First, there were the dinosaurs. The largest creature to ever roam our planet. But, since their extinction, many other enormous animals have walked this earth.
The animals and insects on this list are the largest of their kinds. While some are anomalies, born larger than their typical species, some are just always this HUGE. Warning: this might make you think twice about your next outdoor excursion…
English Bull
Field Marshall, a bull from England, weighed almost 2 tons. In 2009, the bull was 8 years old, and his 80-year-old owner claimed he was healthy and thought he would only get larger.
Percheron Stallion
Windermere’s North American Maid, (yes, that’s his name) is one enormous horse. He’s 19 hands tall and his owners say he is the complete package of size and style. He’s a draft horse and a Percheron supreme world champion.
Titan Longhorn Beetle
These huge beetles live in the rainforests of South America. They are the largest beetles in the world, measuring around 6.6 inches and pinchers that can crush a pencil in half.
Wouldn’t you hate to run into one of these hiding under your fridge?
Saltwater Crocodile
Brutus, the saltwater crocodile became known when he feasted on a bull shark. This 18-foot-long croc was discovered by audiences cruising on the Adelaide River. Saltwater crocs can survive in both fresh and salt water and is the largest living reptile on the planet.
Giant Mekong Catfish
Back in 2005, a 646-pound giant catfish was caught in the Mekong River. The Mekong Giant catfish is one of the worlds largest freshwater fishes. The Thai fisherman who caught it had no idea, but this fish was the largest freshwater catch ever.
But that wasn’t the only thing found in the Mekong River…
Enormous Wild Boar
Believe it or not, this wild boar was shot on the Lost Creek Plantation in Anniston, Alabama by 11-year-old Jamison Stone in May of 2007. This beast weighed 1,051 pounds and was over nine feet long! He hunted the boar for three hours, and it snarled at him. Much like this next creature…
Japanese Spider Crab
Imagine seeing this crab creeping around at your local beach? Luckily, the Japanese Spider crab isn’t around North America, but it is the largest crab in the world. They can grow up to 18 feet from claw to claw and can weigh up to 42 pounds.
Giant Cow
Chilli, the cow, stands tall at 6 feet 6 inches and weighs 2,750 pounds. He is already 18 inches taller than a regular-sized cow. His owner, Jenny Wheadon, said he just continued to grow…
The Ocean Sunfish
The Mola Mola, or the Ocean Sunfish, is the biggest and heaviest bony fish in the world. A typical sunfish weighs over 2,200 pounds, but this record fish weighed over 5,100 pounds and was 14 feet long. It doesn’t even look real…
Tallest Donkey
The tallest living donkey, named Oklahoma Sam, was only four when she beat the record for donkey height. Standing at 15.3 hands in length she practically doubled the standard size for a donkey (8 hands).
Giant Oarfish
The longest bony fish in the world is the giant Oarfish. The largest oarfish ever found weight over 600 pounds. This fish is typically referred to as a sea serpent because they can reach around 110 feet in length.
Red Tibetan Mastiff
Originating with the nomadic cultures of Tibet, China, India, Mongolia, and Nepal, the Tibetan Mastiff is used by local tribes of Tibetans to protect sheep from wolves, leopards, bears, large mustelids, and tigers. Fully grown mastiffs can weight up to 286 pounds—one of them once sold for $1.5 million!
Freshwater Stingray
The freshwater stingray can weight up to 1,300 pounds. These are the other large creatures found in the Mekong River, often hunter for meat and recreation.
Bismarck Flying Fox – pt 1
The Bismarck flying fox lives in Papua New Guinea. With a wingspan of 5.25 feet, the flying fox is the largest bat in the world. Fun fact: they are one of the few species of mammals in which males are able to lactate and feed their young.
Bismarck Flying Fox – pt 2
Here’s a second look at the Bismarck Flying Fox. While the creature is a bat, it’s fox-looking face gave it its name.
Great Dane
Giant George was the world’s tallest living dog according to the Guinness Book of World Records. He weighed 245 pounds, stood 3’7″ from foot to should, and was almost 7 feet long. Unfortunately, this breed isn’t known for longevity, and George passed away just before his 8th birthday.
Chinese Pig
Pigs usually weigh in at 100-240 pounds, but one pig in China blew that number out of the water. He weighed almost 1 ton!
Flemish Giant Rabbit
The largest Flemish Giant Rabbit of record was 4 feet 3 inches long. He measured the same length as his canine best friend!
Coconut Crab – pt 1
Coconut crabs are the largest crabs in the world. They’re in the hermit crab family and can measure 3’3″ long and weigh 9 pounds. While they may look intimidating their diet is usually filled with fruits and seeds.
Coconut Crab – pt 2
The coconut crab’s claws are strong enough to crush a coconut, which is where their name derives from. Luckily, they are gentle giants.
Cinereous Vulture
The Cinereous Vulture is the largest bird of prey in the world. They typically feed on carrion, the decaying flesh of dead animals. Impressively, their wingspan measure between 8-10 feet and weigh up to 31 pounds.
Largest Jellyfish
The bell of the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, the largest jellyfish in the world, measures about 7’6″ inches, with tentacles reaching up to 121 feet in length. The appearance of its tentacles give this jellyfish its name.
Amazonian Ant
The Amazonian Ant is one of the largest ants species in the world. Females can grow between 1.2-1.6 inches with very poisonous venom. Luckily, they only live in South America.
Maine Coon
Maine’s state cat, the Maine Coon, is the largest and oldest domestic breed in North America. A Maine Coon named Stewie holds the world record for the longest domestic cat, measuring 48.5 inches from nose to tail.
African Snail
The largest land gastropod is the African Snail and the largest one ever found was 15.5″ and weighed 2 pounds. Believe it or not, they live between 5-7 years!
The Biggest Buns
While Darius the bunny hold the Guinness world record for the longest bunny but his son actually surpasses him in length at 4’5″. The long bunny family lives in their owners’ house and gets crated in dog crates during the day while the humans are at work.
World’s Largest Animal
The Blue Whale is not only the largest living animal, but it’s also the largest animal that ever lived. This massive creature grows up to 98 feet and weighs over 190 tons—their hearts alone weigh over 400 pounds! The craziest thing about this massive animal is that they really only eat krill, up to 40 million a day.
Domesticated Capybara
Gary the Capybara lives with his parents, Melanie and Richard, in Texas. He’s the largest pet rodent, measuring around the size of a medium-sized dog. Gary loves swimming in his neighbor’s pool.
Tortoise
Colin Kapernick has a pet tortoise named Sammy that weighs 115 pounds. He’s a member of the third largest species of tortoises in the world with a lifespan of 150 years.
Large Land Carnivores – Pt 1
The Polar Bear and Kodiak Bear are the largest carnivores in the world. Male Polar Bears weigh between 772-1,543 pounds. They typically feed on seals, but occasionally scavenge on whale carcasses.
Large Land Carnivores – Pt 2
The Kodiak Bear is the other largest land carnivore. Living in Southwest Alaska, their diet is quite diverse depending on the season. Unfortunately, 90% of adult male Kodiak bears are killed by hunters.
The Largest Goldfish
Starting at just an inch long, Big Bob now measures a foot in length. Due to his massive size, he’s now on tank number 5.
Giant Salamander
The world’s largest amphibian is the Chinese Giant Salamander. These slimy creatures can weigh between 55-66 pounds. The largest to date was 110 pounds and almost 6′ long.
Sea Invertebrates
The giant squid is actually the second largest living invertebrate—the largest is the Colossal squid. The giant squid measures 43 feet and 606 pounds for females and 33 feet and half as heavy for males.
Green Anaconda
The Green Anaconda is the world’s largest snake, weighing up to 550 pounds and 30 feet in length. They live in South America in the Amazon Rainforest.
Goliath Frog
The Goliath frog is the largest species of frog in the world. It resides in Cameroon and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. They weigh over 7 pounds and can live up to 15 years.
Huge Spiders – Pt 1
The Goliath Spider is actually more well-known as the bird-eating spider. They reside in South America in the rainforests and they are the world’s largest spider in mass and size. The females have a lifespan of 15-25 years.
Huge Spiders – Pt. 2
Then, there’s the Giant Huntsman spider. It’s the world’s largest spider by leg span with legs that can reach one foot in length. This spider is native to Laos and does not build webs.
Whale Shark
The largest fish in the world is the Whale shark with the largest recorded measuring 41.5′ long and weighing 47,000 pounds. Although it’s the largest fish in the sea, it’s not considered dangerous. They’ve even been known to let divers catch a ride on their backs.
Leatherback Sea Turtle
The Leatherback Sea Turtle is the largest living turtle alive today. Interestingly, the Leatherback doesn’t have a bone shell, instead, its skin is exposed. They can grow up to 7′ and weigh up to 1,500 pounds.
Goliath Beetle
One of the largest living insects is the Goliath Beetle. Native to the tropical rainforests of Africa, the males can grow up to 2.4-4.3 inches long.
African Elephant
The largest living land animal, a mammal, weighs up to 6 tons and can grow up to 10 feet tall. These magnificent creatures live 60-70 years. Elephants are the same way about their tusks as humans are about their hands: Some are “lefties,” others are “righties.” They’ll favor that tusk when fighting other Elephants, picking things up, or stripping leaves and bark off trees.
Giraffe
Giraffes are the tallest mammals in the world. They can run as fast as 35 miles an hour over short distances, or cruise at 10 mph over longer distances. Surprisingly, a giraffe’s neck is too short to reach the ground.
Largest Dog of 2016
Frankie, the Great Dane, held the world record for the largest dog in 2016 at 7 feet tall and 210 pounds. Big George dethroned him, however, in 2017.
Largest Butterfly
The Queen Alexandra birdwing butterfly has an enormous 11-inch wingspan. Females are larger than males, but males have shimmering blue and green wings. These beauties are only found in Papua New Guinea and is actually poisonous to an animal that tried to eat it.
Longest Earthworm
The Giant Gippsland earthworm can grow up to 9.8′ long and live for 5 years! This earthworm can be found in Australia, lurking just below the surface.
Liger’s Are Real
Ligers—yes, they’re real—are huge cats. Hercules, a male liger living at the Myrtle Beach Safari wildlife preserve weighs 922 pounds! He is 131 inches long and 49 inches tall.
Enormous Earthworm
After trekking across South America in 2013, Mickey Grosman found this enormous earthworm in Sumaco National Park. Researchers decided that the worm is either a Glossoscolex Giganteaus or a Caecilian, a legless amphibian.
Creepy Bottom-Feeders
This giant isopod was found deep in the ocean measuring 2.5 feet long with 14 crawling legs. As if they aren’t scary enough, they’re actually carnivorous and related to both the crab and the pill bug.
Great White Shark
Great White Sharks are massive creatures, averaging 20 feet in length. But the two largest ever discovered were 36 and 37 feet long—the largest, being found in Port Fairy, South Australia.
House Cat
Ludo, the Maine Coon, is the largest domestic cat, measuring four feet long. While he’s smaller than world-record-holder Stewie, since Stewie’s passing, he is now the largest living of the bunch.
Siamese Carp
After a 90-minute battle by these fishermen, this 222-pound Siamese Carp was caught. After being caught n Ban Pong, Thailand, he was then transferred to a fishery where he still lives today.
Lobster
After spending 20 years in a tank, this 132-year-old lobster was returned to the wild. His owner couldn’t bear to see the 22-pound lobster get eaten and so the town of Hempstead, Maine held a ceremony to release him.
Goldfish
Although goldfish don’t grow too large in captivity, in the wild, they can grow to pretty enormous sizes. Most recently, a four-pound goldfish was discovered in the wild.
Komodo Dragon
The Komodo Dragon is the largest living lizard and has been on the planet for millions of years, back to when dinosaurs roamed the earth. These creatures have razor sharp teeth and bacteria-filled saliva that can kill most animals. They can reach 10 feet in length and 300 pounds.
The Dog with the Longest Tail
Keon, an Irish Wolfhound from Belgium, holds the world record for the longest dog tail measuring 30.2 inches in length.
Heaviest Tortoise
Goliath, the tortoise, was born in the 1960s at Seffner’s Life Fellowship Bird Sanctuary. He eventually grew to 919 pounds!
Steer Horns
This isn’t photoshopped! An African Watusi Steer named Lurch has the largest horn circumference of any steer in the world. His horns measured 37.5 inches around, but they, unfortunately, led to his death when he developed cancer at the base of his horns.
Sheep’s Wool
An overgrown Australian sheep was found, near-death, in the wild. Now named Chris, he was found with 88 pounds of wool making him almost 5 times the normal size of a merino sheep.
Strongest Kangaroo
Red kangaroos are two things: strong and aggressive. Roger, the red kangaroo, was an internet craze for a while due to his prominent musculature. At 200 pounds, he could crush metal in his hands.
Raccoon
Bandit the raccoon suffered from a thyroid disease that made him much larger than a typical raccoon. He weighed 75 pounds and was adopted by a family with dogs that quickly befriended him,
Tallest Horse
Big Jake, a horse from Michigan, was listed as the world’s tallest horse in 2012. He was 6’9″ and 2,600 pounds.
Stingrays
These massive creatures, found in the Mekong River, are actually close to extinction, measuring over 1300 pounds and 6 feet in length.
Goliath Frog
These giant frogs average 13″ in length and weigh around 7 pounds. They typically feast on insects, worms, other frogs and snakes.
Nomura’s Giant Jellyfish
Spanning almost 7 feet in length and over 400 pounds, the Nomura Giant Jellyfish is found between China and Japan and are capable of capsizing a boat.
The “Footlocker” Rat
New York City is known for its big skyscrapers and its rat problem. Found in a Footlocker store, this massive rat, was equivalent in size to a medium-sized dog. Yikes!
Cane Toad
The Cane Toad is native to South America and is actually known as quite a pest as it multiplies quickly (laying over 2,000 eggs in one nest) and has very few predators.
Weta Cricket
The Weta Cricket is one of the world’s largest insects. It’s loud chirping wrecks havoc and it is so large that it’s been pictured eating carrots.
Red-Lipped Batfish
It may not be a huge creature, but the size of its ruby red lips make it quite an interesting sea-creature. Living in the Galapagos, it actually doesn’t swim but rather propels itself along the ocean floor with its frog-like fins.
Giant Panda Ant
The panda ant gets its name from the bear it resembles. Found in Chile, the panda ant is actually a wingless wasp in that it has a painful and poisonous sting.