First, there were the dinosaurs—the largest creatures to ever roam our planet. 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…
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. It's the heaviest snake in the world and up there among the longest, as well.
Sea Invertebrates
The giant squid is actually the second-largest living invertebrate; the largest is the Colossal squid. For this species, the females are much larger than the males. Females measure 43 feet and 606 pounds, and males measure around 33 feet and only weigh about half as much as the females.
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. Their diet consists primarily of bugs, small crustaceans, other amphibians, and fish.
Bismarck Flying Fox
The Bismarck flying fox resides in Papua New Guinea. With a wingspan of over 5 feet, the flying fox is the largest bat in the world. Fun fact: they are one of the few species of mammals in which the males are able to lactate and feed their young.
World’s Largest Animal
The Blue Whale is not only the largest living animal, but it’s also the largest animal that has 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 these massive animals is that they are strictly vegetarian. Blue Whales consume up to 40 million krill each day.
Domesticated Capybara
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and apparently, that is true for rodents as well. Gary the Capybara lives with his parents, Melanie and Richard, in the great state of Texas. He’s the largest pet rodent out there, measuring around the size of a giant-sized dog and weighing in at a whopping 120 lbs. Gary loves swimming in his neighbor’s pool!
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. Polar bears typically live for 20-25 years.
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, nearly 90% of adult male Kodiak bears are killed by hunters. A large male can stand over 10' tall on his hind legs!
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.
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 measures between 8-10 feet, and they can weigh up to 31 pounds.
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
The Giant Huntsman spider is the world’s largest spider by leg span with legs that can reach over one foot in length. Most often you will hear it described as being "the size of a dinner plate." 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 actually not considered dangerous. They’ve even been known to let divers catch a ride on their backs.
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. In the wild, males fight each other for food and mates by locking their horns in a kind of dominance battle.
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!
African Elephant
The largest living land animal, the African Elephant weighs up to 6 tons and can grow up to 10 feet tall. These magnificent creatures live 60-70 years. Fun fact: 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.
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 are actually poisonous for predators that attempt to eat them.
The African-Spurred Tortoise
The African-Spurred Tortoise is the third-largest species of tortoise in the world. Only the Galapagos tortoise and the Aldabra giant tortoise are bigger. They are capable of going weeks without food or water. They have a lifespan of nearly 150 years and can weigh up to 150 pounds.
Largest Dog
Frankie the Great Dane held the world record for the largest dog in 2016 at 7 feet tall and 210 pounds. However, Big George dethroned him in 2017. Big George weighs over 245 pounds and stands 43 inches tall. He is the Guinness World Record holder for the Tallest Living Dog and Tallest Dog Ever.
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 grounds surface. They can only be found in the clay-heavy soil along streams in Victoria, Australia in an area just 150 square miles along the southeast tip of Australia.
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. What his owner may not realize, however, is that goldfish grow to fit their space, so the larger the tank, the larger Bob will get.
Ligers Are Real
No, they're not just a made-up animal from Napoleon Dynamite—Ligers are actually real. Hercules, a male liger living at the Myrtle Beach Safari wildlife preserve, weighs 922 pounds! He is 131 inches long and 49 inches tall. Ligers, however, are not able to reproduce, so they're more of a man-made anomaly.
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 actually too short for it to reach the ground.
Giant Mekong Catfish
Back in 2005, a 646-pound giant catfish was caught in the Mekong River. The Thai fisherman who caught it had no idea, but this fish was the largest freshwater catch ever! Sadly, the species is considered critically endangered due to accelerating habitat loss.
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.
Enormous Wild Boar
Believe it or not, this wild boar was shot by an 11-year-old back in 2007. This beast weighed 1,051 pounds and was nine feet long! He hunted the boar for three hours all the while it snarled at him from the brush.
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.
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!
Titan Longhorn Beetle
The Titan Longhorn Beetle lives in the rainforests of South America. They are the largest beetles in the world, measuring around 6.6 inches with 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 well-known when he feasted on a bull shark. This 18-foot-long croc was discovered by audiences cruising on the Adelaide River. Brutus is actually missing an arm, which only makes his size and hunting skills all the more impressive.
Giant Cow
Believe it or not, this cow isn't photoshopped. Chilli The Cow stands at 6 feet 6 inches tall 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 Ocean 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 world 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 weighed over 600 pounds. This fish is typically referred to as a sea serpent because it can reach around 110 feet in length.
Red Tibetan Mastiff
Nope, that's not a lion... 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 weigh up to 286 pounds. One of these pups once sold for $1.5 million!
Freshwater Stingray
The freshwater stingray can weigh up to 1,300 pounds. These are the other large creatures found in the Mekong River, often hunted for meat and recreation. Their powerful jaws can easily crush the shells of clams and mussels, and they will occasionally eat small fish. Though docile animals, they are responsible for more injuries to humans each year than any other species in the Amazon.
Chinese Pig
Pigs usually weigh in at 100-240 pounds. One pig in China blew that number out of the water and weighed in at almost 1 ton! Chinese farmers have been working on increasing the size of their pigs in order to keep up with food shortages.
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, a Collie!
Coconut Crab
Coconut crabs are the largest crab species in the world by weight. 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.
Largest Jellyfish
The bell of the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, the largest jellyfish in the world, measures about 7’6″ inches long. Its tentacles can reach up up to 121 feet in length! The appearance of its giant mane-like tentacles gives this jellyfish its name.
Amazonian Ant
The Amazonian Ant is one of the largest ants species in the world. The poisonous females can grow between 1.2-1.6 inches. Luckily, they only live in the rainforests of South America, like most of the deadly creatures on our list.
Maine Coon
Maine’s state cat, the Maine Coon, is the largest and oldest domestic breed in North America. A Maine Coon named Stewie currently holds the world record for the longest domestic cat, measuring 48.5 inches from nose to tail! If you're raising a Maine coon, you're basically the owner of a small lion.
African Snail
The largest land gastropod is the African Snail. The largest one ever found was 15.5″ long and weighed 2 pounds! Believe it or not, they live between 5-7 years. This snail species thrives in hot and humid climates.
Creepy Bottom-Feeders
The 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. They are abundant in the coldest, deepest waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
Great White Shark
Great White Sharks are massive creatures, averaging around 20 feet in length. The two largest ever discovered were 36 and 37 feet long, the largest of which was found in Port Fairy, South Australia. Great Whites are the largest predatory fish on Earth.
Siamese Carp
After a 90-minute battle, this 222-pound Siamese Carp was caught in Ban Pong, Thailand. He was then transferred to a nearby fishery where he still lives today. These massive migratory fish are found only in the Mae Klong, Mekong, and Chao Phraya River basins in Indochina.
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 in honor of his release. Hopefully, this large guy is still alive today!
Wild Goldfish
Although goldfish don’t grow too large in captivity, they can grow to pretty enormous sizes in the wild. Most recently, a four-pound goldfish was discovered in the wild. They are actually considered a menace to wild habitats, and goldfish owners are urged to not release them into 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 weigh up to 300 pounds. They belong to the monitor lizard family, native to the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang.
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! Irish Wolfhounds are an XL breed that can weigh up to 180 pounds and stand between 30-35 inches in height.
Heaviest Tortoise
Goliath, the Giant Galapagos Tortoise, was born in the 1960s at Seffner’s Life Fellowship Bird Sanctuary. He eventually grew to 919 pounds! He was 4 ft 5 in long, 3 ft 4 in wide, and 2 ft 3 in high. This species of tortoise can live over 100 years.
Steer Horns
We know what you're thinking, but no, 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.
Heaviest Sheep’s Wool
An overgrown Australian sheep was found, near-death, in the wild, covered in heavy, thick, matted wool. Now named Chris, he was found with 88 pounds of wool making him almost 5 times the normal size of a typical merino sheep.
The 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.
Largest Raccoon
Bandit the raccoon suffered from a thyroid disease that led to massive weight gain. While typical raccoons weigh around 8-20 pounds, Bandit weighed 75 pounds before his passing in 2004. He was adopted by a family in Palmerton, Pennsylvania with dogs who 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. Jake passed away at age 20 but still remains the Guinness World Record holder for the largest horse.
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 is strong enough and large enough to capsize a boat.
The Biggest Buns
While Darius the bunny currently holds the Guinness world record for the longest bunny, 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.
The Infamous “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. No thank you!
Cane Toad
The Cane Toad is native to South America and is actually terribly invasive as it multiplies quickly (laying over 2,000 eggs in one nest) and has very few predators. The Cane Toad is also highly adaptable to different environments and is very poisonous.
Weta Cricket
The Weta Cricket is one of the world’s largest insects. Its loud chirping wreaks havoc, and it is so large that it’s been pictured eating whole carrots. The Weta is the heaviest reported insect in the world, and its name means "God of Ugly Things."
Giant Panda Ant
Found in Chile, the panda ant isn't actually an ant at all. It's technically classified as a wingless wasp because it has a painful and poisonous sting. The panda ant gets its name from the bear it resembles.