Biggest Animals in the World

The body length, height, and overall weight determine the total size of an animal. Big or large animals are either heavy due to their increasing weight or tall because of their height. The blue whale is the largest animal, weighing around 30,000 pounds. Besides being heavy, it is long, too, measuring 70-80 feet on average.

Biggest Animals in the World

List of the Biggest Animals in the World

Biggest Mammals

By Weight

Name of the animal

Weight (in pounds)

1. Blue Whale

200,000-300,000 pounds

2. African Bush Elephant

11,000-22,000 pounds

3. Asian Elephant

5,300 -17,600 pounds

4. African Forest Elephant

3,700-8,800 pounds

5. White Rhinoceros

3750-5000 pounds

By Height

Name of the animal

Height (in feet)

1. Giraffe

14-20 feet

2. African Bush Elephant

10-13 feet

3. Siberian Tiger

10-12 feet

4. Liger

9.8 -11.8 feet

4. Polar Bear

6-10 feet

Biggest Birds

By Height and Weight

Name of the bird

Height and Weight (in feet and pounds)

1. Common Ostrich

Height: 5-10 feet, Weight: 150-320 pounds

2. Somali Ostrich

Height: 6-7 feet, Weight: 200-230 pounds

3. Southern Cassowary

Height: 5-6 feet, Weight: 37-150 lbs

4. Northern Cassowary

Height: 4.9-5.9 feet, Weight: 70-80 pounds

5. Emu

Height: 4-5 feet, Weight: 100-120 pounds

By Wingspan

Name of the bird

Height (in feet)

1. Wandering Albatross

10-11 feet

2. Great White Pelican

7.5 -11.8 feet

3. Southern Royal Albatross

9.5-9.8 feet

4. Dalmatian Pelican

5-6 feet

Biggest Fish

Name of the fish 

Height and weight (in feet and pounds)

1. Whale Shark

Height: up to 45 feet, Weight: 40,000 pounds

2. Basking Shark

Height:22-29 feet, Weight: 10,000-12,000 pounds

3. Great White Shark

Height:11-16 feet, Weight: 4,200 -5,200 pounds

4. Ocean Sunfish

Height: 12-14 feet, Weight: 500-2000 pounds

5. Atlantic Blue Marlin

Height: 12-14 feet, Weight: 200-1800 pounds

Biggest Amphibians

Name of the amphibian

Height and weight (in feet and pounds)

1. South China Giant Salamander

Height: 6 feet, Weight: 55-70 pounds

2. Chinese Giant Salamander

Height: 6 feet, Weight: 55-70 pounds

3. Japanese Giant Salamander

Height: 4-5 feet, Weight: 45-55 pounds

Biggest Reptiles

Name of the reptile

Height and weight (in feet and pounds)

1. Saltwater Crocodile

Height: 10-12 feet, Weight: 2000-3000 pounds

2. Leatherback Sea Turtle

Height: 4-6 feet, Weight: 550-2000 pounds

3. Nile Crocodile

Height: 9-14 feet, Weight: 490-1000 pounds

Biggest Insects

Name of the Insect

Height and Weight (in feet and pounds)

1. Giant Weta

Height: 4 inches, Weight: 2.5 ounces

2. Goliath Beetle

Height: 2.4-4.5 inches, Weight: 2.5-3.5 ounces

3. Elephant Beetle

Height: 2.75-4.75 inches, Weight: 2.5-3.5 ounces

Biggest Invertebrates

Name of the Invertebrate

Height and weight (in feet and pounds) 

1. Colossal Squid

Height: 60-90 feet, Weight: 1100 pounds

2. Coconut Crab

Height: 3 feet, Weight: 9 pounds

Other Large Animals

Biggest Lizard

Komodo Dragon (200-300 pounds; 8-10 feet)

Biggest Snake

Green Anaconda (500-550 pounds; 25-29 feet)

Biggest Rodent

Capybara (look similar to beavers, and hamsters) (70-150 pounds; 20-25 inches)

Biggest Frog

Goliath Frog (8-10 pounds; 10-12 inches)

Biggest Butterfly

Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (11 inches –wingspan)

Biggest Octopus

Giant Pacific Octopus (50-200 pounds; 600 pounds maximum weight)

Biggest Pig

Giant Forest Hog (300-600 pounds)

Biggest Deer

Moose (600-1200 pounds)

Biggest Spider

Goliath Birdeater

Biggest Sheep

Argali (200-400 pounds; 3-5 feet)

Biggest Bear

Kodiak Bear (660-1320 pounds; maximum weight of 1500 pounds)

Biggest Marsupial

Red Kangaroo (About 200 pounds;  5 feet)

Biggest Jellyfish

Lion’s Mane Jellyfish (200 pounds; 120 feet)

Biggest Bat

Golden-crowned Flying Fox (2.6 pounds; 5.5 feet)

Quick Facts

Large Land Animals: African Bush Elephant, Asian Elephant, African Forest Elephant, White Rhinoceros

Large Sea/Ocean Animals: Blue Whale, Giant Squid, Whale Shark, Giant Pacific Octopus 

FAQs

Q. Why were animals in the prehistoric period so big?

The big or large animals of the present day are nothing compared to the gigantic ones that used to exist in the prehistoric ages. Geological studies show that food plants were of high quality during the Mesozoic Era and available in abundance. This was one of the factors that contributed to the enormous size of the dinosaurs and other animals who lived then. 

Q. Which animals used to be big (in the past)?

Gigantopithecus blacki (giant hominid), Daeodon shoshonensis, Dunkleosteus terrelli (jaw fishes), Beelzebufo ampinga (frog)

Q. Which of the large animals live in Australia?

Red kangaroo, Southern Cassowary, Saltwater Crocodile

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