Large land animal. The largest animals in the world

Let's take a look at the giants that still roam the Earth.

15. Giant flying fox ≈ 1.5 kg

The largest bat on earth. These the bats in the Philippines. The body size of a fox is about 55 cm, weight is 1.5 kg, but the wingspan is very solid - up to 1.8 meters.

14. Belgian flandre giant - up to 25 kg

A domesticated form of a hare (rabbit). The main selection was carried out in the meat-skin direction, which left an imprint on its size. This is the most large breed rabbits. Their average weight is 10-12 kg, the maximum recorded is 25 kg.

13. Chinese giant salamander ≈ 70 kg

The largest amphibian on earth. The length of the salamander reaches 180 cm. These amazing creatures live in China, where their meat is revered as a delicacy, so few salamanders grow to their maximum size.

12. Capybara ≈ 105 kg

The largest rodent on earth. These cute animals live in South America. Adult capybaras grow up to 1.5 meters in length, and in weight they can gain up to 105 kg. By the way, these rodents are happy to live next to a person.

11. Giant green anaconda ≈ 250 kg

This close relative of the python, on Earth. She lives in the tropics South America. The maximum recorded body length is more than 7.5 meters, and the weight is 250 kilograms. The Asian python surpasses the anaconda in length, which is 9.7 meters, but loses in weight.

10. Polar bear ≈ 500 kg

To find yourself big bear in the world you need to go to the arctic. There, among the snow and ice, majestic polar bears live - a living embodiment of the formidable forces of nature.

The Inuit call polar bears "nanook", which means "respected".

At birth, a newborn polar bear cub weighs only 700 grams. And the milk that he eats is superior in fat content to the milk of other types of bears. Two months after birth, the bear cub weighs 10 kg.

Until a year and a half, a caring mother accompanies him everywhere. And in two years old, while many human children still have difficulty walking and soiling diapers, the young polar bear is already gaining its normal weight and is capable of picking up a bearded seal, a ringed seal, or even a person if he is not careful enough.

Even for the world's largest bear, finding food can be a challenge. Less than two percent hunting polar bear successful, so half of their lives are spent in search of food.

9. Salted crocodile ≈ 590 kg

Most of the largest animals are not peaceful in nature. But even among them, combed crocodiles stand out for their aggressiveness and bloodthirstiness. even got into the Guinness Book of Records for the fact that, together with relatives, he ate a thousand Japanese soldiers during World War II.

But it is unlikely that combed crocodiles can be counted among the allies, because they would have just as much enjoyed eating Russian, American and any other soldiers.

8. Giraffe ≈ 800 kg

Among the largest animals in the world, giraffes immediately stand out with their long necks. Thanks to her, they are the tallest land creatures on the planet. The neck is 1/3 the length of the animal's body and, at the same time, consists of only seven cervical vertebrae, like in most other mammals.

About giraffes, you can safely say that they have a big heart. It weighs 12 kilograms, and creates pressure that would terrify any hypertensive patient. What the body will not do so that the blood can reach the brain.

Giraffes are also famous for their long tongues. Only they need him not for gossip, but in order to eat leaves from the very tall trees in the African savanna. In length, this organ reaches as much as 45 centimeters.

7. Hippo ≈ up to 4.5 tons

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the third largest land animal in the world. But hippos don't really like to walk on the ground. They are semi-aquatic mammals, meaning they spend most of their day in rivers and lakes. This is how they keep their hairless body moisturized under the scorching African sun. If the hippopotamus does not have the opportunity to plunge into cool water, its skin cracks.

Female hippos began to give birth underwater long before it was fashion trend in human world. By the way, hippos are one of the few mammals whose cubs can suck their mother's milk while underwater.

In most European languages, the hippopotamus is called the "hippo". This word came from the Latin language (and there, in turn, from Greek) and in translation means “river horse”. Of course, this massive creature cannot be compared with, but in the water it is very fast and agile.

6. Southern elephant seal ≈ 2.2 tons

Among the largest animals of our planet, there are two elephants at once, and one of them is terrestrial, and the second is marine.

This seal got its name for a leather bag on its nose, which, during anxiety or during mating fights, swells up, turning into a large ball.

5. White rhino ≈ 2.3 tons

The old joke about the rhinoceros is that it has poor eyesight, but at such a large size, this is no longer its problem. Indeed, these giants do not particularly rely on sight. And even hearing plays a secondary role. But the sense of smell in white rhinos is very well developed. So don't approach it from the windward side.

By the way, unlike their small counterparts, black rhinos, whites usually run away when they see a person. But Black is attacking.

Due to the uncontrolled extermination of white rhinos, the northern subspecies has disappeared. This happened quite recently, in 2018, when the last male named Sudan died. So now we can only admire the photo of these largest animals in the world.

But the southern population still exists. But the question is: for how long?

4. African bush elephant ≈ 7 tons

Before you is a seven-ton answer to the question of what is the largest animal among terrestrial creatures. Due to its size and body weight, the elephant entered the Guinness Book of Records as the largest land mammal. Among the savannah elephants there are also their own heavyweights. So, in Angola in 1974, an elephant weighing 12.2 tons was shot dead.

Like their smaller counterparts, African elephants can use their trunks (which have over 40,000 muscles) to lift anything up to 180kg. Unfortunately, the largest land animal does not boast the largest population. 25,000 elephants die each year due to poaching.

3. Great whale shark ≈ 20 tons

It seems strange that - this is not the most terrible representative of the shark species. She doesn't even hunt whales, contrary to her name. Unlike most of its predatory counterparts, the great whale shark is content with plankton for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

This sea giant does not swim very fast, and almost does not pay attention to people swimming nearby. This allows divers to ride on the back of a whale shark if they wish.

In videos of the world's largest animals, you can often see people swimming with whale sharks.

2. Sperm whale ≈ 40 tons

One of better ways to recognize a sperm whale in the ocean - by its massive head. Sperm whales have the largest brain of all living creatures on Earth, it weighs up to 7.8 kg.

However, the fact that their heads are filled with spermaceti makes the biology of these creatures so fascinating. It is the spermaceti sac that accounts for 90% of the weight of the sperm whale's head.

Scientists suggest that it is spermaceti that helps these huge toothed whales dive and emerge from the depths. There must be something that keeps all 40 tons of sperm whale afloat!

1. Blue whale ≈ 150 tons

The largest animal on Earth is a majestic, carnivorous sea ​​creature, which weighs a whopping 150 tons and reaches a length of 33 meters. And this is still on average, since the whalers met both 180-ton and even 190-ton whales.

The heart of a blue whale is one and a half meters in size, weighs about 180 kilograms, and its aorta is wide enough for a baby to swim through it.

However, despite their gigantic size, blue whales are not dangerous to humans. They do not attack swimmers and feed on krill, small crustaceans, cephalopods and fish.

But a man for a blue whale is the most dangerous opponent. Due to active whaling and severe pollution of the seas, the largest animal in the world almost disappeared. In 1693, only 5 thousand individuals remained. And although now the population of the blue whale has grown to 10 thousand individuals, it is still on the verge of extinction.

Everyone knows that the largest animal in history, the giant animal lived on Earth many millions of years ago - this is a dinosaur. There were many kinds. And today, the size of prehistoric animals seems simply stunning.

However, the modern animal world is no less amazing and diverse. The earth is full of creatures striking in their size and shape. It’s even hard to imagine what affected their weight and height so much. However, they are what they are, and feel quite comfortable among people.

And yet, what is the largest animal? This is what you have to find out. What kind of creatures are they, and in what conditions do they live. So, below is a rating of the 10 largest animals on our planet. This list is based on the height, length, and mass of the creatures. Let's start from the end.

Saltwater crocodile

In tenth place is the saltwater crocodile. It is also called combed or spongy. This crocodile is the largest reptile in the world. An adult male can grow up to seven meters in length, weighing over a ton! As a rule, the length of most crocodiles is about five meters. And they weigh an average of eight hundred kilograms.

Salted crocodiles are quite widespread. Their habitat begins in Northern Australia and ends in Southeast Asia. The crocodile is an active predator. In his daily diet insects, mollusks, crustaceans, various small amphibians and fish. But any animal that wanders into its territory becomes a potential victim. Having guarded the victim on land, the crocodile drags it under water, to where it is already useless to resist.

Interesting fact: the saltwater crocodile is highly valued for its skin, which serves as a material for handbags, shoes, clothes, etc. Therefore, this type of crocodiles is grown in artificial conditions: on special farms.

black rhinoceros

Since black rhinos are huge, powerful and absolutely fearless, they have no enemies among animals. But they are easy prey for numerous poachers. Black rhinoceroses prefer to move along the same paths, and besides, they see very poorly. Therefore, they are an excellent target for trophy hunters.

Walrus

In eighth place - walrus. This is perhaps the largest animal that has existed since the time ice age. Thus, the fossils found in San Francisco Bay are about twenty-eight thousand years old.

Walruses are truly huge: their length reaches three meters, and their weight fluctuates around two tons! These animals have very strong and thick skin. Especially in the neck, where it reaches ten centimeters. And under the skin is another layer of fat fifteen centimeters. Thanks to this, walruses feel great in harsh Arctic conditions. The diet of these animals mainly consists of molluscs, but fish also occasionally come across.

white rhino

Seventh place - white rhinos. They are considered the second largest herbivores on the planet. Grow up to two meters in height and four - in length. Rhinos are heavyweights. Some large individuals reach eight tons!

Interesting fact: despite the name, these animals have a gray color. Why, then, is the "white" rhinoceros, and not the "gray" one? Most likely, the rhinos got this name due to the fact that there was a distortion of the Boer word "wijde". It translates as "broad-faced". And it sounds like English word"white" (white).

Hippopotamus (hippopotamus)

In sixth place is the indigenous inhabitant of Africa from the order of artiodactyls - the hippopotamus. Hippos grow up to one and a half meters in height and five in length. The weight of these mammals fluctuates around three tons, or even more. Throughout life, the mass of the hippopotamus gradually increases. The same applies to his teeth. In old hippos, teeth can reach half a meter!

An interesting fact is that only one hippo skin weighs half a ton.

southern elephant seal

Fifth place is occupied by the southern elephant seal - the largest animal on earth from the category of pinnipeds. Large and obese, elephant seals grow up to six meters in length. And their body weight is about five tons. The largest of the elephant seals was shot in the winter of 1913 in South Georgia. It weighed over five tons and was seven meters long.

The main diet of these animals is fish and squid, which live at a depth of up to a thousand meters. In search of prey, elephant seals dive many times and spend a lot of time under water. So the record was registered - the animal was under the ode for about two hours. By the way, these mammals spend most of their lives in the open ocean; they get out on land rather rarely, as a rule, during the breeding season.

Southern elephant seals are the largest dangerous animals. They are - largest predators in the world.

Indian elephant

The Indian elephant also has a second name - "Asian". He would have deserved the title of "the largest animal in the world" living on land, "if not for his African counterpart. Elephants reach a height of three and a half meters, and a length of about six meters. In addition, these animals have a fairly long tail (from a meter to two). The weight of an Indian elephant can reach five and a half tons. By the way, females are much smaller than males.

Asian elephants are forest dwellers. Most often they can be found in subtropical and tropical regions. deciduous forests. Elephants love bamboo and shrubs. They move easily through overgrown jungles and swampy areas.

An interesting fact: Indian elephants live in packs, led by the most experienced and adult female.

African elephant

In third place in the ranking is the African elephant - the largest animal among those who live on land. Males weigh about six tons and reach eight meters in length and three in height. Females weigh half as much, and in height - no more than two to three meters.

The largest animal living on land has practically no enemies. Of course, due to its size. But little elephants are still attacked by bloodthirsty lions, leopards, hyenas and crocodiles.

Elephants are surprisingly fast moving. So, their average speed is about forty km / h. Thus, an elephant can easily overtake a person. Of course, such dimensions require a lot of food: for example, one elephant can eat about three hundred kilograms of grass per day. These animals are very intelligent and even capable of compassion. But, despite this, they are considered one of the most dangerous on the planet.

An interesting fact: due to their huge size, the African elephant has to sleep standing up.

Sperm whale

Second place goes to the sperm whale. To date, it is the largest animal on earth from the suborder of toothed whales, as well as the only remaining member of the sperm whale family. Huge male sperm whales reach twenty meters in length and weigh fifty tons! But the female representatives are much smaller: up to eleven meters in length, weighing fifteen tons. Of course, you can meet larger sperm whales, but this is an exception.

In nature, adult male sperm whales have no enemies. And for cubs and females, only killer whales pose a threat.

An interesting fact: thirty-five percent of the total body of a sperm whale is only one head.

Blue whale

So, the largest animal (photo - in the article) is the blue whale. Other names are blue, or vomited. Refers to marine mammals. In total, there are three types of these giants in the world - southern, northern and dwarf whales. They practically do not differ in outward signs and sizes. Sometimes scientists distinguish a fourth species - the Indian whale. Northern and southern blue whales live in cold circumpolar waters, while pygmy whales live in tropical seas. All subspecies lead almost the same lifestyle. They usually swim alone, sometimes in pairs. You can also meet small groups, but even in them each of the whales keeps separately.

The blue whale is the largest animal in the world that has ever existed and is known to science. Even dinosaurs are not able to compete with him - he is truly huge! So, an adult can grow up to thirty meters in length. Weight can be about one hundred and eighty tons. Yes, only one tongue of this animal weighs as much as Indian elephant medium size (about three tons).

At blue whale the biggest heart in the world. It is about the size of a car and weighs about the same. The volume of the lungs reaches three thousand liters. This allows the whales to stay at underwater depths for about half an hour without oxygen. These giants swim fast enough (about forty km / h). You can notice them even from afar by the ten-meter fountains that arise during the ascent to the surface.

The blue whale's diet consists mainly of plankton and small shrimp-like creatures. They are called "krill". Every day, whales consume about forty million representatives of krill.

largest pet

But what about our smaller brothers, whom we tamed? Among them, too, there are quite large individuals, which cannot be ignored.

The most big breed dogs is an English mastiff. On average, males grow up to ninety centimeters and weigh about one hundred and twenty kilograms. Bitches weigh a little less - somewhere up to a hundred kilograms. These dogs are aristocrats. They are loved not only for power, but also for poise, courage, and peacefulness. The English Mastiff will make both an excellent watchdog and a fun companion dog.

The largest animal in the world of this breed is an English mastiff named Aikama Zorbo. He got into the Guinness Book of Records due to his weight of one hundred and fifty-odd kilograms.

The largest breed of domestic cats is the Ashera. It reaches a meter in length and at the same time weighs about fifteen kilograms.

This is an exotic hybrid cat that looks like a small leopard. This species was released in 2006. To create Ashera, the genes of the African serval, Asian leopard and common domestic cats were mixed. The animal got its name thanks to the pagan goddess Ashera.

This cat is not only the largest, but also the most expensive. So, the Ashera kitten costs more than twenty thousand dollars. However, this does not bother those who want to get such a pet, they take a queue in advance. This cat is a rarity, as the company raises only a hundred animals a year.

Ashera is somewhat reminiscent of a small sphinx. She is the perfect pet. It is considered hypoallergenic, loves to play with children, rub against his legs and, of course, sleep. Yes, and absolutely not picky about food. Ashera is the only one of all cats who can be walked on a leash.

The world's largest rabbit is the Belgian flandre. This is a very ancient Flemish breed, bred in the sixteenth century (the city of Ghent, Belgium). These rabbits can weigh about thirty pounds (thirteen kilograms) and be the size of a large dog.

Instruction

The extinct dinosaur Amphicelia is described from a fragment of a single dilapidated vertebra, so its size and the very existence of this dinosaur are in doubt. According to calculations, its length ranged from 40 to 62 meters, and its weight was up to 155 tons. Scientific: kingdom - animals, type - chordates, - reptiles, - lizards, infraorder - sauropods, family - diplopoids, genus - amphicoelias.

The blue whale is a marine modern animal, the length of which reaches 33 meters, and the mass can exceed 150 tons. Scientific classification: domain - eukaryotes, kingdom - animals, type - chordates, class - mammals, order -, family - minke whales, genus - minke whales, species - blue whale. It feeds on plankton filtered through a lamellar whalebone: the food is based on krill, less often larger crustaceans, small slave and. There are four subspecies of the blue whale - northern, southern, pygmy and Indian. They differ slightly in size and latitude. The blue whale is found throughout the world's oceans. Whales rarely gather in small groups, single individuals are more common. By 1960, thanks to whaling, the blue whale was on the verge of extinction. To date, their total number does not exceed 10,000 individuals. In the blue whale, females are much larger than males, it is believed that whales (vomited) were previously larger than modern individuals. Their eyesight and sense of smell are poor. Hearing and touch are well developed. The weight of the tongue is 4 tons, and the size of the pharynx is only 10 cm in diameter. The volume of the lungs exceeds 3 thousand liters. Large individuals have a blood volume of over 8 thousand liters. The heart of the blue whale is the largest in the entire animal kingdom and its weight is about one ton, and its pulse is 5-10 beats per minute. Females give birth once every 2 years, and the pregnancy lasts 11 months. However, population growth cannot compensate for its decline. A born baby weighs about 2-3 tons and reaches a length of 6-8 meters. The cub feeds on mother's milk for 7 months and grows up to 16 meters during this period. Whales reach physical maturity by the age of 15, and live up to 80-90 years.

Millions of years ago, our planet was inhabited by huge animals - dinosaurs. Today there are no such giants, however, even today there are creatures of incredible size on Earth. What 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 that inhabit the land. grow in height up to 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 more than two and a half meters, their weight is about three thousand kilograms.

Interestingly, the adult African elephant does not have natural enemies, which, however, is not at all surprising, given the huge size of the animal. But for newborn elephants, lions, crocodiles, leopards and hyenas pose a serious threat.

Seal

In front of you is an elephant seal (southern) - a representative of the genus of elephant seals, a family of real seals. This is the largest representative of pinnipeds on our planet. Its mass reaches 4 tons, and its body length is more than 6 meters. This largest animal in the world (carnivore) got its name because of the obese body and unusual skin bag on the nose of males, which swells into a huge ball during the mating season or when the seal is alarmed.

It was called southern in order to distinguish it from its close relative- a northern elephant seal that lives off the Californian coast and is significantly inferior to it in size. Surprisingly, the basis of the diet of these huge animals is squid and fish that live at a depth of up to a thousand meters. In search of food, seals dive and spend a lot of time underwater. The diving record was officially registered - about two hours.

Elephant seals spend most of their lives in the waters of the ocean, quite rarely they get out on land, usually this happens during the mating season. Often at this time, males arrange real fights.

Giraffe

Answering the question, what is the largest land animal in the world, many of our readers will probably say: "Giraffe!" Indeed, no one on our planet can compare with his growth. artiodactyl mammal grows up to six meters in height. Males weigh on average about 1600 kilograms, females are almost half as much - 830 kilograms.

Even children know about the features of this animal - a long and strong neck, which is 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 polar (or polar) bears can claim this title, but there is also a variety in the world brown bear- Kodiak, which in size is not inferior to the northern giants. In terms of size, these animals are almost equal, so scientists have not yet come to a consensus on which of them is larger.

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 let's go to Japan, where the largest animal (amphibian) lives. The giant (gigantic) salamander is listed in the World Red Book, as it is currently on the verge of extinction.

It is difficult to call this creature attractive: it huge body completely covered with mucus, the huge head is slightly flattened from above. A long tail laterally compressed, legs thick, but disproportionately short. tiny eyes resemble beads, and they are devoid of eyelids. 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 the weight is about thirty kilograms.

An interesting fact is that this amphibian has very tasty meat, which is considered a delicacy. In addition, some of her organs are used in traditional medicine. Healers claim that preparations made on the basis of giant salamander meat cure gastrointestinal diseases, tuberculosis and some blood diseases.

ocean sunfish

Now let's talk about aquatic life. This is not the largest animal in the world, but it is impossible not to mention it in our review. We are sure that if one of the diving enthusiasts meets such a fish on his way, he will certainly experience a shock.

In the ocean sunfish (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 kilograms and almost two meters long can amaze even experienced travelers who have seen many outlandish animals. The largest bony fish lives and breeds in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Often it can be seen in the waters off Iceland, Newfoundland, Norway, Britain, the Kola Peninsula.

Saltwater crocodile

This giant reptile has a fairly large habitat - from the east coast of India and Southeast Asia to Northern Australia. An adult male saltwater crocodile weighs up to a thousand kilograms, and is up to 5.5 meters long. These are average values. Researchers claim that there are males over 6 meters long.

The saltwater crocodile is an active predator feeding on mollusks, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, fish and small reptiles. At the same time, he attacks almost any animal that appears on his territory, regardless of where he is - on land or in water.

Sperm whale

Only one species of sperm whale lives on Earth today. In length, they reach twenty meters and weigh almost fifty tons. With such an impressive appearance, the animal in the depths of the ocean has no enemies. The only exception may be killer whales, which sometimes attack females and their offspring.

giant tridacna

In front of you (pictured below) is the world's largest mollusk. The order of animals to which it belongs is called the Veneroid. It combines from a subclass of heterodents.

The giant tridacna, common in pacific ocean, has a huge shell. Its length is more than two meters. The weight of the mollusk is 400 kilograms. An interesting fact is that zooxanthellae live in the tissues of the animal, living through photosynthesis and being food for the mollusk. Tridacna also digests part of the algae directly in the tissues, since the intestines are 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 the mollusk. The shell valves are massive, thick, and uniform in shape. Like all representatives of this subclass, the clam shell does not have a mother-of-pearl layer.

The “king of mollusks” lives in the Pacific and Indian oceans, at a depth of 25 m. It is called a killer, since there have been cases when divers accidentally fell into their doors and died. The valves of clam shells are sensitive to water vibrations, so they can easily close at the slightest movement near the mantle. Tridacna live for almost two centuries.

Giant clams can produce quite large pearls: the largest documented pearl of Lao Tzu weighs about seven kilograms. However, these pearls have no jewelry value.

The largest animal in the world is the blue whale

it marine mammal up to thirty meters long and weighing about 180 tons. Such dimensions allow us to assert that the blue whale is the largest animal in the world that currently lives on our planet.

Despite its huge size, it feeds on 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 presence of a filtering apparatus, consisting of whalebone plates, the blue whale in summer months consumes up to forty million krill daily. The tongue of a whale 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.

24.03.2013

Do you know what are the most big animals on the ground? Then you can view this top 10 and find out what big animal, although this list contains various species and terrestrial inhabitants and underwater and birds, etc. But all of them are huge in relation to those animals that we observe every day.

10 Giant Green Anaconda

The largest and heaviest snake in the world. Belongs to the subfamily of boas. The largest of the recorded individuals reached 11.43 m in length. Weighs about 60 kg. It has a grayish-green color with brown spots. It lives mainly in the tropical zone of South America. He loves water and very rarely leaves water bodies. It differs in that it can swim and dive magnificently. It feeds on rodents, young crocodiles, birds and turtles. Very rarely attacks large animals, and a person - only in case of self-defense. Strangles the victim and swallows it.

9 Southern Elephant Seal

One of the biggest animals on earth and large view seal in the world. The largest recorded specimens reached 6.5 m and 3.5 tons. But its trunk is shorter than that of its relatives - only 10 cm. The total number is about 750 thousand individuals. The colonies of the southern elephant seal are located on the subantarctic archipelagos and islands: South Georgia, Kerguelen, Hurd, Macquarie.

8. African ostrich

The largest bird in the world. Its height reaches 250 cm, weight up to 150 kg. It cannot fly, but it runs at speeds up to 70 km / h, taking steps of 3.5-4 m. If necessary, it can abruptly change direction without changing speed. Contrary to popular belief, he does not hide his head in the sand, but he can “drop” it to the ground from fatigue after a long run.

7. Saltwater crocodile

Saltwater crocodile - is the largest of the crocodiles. Body length up to 7 m in males, up to 3 m in females. Adult males can gain weight up to 1000 kg. Most often found on the shores of Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. But it also makes its way to other popular resorts. Able to make long voyages on the high seas. It is extremely dangerous on the coast or shallow water, where it is easy for him to sneak up on prey. Every year many people become its victims.

6. Polar bear

Other names: polar, northern, sea bear, oshkuy. It can reach 3 m in length and 1000 kg of body weight. The largest representatives are found in the Bering Sea. It differs from other bears in its flat head and long neck. Hunts for seals, bearded seals, walruses, fish. A very thick layer of subcutaneous fat and thick fur help it survive in cold and icy water.

5. Giraffe

The tallest animal It lives in the savannas of Africa. Height up to 6 m, body weight up to 1200 kg. Despite the unusually long neck, like other mammals, it has only seven cervical vertebrae. But he has a very strong heart, capable of passing 60 liters of blood per minute and creating pressure three times greater than that of a person. Daily consumes about 30 kg of plant foods. The color of a giraffe is as unique as human fingerprints.

4 White Rhino

Second in size big animal land after the elephant. Body length up to 4.2 m, weight up to 5 tons, shoulder height up to 2 m. Actually, it is not white at all, but dark gray. The name most likely comes from a distorted Boer word wijde (wide, wide-faced), consonant with English white (white). It has two horns, which it successfully uses in fights with rivals. Lives in South and Northwest Africa. It feeds on herbaceous plants.

3. Hippo

Belongs to the order of artiodactyls, the suborder of swine. Distributed on the African continent. Weight can reach 4 tons, length up to 5.4 m. Leads a predominantly semi-aquatic lifestyle. The mouth of a hippopotamus can open unusually wide - 150 degrees. Interestingly, the hippopotamus is able to run very fast on land. Pretty aggressive animal. When provoked by a person, he is able to attack unexpectedly.

2. African elephant

Mammal of the proboscis order. Height at the shoulders up to 4 m, weight - 7.5 tons. Habitat - Africa south of the Sahara. Includes two modern look- bush elephant and forest elephant. More than their Indian relatives and the most big animal among the land. Only 500-600 thousand of these giants remained in nature. An unusually intelligent animal, capable of mutual assistance and mutual assistance. For example, if one elephant cannot get rid of a sucking leech, another can take a stick and free a friend from a bloodsucker. The same applies to .

1. Blue whale