{"id":31036,"date":"2023-07-23T11:00:52","date_gmt":"2023-07-23T09:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=149280"},"modified":"2023-07-23T11:38:31","modified_gmt":"2023-07-23T09:38:31","slug":"top-7-largest-animals-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/top-7-largest-animals-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 7 largest animals in the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everything you wanted to know about the blue whale, and nature’s other giants. <\/p>

By Toby Saunders\n \t\t<\/p>

2023-07-23 09:00:52<\/p>

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Animals and wildlife come in all shapes and sizes, each one as fascinating as the last, but some of the most awe-inspiring creatures are the biggest. But what is the largest animal in the world?<\/p>\n

You can measure largeness in a number of different ways: height, weight, length, or take a combo of the lot. Take the biggest land animal, for example. It could be either the African elephant or the giraffe based on different metrics.<\/p>\n

To gather our list, we\u2019ve taken everything into account for each of the different species and have used weight and length as the primary factors for deciding how big an animal is.<\/p>\n

Read on to find out what the biggest animal in the world is, along with details on the largest reptile, bird, fish, spider, snake, and<\/em> lizard.<\/p>\n

The largest animal in the world: Blue whale<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\""Blue\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A blue whale in waters off of Portugal, Atlantic Ocean. Photo credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The largest animal in the world is the blue whale. These ocean mammals can weigh up to\u00a0 190,000kg, reach lengths of 30 metres (98 feet), and have a height of just under five meters (16 feet).<\/p>\n

The blue whale is so giant that its heart weighs as much as a small car and the arteries of its heart are so large that the average person could swim through them.<\/p>\n

A blue whale\u2019s brain can weigh up to 6.8kg, making it the second-largest brain in the animal kingdom behind the sperm whale.<\/p>\n

The giraffe, though, takes home the award for the tallest land animal and can measure up to 4.8m.<\/p>\n

Largest reptile in the world: Saltwater crocodile\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\""Saltwater\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Saltwater Crocodile with open mouth. Photo by: Hal Beral \/VW Pics\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The saltwater crocodile<\/a> is the largest reptile on Earth. A male \u2018saltie\u2019 can grow up to 7 metres in length and weigh up to 1,000kg.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find the saltwater crocodile in the wild in eastern India, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia. They have the second-most powerful bite in the world<\/a>, behind the Nile crocodile, at 3,700psi.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately for us, these massive reptiles are also one of the most dangerous animals in the world<\/a> and kill up to 1,000 humans a year (along with the rest of the crocodile family).<\/p>\n

Largest bird in the world: Ostrich<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\""Male\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A male ostrich in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Photo credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The biggest bird on Earth<\/a> is the common ostrich<\/a>. A male ostrich can grow up to around 2.75 metres in height and weigh up to 156kg. A female ostrich is typically smaller, measuring around 2m at a maximum height. The bird is so big, in fact, that it cannot fly but it can run at a top speed of around 70km\/h in short sprints.<\/p>\n

Ostriches can be found in Africa, typically in the open areas of the savannas and deserts. Somewhat surprisingly, the common ostrich is said to have the biggest eyes of any land animal \u2013 around 5cm across.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n