Heaviest Animals in the World
Whales These majestic mammals were once terrestrial but returned to the sea millions of years ago. At up to 219 tons, the blue whale, the largest animal on earth, is also the heaviest.
Plankton Feeding Sharks The whale shark is not a whale, but the world’s largest fish. It can weigh 20 tons. The second-largest fish, the basking shark can weigh as much as 18 tons. Both of these sharks are huge but harmless to humans and eat plankton.
Elephants Elephants are the world’s largest land animals. A big bull African bush elephant can weigh 11.5 to 12.25 tons, while the smaller African forest elephant can weigh up to 6 tons. The Asian elephant weighs about 8 tons.
Rhinoceros The members of the Rhinocerotidae are some of the largest animals on earth. There are five species, with two found in Africa and three found in Asia, with subspecies. The near-threatened white rhinoceros weigh 4.5 tons.
Hippopotamus Its herbivorous diet, barrel-shaped body, and what seems like a laid-back semi-aquatic lifestyle hides the fact that the hippopotamus is one of the most dangerous animals in the world. At up to 4.5 tons, it has no problem using its weight to tip over boats in the water or crushes an annoying human.
Elephant Seal This seal was named for the male’s nose, which inflates during the breeding season and allows its trumpeting roar to be heard far and wide. It was also named for its sheer size. A big male elephant seal can weigh 4 tons and can be 20 feet long.
Giraffe Though not the heaviest animal on earth, the giraffe is the tallest. It can grow to 18 feet, which makes it well adapted to life among the tall trees in the dry savannas and the acacia stands of sub-Saharan Africa.
Saltwater Crocodile While the Nile crocodile gets the most press for being a deliberate hunter of human beings, the saltwater crocodile is bigger. It can weigh as much as 1.45 tons to the Nile crocodile’s 1.2 tons, and the 1.2-ton croc was a bit of an outlier.
Bovini These members of the Bovini tribe of the subfamily Bovinae are the world’s largest cattle. The gaur, found in southern and southeast Asia, is the largest of these cattle, and a large gaur bull sometimes weighs as much as 1.65 tons.
Polar Bear This huge and beautiful bear has evolved for life in the frozen north. It has a double coat of fur, including the guard hairs that are transparent but appear snowy white to the human eye. Beneath its fur is black skin and beneath the skin is 4 inches of fat.