more. These animals increase their mass throughout their lives, they also grow teeth all their lives and can reach 0.5 m in length. Interestingly, only the skin weighs 0.5 tons.
7th place. white rhino
White rhino (lat. Ceratotherium simum) is the 2nd largest herbivore of the planet. Adult individuals grow in height - up to 1.6-2 m, in length about 3.8-4.2 m.
The average weight of a white rhino is about 3 tons, there are individuals much larger - about 8 tons. Interestingly, white rhino not white at all, but rather grey. He probably got this name from the distorted Boer word "wijde", which means "broad-faced" - in tune with English word"white" (Russian white).
8th place. Walrus
Walruses (lat. Odobenus rosmarus) is one of the ancient large animals that have existed since the last ice age. Fossils found in San Francisco Bay date back approximately 28,000 years.
And even now these giants grow up to 3 m in length and weigh up to 2 tons, skin thickness (on the neck and shoulders of males) up to 10 cm, and a layer of fat up to 15 cm. harsh conditions Arctic. They feed mainly on shellfish, but they can also eat fish.
9th place. black rhinoceros
Black rhinoceros (lat. Rhinoceros bicornis) is slightly smaller than white. The mass of this animal does not exceed 1.5-2 tons, the body length is about 3-3.5 meters, the height at the shoulders is 1.5-1.6 m. Their habit of moving along the same paths and poor eyesight makes them vulnerable and vulnerable to poachers.
The black rhinoceros has no natural enemies, so it is not at all shy and because of this it automatically becomes an easy trophy for hunters. Interestingly, the body of the black rhino is more elongated and lighter than the white one.
10th place. combed crocodile
Saltwater crocodile (lat. Crocodylus porosus) is the largest and most massive reptile on the planet. combed crocodile can grow up to 5.5-7 meters (usually 5 m) in length, the weight of an adult (male) is from 409 kg to 1.5 tons.
Interesting fact: it has a high commercial value due to its leather, which is used to make different kind clothes, shoes, etc. It is an object of fishing and is bred on crocodile farms.
Modern animal species are not inferior in size to prehistoric animals, however, if a person does not belong to wild nature with due respect, they will all die out just like those that lived millions of years ago.
Conrad Gesner, History of Animals, 1551
- Read first: Konrad Gesner, Animal History, 1551
Elephant
- Read more: elephants, proboscis (detachment))
Some of these animals live in the mountains, others in the valleys, and some in swamps or marshy places. By nature, they love wet places. They live in large numbers in warm regions, but they cannot stand the cold. The elephant is the largest animal living on Earth. The male is larger than the female. He is completely black, bald, his back is hard, his stomach is soft, his skin is wrinkled. With folds on the stomach, they catch flies and other annoying insects. Elephants can relax their skin, and then wrinkle again, they catch insects in folds, squeeze them there and kill them. In the mouth of each elephant on each side there are four molars with which they chew food. Above the teeth there are two large and long fangs protruding from the upper gums. between female and there is a male, however, the difference is that the male's fangs are not as large as those of the female. The fangs are up to ten feet long and so heavy that a grown man cannot lift them. Wartman writes of such a pair of tusks weighing 336 pounds. Some think that fangs should not be considered teeth, but should be considered horns, because they sometimes fall out and grow back. The elephant's tongue is short and wide, but unusually a long nose, called a trunk, which he uses instead of hands.
Elephants have a great memory. If someone offends them, they will remember it and take revenge even many years later.
White color so hate that they are enraged at the very sight of him.
The elephant gives food and drink with its trunk, because the trunk is so mobile and bends so that the elephant can stretch it out and then twist it again. The trunk is hollow and provides the elephant with air for breathing. An elephant can grab the smallest thing with its trunk, for example, a coin or some other small thing, and give it to its owner. When an elephant crosses the water, the trunk rises. The trunk has such strength that it can pull out a bush, and a whole tree with roots. The elephant has a double heart, it does not have a gallbladder, but it has huge lungs. The hind legs flex like a human, although some argue that they have no joints. The legs are round and have five toes. An elephant lives a very long time, some elephants live two hundred years, and some even three hundred, but a lot of elephants die from all sorts of diseases and as a result of various unexpected events. After sixty years, elephants are at their best age. Elephants are killed by many diseases. But the cold is especially dangerous for them. You can save an elephant from the cold if you give him thick red wine to drink. If an elephant eats a worm, which is called a chameleon, then he immediately dies from poisoning. Here only wild olives can save him. These fruits contain an antidote. If an elephant swallows a leech, great danger threatens him. It is useful for a tired elephant to anoint his back vegetable oil with salt and water mixed.
The elephant loves her cubs immensely, protects from various dangers and would rather sacrifice her life than leave her cub.
The elephant is completely tameable. He can hit the target with a stone, and he can also learn to write, read, dance and play the drum so perfectly that it is simply impossible to believe. Elephants are believed to worship the stars, the Sun and the Moon. When the sun rises, they turn to him and raise their trunks, as if calling the sun.
Elephants are afraid of snakes. In Ethiopia, they say, there are huge snakes, up to thirty steps long, they have no name, for some reason they are called suicides. As soon as the snake tracks down the elephant, it crawls onto a tall tree and hangs down, catching a branch with its tail. When the elephant approaches, she catches his eye, tears them out, and strangles the elephant.
Elephants serve people instead of horses for riding. Sometimes they are used in household work. An elephant can carry four people on its back. And if someone cannot resist and falls, he will pick him up with his trunk so that he does not break. The inhabitants of the Libyan country catch elephants only for the sake of tusks, which are considered very valuable, they are called ivory.
Elephants incredibly love their homeland, and if they are taken to a foreign country, they never forget their native places, they sigh and yearn for their country so much that they lose their mind and die more than once from tears and suffering.
Smoke from the burnt elephant hair of all poisonous snakes drive away. Elephant's tusk rubbed with honey, rashes, and spots on the face heal.
Zebra
- Read more: Burchell's zebra
In the country of the Congo, as in other parts of black Africa, there is a beast called a zebra. Outwardly, she looks like a mule, but is not barren. And its color is different from all other animals. It has three different colors: black, white and chestnut and is painted in stripes from the back to the stomach, three fingers wide.
Zebra runs fast like a horse.
This beast brings a cub into the world every year. Zebras live in very large herds. locals they consider the zebra a useless animal, not realizing that during peace and war it can replace a horse. But they live in ignorance, and they haven’t heard anything about horses, and they don’t know how to tame the beast, and therefore they carry the burden on their own back. They allow themselves to be carried by porters on their shoulders in high stretchers, and if they get out on a long journey, then a crowd of porters accompanies them. The porters replace each other, and with their quick step they will overtake the horse.
Giraffe
- Read more: common giraffe
A giraffe is a type of camel. He is a big music lover. Even if he gets very tired, having heard the song, he immediately continues his path. A giraffe can run faster than a horse. Giraffe meat contains harmful juice, and therefore it is hard to digest and tasteless. However, his milk is sweeter and better than human milk. Giraffe milk is recommended to drink when a person has irregular stools, it also helps with joint pain.
Among animals, as, indeed, among people, there are champions worthy of getting into the Guinness Book of Records. Some of them are recognized as the strongest, others - the fastest. And some can only boast of their huge weight or number of teeth. But today we are only interested in one category, which we will discuss below.
There are many terrestrial and marine life who can compete for the title heaviest animal in the world. If you ask passers-by on the street which animal is the heaviest, you can hear a variety of answers: an elephant and a buffalo, a whale and a shark, a hippopotamus and even a giraffe. But in this article, we must name the only terrestrial inhabitant whose weight and size significantly exceeds the parameters of competitors. You will find out how much an elephant and a hippopotamus weigh, and whether they can be considered the heaviest. First, let's get acquainted with some giants that live on land.
Kodiak bear
This is not the heaviest land animal, but I would like to mention it in our review. A subspecies which in many countries is under state protection. The average weight of a male exceeds 700 kilograms, and that of a female - 300 kilograms. At the same time, it must be said that cases have been recorded when the weight of the kodiak exceeded a ton.
White (polar) bear
It is the heaviest carnivore that lives on land. The biggest polar bear weighed a little over a ton and had a body length of about three meters. The height of the predator standing on its paws was 3.39 m. Average length torsos of males polar bear is about two and a half meters, the height at the withers is up to one and a half meters, and the average weight reaches eight hundred kilograms. Bears are about half the size of males, their weight does not exceed 300 kilograms. It is interesting that a hundred thousand years ago (during the Pleistocene era) a huge polar bear lived on earth, whose weight exceeded 1.2 tons, and its size was four meters in length.
Hippopotamus
This is one of the largest and heaviest animals living on Earth. The weight of large males often exceeds four tons, so the hippopotamus is a worthy competitor to the rhinoceros in the fight for second place in terms of mass among terrestrial inhabitants.
buy hippo and get better at vivo found only in Africa, south of the Sahara, although in ancient times, for example, it had a wider range. This giant lived in the territory North Africa, as well as scientists believe that he lived in the Middle East. However, by early Middle Ages it was destroyed in these regions. In 2006 international union The Nature Conservancy declared the hippopotamus vulnerable.
The number of these animals at that time did not exceed one hundred and fifty thousand heads. The natives of Africa destroy hippos primarily for the sake of meat, so bloody wars and instability in many countries of the continent force starving people to look for food, thereby causing great damage to the animal population.
African elephant
This is the heaviest animal in the world that lives on land. From fellows living on other continents, it differs not only in body weight, but also huge ears, which help him feel most comfortable under the rays of the scorching African sun.
The tusks of these giants are highly valued. It was they who nearly became the cause of the complete extermination of elephants. A huge number of animals were killed for expensive trophies. The situation with the disappearance of the population was saved by nature reserves and national parks.
The weight of African elephants is impressive: adult males weigh more than 7.5 tons, but at the same time, the heaviest land animal is very mobile, swims well and feels confident even on rocky terrain. African elephants are herbivores. They feed on young shoots of trees and shrubs, grass. An adult absorbs up to one hundred kilograms of green mass per day. Animals form small herds of 9-14 individuals. In addition to humans, elephants have no enemies in nature.
Knowing how much an elephant and a hippopotamus weigh, different ones can easily determine the leader by body weight. This, of course, African elephant, which is the heaviest land animal. It's time to get acquainted with the underwater inhabitants. Perhaps in sea depths lives the heaviest animal in the world.
whale shark
This is the largest shark among its relatives. Despite the impressive size (up to twenty meters) and impressive weight (up to twenty tons), this is not the heaviest. Representatives of this species live in the southern and northern seas. Northern individuals are much larger.
This gray-brown giant, covered with white spots, the location of which is unique to each individual, lives for about seventy years. They feed by filtering out plankton and filtering the water. During the day, the shark passes 350 tons of water and eats more than two hundred kilograms of plankton. The mouth of this "fish" can accommodate up to five people, its jaws are strewn with fifteen thousand small teeth.
But these inhabitants of the depths are never the first to attack a person, and many scuba divers even touch them. whale sharks little studied and very slow. Their number is small, so the species is listed in the Red Book.
sperm whale - toothed whale
Another very large, but not the heaviest animal. The weight of an adult male is about seventy tons, and its body length reaches twenty meters. The body shape of the sperm whale (in the form of a drop) allows it to short time(during the migration period) long journeys.
Sperm whales, unlike whales, live in groups of up to 150 animals. The representative of the species has a huge rectangular head, compressed on the sides. It makes up a third of the entire body of the whale. Below is a mouth with cone-shaped teeth. In these animals, the lower jaw is mobile and can open almost 90 degrees, which helps to capture rather large prey.
Sperm whales (sperm whales) have one blowhole located in front of the head. It is slightly shifted to the left. Sperm whales feed on cephalopods and fish. But at the same time, they can attack seals, dive to the bottom for squid, crabs, sponges and mollusks, descending to a depth of more than 400 meters.
The blue whale is the heaviest animal
This is really the largest animal on our planet. The length of the body reaches thirty meters, and the mass blue whale is 180 tons and above. The females are slightly larger than the males.
It's hard to imagine, but the tongue of this sea giant weighs about 2.7 tons, which is comparable to the weight Indian elephant. The blue whale has the largest heart among mammals: it weighs 900 kilograms. To imagine its dimensions, look at the Mini Cooper car. They are comparable in size and weight.
The heaviest animal in the world has an elongated and rather slender body. On a huge head are disproportionately small eyes. The pointed muzzle has a wide lower jaw. The blue whale has a blowhole, from which, when exhaling, it releases a fountain of water, reaching a height of 10 meters. In front of the blowhole there is a well-marked longitudinal ridge - the so-called breakwater.
This giant has dorsal, strongly shifted back. Compared to its body size, it is quite small and triangular in shape. Its rear edge is covered with scratches, forming an individual pattern for each whale.
Physiological features
The sense of smell and vision of the blue whale are rather poorly developed. But the sense of touch and hearing are excellent. Representatives of this species of whales have a huge lung capacity, and the amount of blood exceeds eight thousand liters. Despite its impressive size, the blue whale has a narrow throat with a diameter of only ten centimeters. The pulse of this is 5-10 beats per minute and rarely rises to 20 beats.
The skin of the blue whale is even and smooth, except for the stripes on the belly and throat. These animals are practically not overgrown with crustaceans, which often settle on other whales in large numbers. The color of the animal is predominantly gray with a blue tint. The head and lower jaw are usually painted in a darker and more intense gray.
The giraffe is the second tallest (after the elephant) African animal with a unique color and a unique shape of spots that can easily do without water. longer than a camel. Giraffes live mainly in savannahs, open steppes with a small number of trees and shrubs, the leaves and branches of which are eaten.
Giraffes are incredibly peaceful creatures that live in small herds of no more than 12-15 individuals. Each handsome spotted loves other members of his herd and respects the leader, which is why animals almost always manage to avoid any skirmishes and conflicts.
If a fight is inevitable, giraffes arrange bloodless duels, during which rivals come close to each other and fight with their necks. Such a fight (mainly between males) lasts no more than 15 minutes, after which the defeated retreats and continues to live in the herd as an ordinary member. Males and females also selflessly protect the offspring of their herd, especially the parents, who without much thought ready to pounce on a pack of hyenas or lions if they threaten the lives of babies.
In nature, the only animal dangerous to the giraffe is the lion, and the only relative is the okapi, since all other giraffes are considered extinct.
The uniqueness of the behavior and physiology of giraffes
Of all mammals, the giraffe is the owner of the longest tongue (50 cm), which helps to absorb up to 35 kg of plant food daily. With a black or dark purple tongue, the animal can also clean its ears.
Giraffes are very sharp eyesight, and the huge growth additionally allows you to notice the danger at a very long distance. Another African animal is unique in that he has the biggest heart(up to 60 cm long and weighing up to 11 kg) among all mammals and the highest blood pressure. The giraffe differs from other animals in the size of the step, because the length of the legs of an adult is 6-8 meters, which allows it to reach speeds of up to 60 km / h.
Giraffe cubs are no less unique - an hour after the birth, the babies are already quite firmly on their feet. At birth, the height of the cub is approximately 1.5 m, and the weight is about 100 kg. 7-10 days after the birth, the baby begins to form small horns that were previously depressed. The mother looks for other females with newborns nearby, after which they arrange for their offspring some kind of kindergarten. At this time, the kids are in danger, because each parent relies on the vigilance of other females, and cubs often become prey to predators. For this reason, only a quarter of the offspring usually survive to a year.
Giraffes only sometimes sleep lying down - large quantity Animals spend time in an upright position, place their heads between tree branches, which almost completely eliminates the possibility of falling, and sleep standing up.
Curious facts about giraffes
Other "giraffes"
- The constellation Giraffe (derived from the Latin "Camelopardalis") is a circumpolar constellation that it is best to observe on the territory of the CIS countries from November to January.
- The Giraffe piano (derived from the German "Giraffenklavier") is one of the varieties of vertical piano early XIX century, having received its name due to the silhouette, reminiscent of the animal of the same name.
The giraffe is a surprisingly intelligent animal with unique habits that are characteristic only of him. Peacefulness, meek disposition and funny appearance of these animals will not leave indifferent any person.