The largest animals in the world. The heaviest animal in the world. How much do a blue whale, an elephant and a hippopotamus weigh The strongest animal

Our world is truly amazing. It is full of beings big and small, low and high. Today we bring you an unusually interesting selection. It contains photographs of the fifteen largest animals in the world, broken down into various categories such as mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, etc. Some of these animals are real giants!

1. The largest animal in the world is the blue (or blue) whale.
The blue whale, also called the blue whale or the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), is a marine mammal that belongs to the order Cetacea to the suborder Baleen whales. At 30 meters (98 feet) long and 180 metric tons or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever lived on our planet. The tongue of a blue whale can weigh about 2.7 tons (5,952 pounds), which is about the weight of a medium-sized Asian elephant. The blue whale's heart weighs about 600 kilograms (1,300 pounds) and is the largest such organ of any living creature. The heart of a blue whale is not only the size of a small car, but it also weighs about the same as the mentioned car. And the lung capacity of a blue whale exceeds 3,000 liters.

2. The blue whale is thought to feed almost exclusively on small shrimp-like creatures known as krill.

3. The basis of the diet of the blue whale is plankton. Thanks to their filtering apparatus, which consists of baleen plates, the blue whale can consume a whopping 3.6 metric tons (7,900 pounds) or more daily during the summer months.

4. This means that it can eat up to 40 million krill per day, while the daily calorie requirement of an adult blue whale is in the region of 1.5 million. kcal.

6. The largest land animal in the world: African elephant. The African elephant is the largest land animal. Male African elephants are 6 to 7.5 meters (19.7 to 24.6 ft) long, 3.3 m (10.8 ft) tall at the withers, and can weigh up to 6 tons (13,000 lb). Female African elephants are much smaller, averaging 5.4 to 6.9 m (17.7 to 22.6 ft) long, 2.7 meters (8.9 ft) high at the withers, and weighing up to reach 3 tons (6600 pounds). Adult African elephants generally have no enemies in their natural habitat due to their extremely large size, but baby elephants (especially newborns) are one of the favorite prey species for bloodthirsty attacks by lions or crocodiles, and are also often attacked by leopards or hyenas. According to the latest data, in the wild, the population of African elephants ranges from 500 to 600 thousand individuals.

7. The tallest land animal in the world: the giraffe.

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African mammal from the artiodactyl order of the giraffidae family. It is the tallest land animal in the world. its height averages 5–6 meters (16–20 ft). Male giraffes have an average weight of 1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb), while females can weigh around 830 kilograms (1,800 lb). A distinguishing characteristic of the giraffe is its very long neck, which can reach over 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) in length. Actually, the neck accounts for almost half of the vertical height of the animal. The long neck is the result of a disproportionate elongation of the cervical vertebrae, and not an increase in the number of vertebrae, of which the giraffe, like almost all other mammals, has only seven.

8. The largest predator in the world: the southern elephant seal.
The southern elephant seal is the largest carnivore on our planet. The size of the southern elephant seal is evidence of extreme sexual dimorphism, the most significant of any mammal, as male southern elephant seals are typically five to six times heavier than females. While females can average 400 to 900 kilograms (880 to 2,000 lb) and be 2.6 to 3 meters (8.5 to 9.8 ft) long, southern elephant seal males average approximately 2,200 to 4,000 kg (4,900 to 8,800 lb) and can reach 4.5 to 5.8 meters (15 to 19 ft) in length. The record-breaking southern elephant seal, shot at Possession Bay, South Georgia on February 28, 1913, measured 6.85 meters (22.5 feet) in length and is estimated to have weighed approximately 5,000 kilograms (11,000 pounds).
Southern seamen can dive multiple times while hunting, staying underwater for more than twenty minutes each time, tracking their prey, squid and fish, at depths of 400 to 1,000 meters (1,300 to 3,300 ft). The documented record for the longest time underwater for a juvenile elephant seal was approximately two hours. The maximum depth to which southern elephant seals can dive is over 1,400 meters (4,600 ft).

9. The largest land predator in the world: Polar bear and Kodiak bear.

The world's largest terrestrial predators are the white polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and the Kodiak brown bear (Ursus arctos). If everything is more or less clear with the white polar bear, then the Kodiak bear is less known.

10. Kodiak is a subspecies of brown bears that are found on Kodiak Island and other islands of the Kodiak archipelago off the southern coast of Alaska. Since the polar white bear and the Kodiak brown bear have approximately the same body size, it is not clear which of them actually ranks first in size. In both species, the height at the withers is over 1.6 meters (5.2 ft), and the total body length can reach 3.05 m (10.0 ft). The absolute weight records for a polar bear and a brown bear were 1,003 kg (2,210 lb) and 1,135 kg (2,500 lb), respectively.

11. The largest reptile in the world: Saltwater (combed or spongy) crocodile.
The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the largest living reptile in the world. The habitat of combed crocodiles is from Northern Australia to Southeast Asia and the east coast of India. An adult male saltwater crocodile can weigh between 409 and 1,000 kilograms (900–2,200 lb) and is typically 4.1 to 5.5 meters (13–18 ft) long. However, males can exceed 6 meters (20 ft) in length and sometimes weigh over 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Saltwater crocodile is the only crocodile species that regularly reaches a length of 4.8 m (16 ft) and even exceeds this mark. The saltwater crocodile is an active predator that feeds mainly on insects, mollusks, amphibians, crustaceans, small reptiles and fish. However, it attacks almost any animal that is in its territory, either in water or on land. The crocodile always drags the victim, which he watches over on land, into the water, where it is more difficult for her to resist him.

12. The largest amphibian in the world: the Chinese giant salamander.
The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is the largest salamander in the world. Individual individuals of the Chinese giant salamander can reach a length of 180 centimeters (6 feet), although at present such giants are extremely rare. This species is endemic to mountain rivers and lakes in China. One of the conditions necessary for the survival of the Chinese giant salamander is clean and very cold water.

13. To date, this species is considered endangered due to habitat destruction, pollution and targeted destruction, since the meat of the giant amphibian is considered a delicacy and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.

14. Largest rabbit / hare in the world: "Belgian flandre". The Belgian Flemish is an ancient breed of domesticated rabbit that originates from the Flemish region.

15. They were first bred back in the sixteenth century in the vicinity of the city of Ghent, Belgium. Belgian Flemish rabbits can weigh up to 12.7 kilograms (28 pounds).

16. The largest bat in the world: the giant golden flying fox. In the photo: a giant golden flying fox. Spectacled flying fox.

The largest of all bat species is the giant golden flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), an endangered bat species from the rainforests of the Philippines, which is part of the fruit bat family. The basis of the diet of giant golden flying foxes is fruits. The maximum weight of giant golden flying foxes can be 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), they can be up to 55 centimeters (22 in) long, and their wingspan can be nearly 1.8 meters (5.9 ft). The giant flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) is inferior to the golden flying fox in terms of body weight and length, but is ahead of it in wingspan. Scientists have recorded individuals with a wingspan ranging from 1.83 meters (6.0 feet) to 2 meters (6.6 feet).

17. The largest rodent in the world: capybara.
The largest of the existing rodents is the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), a species that is found along the shores of various reservoirs in tropical and temperate parts of Central and South America, east of the Andes - from Panama to Uruguay to northeast Argentina. One of the main conditions for the existence of capybaras is the presence of a nearby reservoir.

18. The largest specimens of capybaras can reach 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in length and 0.9 meters (3.0 feet) in height at the withers. They can weigh up to 105.4 kg (232 lb). This is a very active species. Capybaras are social animals that live in groups of up to a hundred individuals, but the average number of one colony is 10-20 individuals on average.

19. Largest bony fish in the world: common moonfish (sunfish, headfish).

Osteichthyes, also called "bony fish", are a taxonomic group of fish that have bony, not cartilaginous, skeletons. The vast majority of fish belong to the species Osteichthyes. This is an extremely diverse and numerous group, which consists of more than 29,000 species. This is the most numerous class of vertebrates that currently exists.

20. The largest representative of bony fish is the widespread common moonfish (sunfish, fishhead) or Mola Mola. She has an extremely strange body shape - it is laterally compressed, very high and short, which gives the fish an outlandish appearance and a shape similar to a disk. In fact, it does not have a body as such - a sunfish is literally a "head with a tail." A mature Common Fishhead has an average length of 1.8 meters (5.9 ft), a width from fin to fin of up to 2.5 meters (8.2 ft), and an average weight of 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb). However, scientists have recorded individuals that can be up to 3.3 meters (10.8 feet) long and 4.2 meters (14 feet) across. The weight of such giants can reach 2,300 kilograms (5,100 pounds).

21. Largest lizard/snake in the world: giant green anaconda.

The giant anaconda, sometimes also called the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), is a species of snake in the boa subfamily. It lives in the tropical part of South America east of the Andes, Paraguay, Northern Bolivia, French Guiana. The maximum recorded body length is 7.5 meters (25 feet), and the maximum recorded weight reaches 250 kilograms (550 pounds), although there are rumors of much larger green anacondas. The reticulated python (Python reticulatus) from Southeast Asia is longer in body length but thinner, and members of this species have been reported to reach a maximum of 9.7 meters (32 ft) in length.

22. The world's largest bird: ostrich.

The ostrich, the largest bird on our planet (Struthio camelus), is found on the plains of Africa and Arabia. The scientific name of the ostrich in Greek means "camel sparrow". A large male ostrich can reach a height of 2.8 meters (9.2 feet), and weigh over 156 kilograms (345 pounds). Ostrich eggs can weigh up to 1.4 kilograms (3 pounds) and are the largest bird eggs in the world today. Ostriches can run at a top speed of up to 97.5 km/h (60.6 mph), making the ostrich the fastest bird on earth and the fastest bipedal creature in the world.

The Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is a member of the Pelican family. The habitat of curly pelicans is a significant area from Southeast Europe to India and China. Dalmatian pelicans inhabit swamps and shallow lakes. It is the largest of the pelicans, averaging 160-180 centimeters (63-70 inches) in length, and weighing 11-15 kilograms (24-33 pounds). The wingspan of the curly pelican is just over 3 meters (10 ft). An average weight of 11.5 kilograms (25 lb) makes the Dalmatian Pelican the heaviest flying bird. Although a large male bustard or swan may exceed the pelican in maximum weight.

24. The largest arthropod in the world: Japanese spider crab.

The Japanese spider crab is a type of sea crab that lives in the waters off the coast of Japan. In the span of the first pair of legs, it reaches 3.8 meters (12 feet), and can weigh up to 41 pounds (19 kilograms).

26. In its natural habitat, the Japanese spider crab feeds on shellfish and animal carcasses and can live up to 100 years.

24.03.2013

Do you know what are the most big animals on the ground? Then you can view this top 10 and find out what big animal, although this list contains various species and terrestrial inhabitants and underwater and birds, etc. But all of them are huge in relation to those animals that we observe every day.

10 Giant Green Anaconda

The largest and heaviest snake in the world. Belongs to the subfamily of boas. The largest of the recorded individuals reached 11.43 m in length. Weighs about 60 kg. It has a grayish-green color with brown spots. It lives mainly in the tropical zone of South America. He loves water and very rarely leaves water bodies. It differs in that it can swim and dive magnificently. It feeds on rodents, young crocodiles, birds and turtles. Very rarely attacks large animals, and a person - only in case of self-defense. Strangles the victim and swallows it.

9 Southern Elephant Seal

One of the biggest animals on earth and the largest species of seal in the world. The largest recorded specimens reached 6.5 m and 3.5 tons. But its trunk is shorter than that of its relatives - only 10 cm. The total number is about 750 thousand individuals. The colonies of the southern elephant seal are located on the subantarctic archipelagos and islands: South Georgia, Kerguelen, Hurd, Macquarie.

8. African ostrich

The largest bird in the world. Its height reaches 250 cm, weight up to 150 kg. It cannot fly, but it runs at speeds up to 70 km / h, taking steps of 3.5-4 m. If necessary, it can abruptly change direction without changing speed. Contrary to popular belief, he does not hide his head in the sand, but he can “drop” it to the ground from fatigue after a long run.

7. Saltwater crocodile

Saltwater crocodile - is the largest of the crocodiles. Body length up to 7 m in males, up to 3 m in females. Adult males can gain weight up to 1000 kg. Most often found on the shores of Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. But it also makes its way to other popular resorts. Able to make long voyages on the high seas. It is extremely dangerous on the coast or shallow water, where it is easy for him to sneak up on prey. Every year many people become its victims.

6. Polar bear

Other names: polar, northern, sea bear, oshkuy. It can reach 3 m in length and 1000 kg of body weight. The largest representatives are found in the Bering Sea. It differs from other bears in its flat head and long neck. Hunts for seals, bearded seals, walruses, fish. A very thick layer of subcutaneous fat and thick fur help it survive in cold and icy water.

5. Giraffe

The tallest animal It lives in the savannas of Africa. Height up to 6 m, body weight up to 1200 kg. Despite the unusually long neck, like other mammals, it has only seven cervical vertebrae. But he has a very strong heart, capable of passing 60 liters of blood per minute and creating pressure three times greater than that of a person. Daily consumes about 30 kg of plant foods. The color of a giraffe is as unique as human fingerprints.

4 White Rhino

Second in size big animal land after the elephant. Body length up to 4.2 m, weight up to 5 tons, shoulder height up to 2 m. Actually, it is not white at all, but dark gray. The name most likely comes from a distorted Boer word wijde (wide, wide-faced), consonant with English white (white). It has two horns, which it successfully uses in fights with rivals. Lives in South and Northwest Africa. It feeds on herbaceous plants.

3. Hippo

Belongs to the order of artiodactyls, the suborder of swine. Distributed on the African continent. Weight can reach 4 tons, length up to 5.4 m. Leads a predominantly semi-aquatic lifestyle. The mouth of a hippopotamus can open unusually wide - 150 degrees. Interestingly, the hippopotamus is able to run very fast on land. Pretty aggressive animal. When provoked by a person, he is able to attack unexpectedly.

2. African elephant

Mammal of the proboscis order. Height at the shoulders up to 4 m, weight - 7.5 tons. Habitat - Africa south of the Sahara. Includes two modern species - the bush elephant and the forest elephant. More than their Indian relatives and the most big animal among the land. Only 500-600 thousand of these giants remained in nature. An unusually intelligent animal, capable of mutual assistance and mutual assistance. For example, if one elephant cannot get rid of a sucking leech, another can take a stick and free a friend from a bloodsucker. The same applies to .

1. Blue whale

Everyone knows that the largest animal in history, the giant animal lived on Earth many millions of years ago - this is a dinosaur. There were many kinds. And today, the size of prehistoric animals seems simply stunning.

However, the modern animal world is no less amazing and diverse. The earth is full of creatures striking in their size and shape. It’s even hard to imagine what affected their weight and height so much. However, they are what they are, and feel quite comfortable among people.

And yet, what is the largest animal? This is what you have to find out. What kind of creatures are they, and in what conditions do they live. So, below is a rating of the 10 largest animals on our planet. This list is based on the height, length, and mass of the creatures. Let's start from the end.

Saltwater crocodile

In tenth place is the saltwater crocodile. It is also called combed or spongy. This crocodile is the largest reptile in the world. An adult male can grow up to seven meters in length, weighing over a ton! As a rule, the length of most crocodiles is about five meters. And they weigh an average of eight hundred kilograms.

Salted crocodiles are quite widespread. Their habitat begins in Northern Australia and ends in Southeast Asia. The crocodile is an active predator. Its daily diet includes insects, mollusks, crustaceans, various small amphibians and fish. But any animal that wanders into its territory becomes a potential victim. Having guarded the victim on land, the crocodile drags it under water, to where it is already useless to resist.

An interesting fact: the saltwater crocodile is highly valued for its skin, which serves as a material for handbags, shoes, clothes, etc. Therefore, this type of crocodiles is grown under artificial conditions: on special farms.

black rhinoceros

Since black rhinos are huge, powerful and absolutely fearless, they have no enemies among animals. But they are easy prey for numerous poachers. Black rhinoceroses prefer to move along the same paths, and besides, they see very poorly. Therefore, they are an excellent target for trophy hunters.

Walrus

In eighth place - walrus. This is perhaps the largest animal that has existed since the Ice Age. Thus, the fossils found in San Francisco Bay are about twenty-eight thousand years old.

Walruses are truly huge: their length reaches three meters, and their weight fluctuates around two tons! These animals have very strong and thick skin. Especially in the neck, where it reaches ten centimeters. And under the skin is another layer of fat fifteen centimeters. Thanks to this, walruses feel great in harsh Arctic conditions. The diet of these animals mainly consists of molluscs, but fish also occasionally come across.

white rhino

Seventh place - white rhinos. They are considered the second largest herbivores on the planet. Grow up to two meters in height and four - in length. Rhinos are heavyweights. Some large individuals reach eight tons!

Interesting fact: despite the name, these animals have a gray color. Why, then, is the "white" rhinoceros, and not the "gray" one? Most likely, the rhinos got this name due to the fact that there was a distortion of the Boer word "wijde". It translates as "broad-faced". And it sounds like the English word "white" (white).

Hippopotamus (hippopotamus)

In sixth place is the indigenous inhabitant of Africa from the order of artiodactyls - the hippopotamus. Hippos grow up to one and a half meters in height and five in length. The weight of these mammals fluctuates around three tons, or even more. Throughout life, the mass of the hippopotamus gradually increases. The same applies to his teeth. In old hippos, teeth can reach half a meter!

An interesting fact is that only one hippo skin weighs half a ton.

southern elephant seal

Fifth place is occupied by the southern elephant seal - the largest animal on earth from the category of pinnipeds. Large and obese, elephant seals grow up to six meters in length. And their body weight is about five tons. The largest of the elephant seals was shot in the winter of 1913 in South Georgia. It weighed over five tons and was seven meters long.

The main diet of these animals is fish and squid, which live at a depth of up to a thousand meters. In search of prey, elephant seals dive many times and spend a lot of time under water. So the record was registered - the animal was under the ode for about two hours. By the way, these mammals spend most of their lives in the open ocean; they get out on land rather rarely, as a rule, during the breeding season.

Southern elephant seals are the largest dangerous animals. They are the largest predators in the world.

Indian elephant

The Indian elephant also has a second name - "Asian". He would have deserved the title of "the largest animal in the world" living on land, "if not for his African counterpart. Elephants reach a height of three and a half meters, and a length of about six meters. In addition, these animals have a fairly long tail (from a meter to two). The weight of an Indian elephant can reach five and a half tons. By the way, females are much smaller than males.

Asian elephants are forest dwellers. Most often they can be found in subtropical and tropical deciduous forests. Elephants love bamboo and shrubs. They move easily through overgrown jungles and swampy areas.

An interesting fact: Indian elephants live in packs, led by the most experienced and adult female.

African elephant

In third place in the ranking is the African elephant - the largest animal among those who live on land. Males weigh about six tons and reach eight meters in length and three in height. Females weigh half as much, and in height - no more than two to three meters.

The largest animal living on land has practically no enemies. Of course, due to its size. But little elephants are still attacked by bloodthirsty lions, leopards, hyenas and crocodiles.

Elephants are surprisingly fast moving. So, their average speed is about forty km / h. Thus, an elephant can easily overtake a person. Of course, such dimensions require a lot of food: for example, one elephant can eat about three hundred kilograms of grass per day. These animals are very intelligent and even capable of compassion. But, despite this, they are considered one of the most dangerous on the planet.

An interesting fact: due to their huge size, the African elephant has to sleep standing up.

Sperm whale

Second place goes to the sperm whale. To date, it is the largest animal on earth from the suborder of toothed whales, as well as the only remaining one from the sperm whale family. Huge male sperm whales reach twenty meters in length and weigh fifty tons! But the female representatives are much smaller: up to eleven meters in length, weighing fifteen tons. Of course, you can meet larger sperm whales, but this is an exception.

In nature, adult male sperm whales have no enemies. And for cubs and females, only killer whales pose a threat.

An interesting fact: thirty-five percent of the total body of a sperm whale is only one head.

Blue whale

So, the largest animal (photo - in the article) is the blue whale. Other names are blue, or vomited. Refers to marine mammals. In total, there are three types of these giants in the world - southern, northern and dwarf whales. They practically do not differ in appearance and size. Sometimes scientists distinguish a fourth species - the Indian whale. Northern and southern blue whales live in cold circumpolar waters, while pygmy whales live in tropical seas. All subspecies lead almost the same lifestyle. They usually swim alone, sometimes in pairs. You can also meet small groups, but even in them each of the whales keeps separately.

The blue whale is the largest animal in the world that has ever existed and is known to science. Even dinosaurs are not able to compete with him - he is truly huge! So, an adult can grow up to thirty meters in length. Weight can be about one hundred and eighty tons. Yes, only one tongue of this animal weighs as much as a medium-sized Indian elephant (about three tons).

The blue whale has the largest heart in the world. It is about the size of a car and weighs about the same. The volume of the lungs reaches three thousand liters. This allows the whales to stay at underwater depths for about half an hour without oxygen. These giants swim fast enough (about forty km / h). You can notice them even from afar by the ten-meter fountains that arise during the ascent to the surface.

The blue whale's diet consists mainly of plankton and small shrimp-like creatures. They are called "krill". Every day, whales consume about forty million representatives of krill.

largest pet

But what about our smaller brothers, whom we tamed? Among them, too, there are quite large individuals, which cannot be ignored.

The largest dog breed is the English Mastiff. On average, males grow up to ninety centimeters and weigh about one hundred and twenty kilograms. Bitches weigh a little less - somewhere up to a hundred kilograms. These dogs are aristocrats. They are loved not only for power, but also for poise, courage, and peacefulness. The English Mastiff will make both an excellent watchdog and a fun companion dog.

The largest animal in the world of this breed is an English mastiff named Aikama Zorbo. He got into the Guinness Book of Records due to his weight of one hundred and fifty-odd kilograms.

The largest breed of domestic cats is the Ashera. It reaches a meter in length and at the same time weighs about fifteen kilograms.

This is an exotic hybrid cat that looks like a small leopard. This species was released in 2006. To create Ashera, the genes of the African serval, Asian leopard and common domestic cats were mixed. The animal got its name thanks to the pagan goddess Ashera.

This cat is not only the largest, but also the most expensive. So, the Ashera kitten costs more than twenty thousand dollars. However, this does not bother those who want to get such a pet, they take a queue in advance. This cat is a rarity, as the company raises only a hundred animals a year.

Ashera is somewhat reminiscent of a small sphinx. She is the perfect pet. It is considered hypoallergenic, loves to play with children, rub against his legs and, of course, sleep. Yes, and absolutely not picky about food. Ashera is the only one of all cats who can be walked on a leash.

The world's largest rabbit is the Belgian flandre. This is a very ancient Flemish breed, bred in the sixteenth century (the city of Ghent, Belgium). These rabbits can weigh about thirty pounds (thirteen kilograms) and be the size of a large dog.

empiric animal

The fauna of planet Earth is amazing and diverse. It contains both real giants, like the blue whale, and almost microscopic animals, which you won’t always be able to see (especially if they don’t want to).

Once upon a time, scientists empirically calculated that an animal whose weight is less than two and a half to three grams cannot exist on earth - otherwise its tiny organism simply will not be able to fully function, being "crushed" by the force of gravity present on the planet. However, such a coherent theory a few decades ago crashed into practice with a bang, namely, several amazing discoveries of new (for humanity, hitherto unaware of such a thing) representatives of the fauna.

Pygmy Mngtooth

So, scientists discovered a tiny creature that received the Latin name Suncus etruscus. Unscientifically, this extremely small animal is called differently: the Etruscan shrew, pygmy many-toothed, baby white-toothed, etc. Only the fact that it is a very light animal, and does not differ in any large dimensions, can explain the fact that biologists remained ignorant of its existence well into the twentieth century.

Meanwhile, this representative of the genus of shrews, whose weight does not exceed 1.5-1.7 grams, and reaches only 3-4.5 centimeters in length (plus a tail, which is usually about 3.5 cm), lives in many locations Eurasia and northern Africa. You can meet her in the south of Europe (closer to the coasts of the Ionian, Adriatic and Aegean seas), and in the southern part of the Celestial Empire, and in Japan, and in Taiwan, and in the Philippines, and in a considerable number of other places in those latitudes. All sorts of crevices, crevices (in rocks, abandoned buildings, etc.) and voids (including in tree trunks) serve as "houses" for Etruscan shrews.

The appearance of the multi-tooth

Outwardly, such an animal looks quite attractive. He has a very slender, elongated and very nimble body (covered with shortish brown hair, which is lighter on the belly), turning into a thin proboscis in the bow of the head.

Despite its tiny size, the pygmy many-toothed is quite voracious (however, like all shrews). She eats food per day, by weight exceeding her own dimensions by two to three times.

Finding it, even if desired, is very difficult. The point is not even in the microscopic length and weight of the body, but in the nocturnal lifestyle that such an animal prefers. By the way, this rodent should not be considered a priori a pest of agriculture. Quite the opposite - it brings undoubted benefits to this industry in the locations of its habitat, since it destroys all kinds of pests.

Tiny pig-nosed bat

However, the Etruscan shrew is not the only lightest animal on earth. This title is shared with her by another tiny creature - a pig-nosed bat. It was discovered only four decades ago in Thailand, and its range is very limited to some locations in this state, plus some places in neighboring Myanmar.

This representative of the class of bats received his nickname for the unusual shape of the nose, somewhat reminiscent of a pig's snout. In general, the animal differs little from other bats - the same shaggy body covered with brownish hair, ears with a large tragus, membranous wings. The weight of this creature is - in the adult state - no more than one and a half to two grams, and the length of the body is 2.9-3.4 cm.

Nocturnal lifestyle and love of solitude does not allow you to get to know such a "bumblebee mouse" better. However, experts have definitely found out one thing: the size of its population now hardly exceeds five thousand. This made it possible to list such a rare creature in the Red Book as vulnerable.

It seems that the era of great discoveries - at least in biology - has not yet ended. Perhaps the above animals will not stay long in the rank of the lightest animals on earth, and soon scientists will discover much smaller creatures.

Which animal is the heaviest and which is the lightest in the world? and got the best answer

Answer from Alexei[expert]
whale and hummingbird

Answer from Des Y[guru]
the heaviest - the whale the lightest - probably the ant

Answer from Yeever[guru]
The heaviest is man, he is also the lightest.

Answer from Ђ@nyushka[guru]
The smallest of the American shrews - the pygmy shrew - weighs only about 2-3 grams. But it turns out that she is not the smallest of the mammals. Lighter than her tiny shrew - from 1.6 to 2.9 grams. There are among the shrews and weighing only 1.2 grams! Animals with a two-gram weight are also found among birds. For example, some representatives of the hummingbird family weigh 1.6-1.8 grams. How much does an elephant weigh? An old male African elephant can pull 7.5 tons! Smaller, but also solid males of the Indian elephant up to 5 tons. However, the elephant is not the largest representative of mammals. Some specimens of bowhead whales weigh up to 150 tons, that is, as much as 20 elephants.

Answer from Anna Storchilo[expert]
The biggest is the blue whale and the smallest is the mosquito

Answer from Anton Grokhotov[guru]
The largest animal on Earth is the Blue Whale. Its length is at least 33 meters, and the weight reaches 190 tons. The smallest animal is the shrew. Its length is only 1.5 cm and the weight reaches 1.5 grams.