The largest animals on the planet. What is the largest animal in the world? place
Among animals, as, indeed, among people, there are champions worthy of getting into the Guinness Book of Records. Some of them are recognized as the strongest, others - the fastest. And some can only boast of their huge weight or number of teeth. But today we are only interested in one category, which we will discuss below.
There are many terrestrial and marine life who can compete for the title heaviest animal in the world. If you ask passers-by on the street which animal is the heaviest, you can hear a variety of answers: an elephant and a buffalo, a whale and a shark, a hippopotamus and even a giraffe. But in this article, we must name the only terrestrial inhabitant whose weight and size significantly exceeds the parameters of competitors. You will find out how much an elephant and a hippopotamus weigh, and whether they can be considered the heaviest. First, let's get acquainted with some giants that live on land.
Kodiak bear
This is not the heaviest land animal, but I would like to mention it in our review. A subspecies which in many countries is under state protection. The average weight of a male exceeds 700 kilograms, and that of a female - 300 kilograms. At the same time, it must be said that cases have been recorded when the weight of the kodiak exceeded a ton.
White (polar) bear
It is the heaviest carnivore that lives on land. The biggest polar bear weighed a little over a ton and had a body length of about three meters. The height of the predator standing on its paws was 3.39 m. Average length torsos of males polar bear is about two and a half meters, the height at the withers is up to one and a half meters, and the average weight reaches eight hundred kilograms. Bears are about half the size of males, their weight does not exceed 300 kilograms. It is interesting that a hundred thousand years ago (during the Pleistocene era) a huge polar bear lived on earth, whose weight exceeded 1.2 tons, and its size was four meters in length.
Hippopotamus
This is one of the largest and heaviest animals living on Earth. The weight of large males often exceeds four tons, so the hippopotamus is a worthy competitor to the rhinoceros in the fight for second place in terms of mass among terrestrial inhabitants.
Now the hippopotamus in natural conditions is found only in Africa, south of the Sahara, although in ancient times, for example, it had a wider range. This giant lived in the territory North Africa, as well as scientists believe that he lived in the Middle East. However, by the early Middle Ages, it was destroyed in these regions. In 2006, the International Union for Conservation of Nature recognized the hippopotamus as vulnerable.
The number of these animals at that time did not exceed one hundred and fifty thousand heads. The natives of Africa destroy hippos primarily for the sake of meat, so bloody wars and instability in many countries of the continent force starving people to look for food, thereby causing great damage to the animal population.
African elephant
This is the heaviest animal in the world that lives on land. From brothers living on other continents, he differs not only in body weight, but also in huge ears, which help him feel most comfortable under the rays of the scorching African sun.
The tusks of these giants are highly valued. It was they who nearly became the cause of the complete extermination of elephants. A huge number of animals were killed for expensive trophies. The situation with the disappearance of the population was saved by nature reserves and national parks.
The weight of African elephants is impressive: adult males weigh more than 7.5 tons, but at the same time, the heaviest land animal is very mobile, swims well and feels confident even on rocky terrain. African elephants are herbivores. They feed on young shoots of trees and shrubs, grass. An adult absorbs up to one hundred kilograms of green mass per day. Animals form small herds of 9-14 individuals. In addition to humans, elephants have no enemies in nature.
Knowing how much an elephant and a hippopotamus weigh, different ones can easily determine the leader by body weight. This is, of course, the African elephant, which is the heaviest land animal. It's time to get acquainted with the underwater inhabitants. Perhaps in sea depths lives the heaviest animal in the world.
whale shark
This is the largest shark among its relatives. Despite the impressive size (up to twenty meters) and impressive weight (up to twenty tons), this is not the heaviest. Representatives of this species live in the southern and northern seas. Northern individuals are much larger.
This gray-brown giant, covered with white spots, the location of which is unique to each individual, lives for about seventy years. They feed by filtering out plankton and filtering the water. During the day, the shark passes 350 tons of water and eats more than two hundred kilograms of plankton. The mouth of this "fish" can accommodate up to five people, its jaws are strewn with fifteen thousand small teeth.
But these inhabitants of the depths are never the first to attack a person, and many scuba divers even touch them. Whale sharks are little studied and very slow. Their number is small, so the species is listed in the Red Book.
sperm whale - toothed whale
Another very large, but not the heaviest animal. The weight of an adult male is about seventy tons, and its body length reaches twenty meters. The body shape of the sperm whale (in the form of a drop) allows it to make long journeys in a short time (during the migration period).
Sperm whales, unlike whales, live in groups of up to 150 animals. The representative of the species has a huge rectangular head, compressed on the sides. It makes up a third of the entire body of the whale. Below is a mouth with cone-shaped teeth. In these animals, the lower jaw is mobile and can open almost 90 degrees, which helps to capture rather large prey.
Sperm whales (sperm whales) have one blowhole located in front of the head. It is slightly shifted to the left. Sperm whales feed on cephalopods and fish. But at the same time, they can attack seals, dive to the bottom for squid, crabs, sponges and mollusks, descending to a depth of more than 400 meters.
The blue whale is the heaviest animal
This is really the largest animal on our planet. The length of the body reaches thirty meters, and the mass of the blue whale is 180 tons and more. The females are slightly larger than the males.
It's hard to imagine, but the tongue of this sea giant weighs about 2.7 tons, which is comparable to the weight of an Indian elephant. The blue whale has the largest heart among mammals: it weighs 900 kilograms. To imagine its dimensions, look at the Mini Cooper car. They are comparable in size and weight.
The heaviest animal in the world has an elongated and rather slender body. On a huge head are disproportionately small eyes. The pointed muzzle has a wide lower jaw. The blue whale has a blowhole, from which, when exhaling, it releases a fountain of water, reaching a height of 10 meters. In front of the blowhole there is a well-marked longitudinal ridge - the so-called breakwater.
This giant has a dorsal fin that is strongly shifted back. Compared to its body size, it is quite small and triangular in shape. Its rear edge is covered with scratches, forming an individual pattern for each whale.
Physiological features
The sense of smell and vision of the blue whale are rather poorly developed. But the sense of touch and hearing are excellent. Representatives of this species of whales have a huge lung capacity, and the amount of blood exceeds eight thousand liters. Despite its impressive size, the blue whale has a narrow throat with a diameter of only ten centimeters. The pulse of this is 5-10 beats per minute and rarely rises to 20 beats.
The skin of the blue whale is even and smooth, except for the stripes on the belly and throat. These animals are practically not overgrown with crustaceans, which often settle on other whales in large numbers. The color of the animal is predominantly gray with a blue tint. The head and lower jaw are usually painted in a darker and more intense gray.
The giraffe is the second tallest (after the elephant) African animal with a unique color and a unique shape of spots that can easily do without water. longer than a camel. Giraffes live mainly in savannahs, open steppes with a small number of trees and shrubs, the leaves and branches of which are eaten.
Giraffes are incredibly peaceful creatures that live in small herds of no more than 12-15 individuals. Each handsome spotted loves other members of his herd and respects the leader, which is why animals almost always manage to avoid any skirmishes and conflicts.
If a fight is inevitable, giraffes arrange bloodless duels, during which rivals come close to each other and fight with their necks. Such a fight (mainly between males) lasts no more than 15 minutes, after which the defeated retreats and continues to live in the herd as an ordinary member. Males and females also selflessly protect the offspring of their herd, especially the parents, who without much thought ready to pounce on a pack of hyenas or lions if they threaten the lives of babies.
In nature, the only animal dangerous to the giraffe is the lion, and the only relative is the okapi, since all other giraffes are considered extinct.
The uniqueness of the behavior and physiology of giraffes
Of all mammals, the giraffe is the owner of the longest tongue (50 cm), which helps to absorb up to 35 kg of plant food daily. With a black or dark purple tongue, the animal can also clean its ears.
Giraffes are very sharp eyesight, and the huge growth additionally allows you to notice the danger at a very long distance. Another African animal is unique in that he has the biggest heart(up to 60 cm long and weighing up to 11 kg) among all mammals and the highest blood pressure. The giraffe differs from other animals in the size of the step, because the length of the legs of an adult is 6-8 meters, which allows it to reach speeds of up to 60 km / h.
Giraffe cubs are no less unique - an hour after the birth, the babies are already quite firmly on their feet. At birth, the height of the cub is approximately 1.5 m, and the weight is about 100 kg. 7-10 days after the birth, the baby begins to form small horns that were previously depressed. The mother looks for other females with newborns nearby, after which they arrange a kind of kindergarten for their offspring. At this time, the kids are in danger, because each parent relies on the vigilance of other females, and cubs often become prey to predators. For this reason, only a quarter of the offspring usually survive to a year.
Giraffes only sometimes sleep lying down - most of the time the animals spend in an upright position, put their heads between the branches of trees, which almost completely eliminates the possibility of falling, and sleep standing up.
Curious facts about giraffes
Other "giraffes"
- The constellation Giraffe (derived from the Latin "Camelopardalis") is a circumpolar constellation that it is best to observe on the territory of the CIS countries from November to January.
- The Giraffe piano (derived from the German "Giraffenklavier") is one of the varieties of vertical piano beginning of the XIX century, getting its name due to the silhouette, reminiscent of the animal of the same name.
The giraffe is a surprisingly intelligent animal with unique habits that are characteristic only of him. Peacefulness, meek disposition and funny appearance These animals will not leave anyone indifferent.
Giraffe
Giraffe is an African animal. They live in open steppes - savannahs with sparsely located trees and shrubs. They live in small herds of 12-15 individuals. They feed mainly on leaves and branches of various acacias.
Giraffes are very peaceful creatures. They join in small herds. Each member of this herd is very respectful of the rest, respects and loves his leader. There is almost no fight. If it is necessary to find out who to lead in the herd, bloodless duels are arranged. Applicants converge closely and begin to hit each other's necks.
The duel between males does not last long, no more than a quarter of an hour. The defeated retreats, but he is not expelled from the herd, as is the case with many animals, but remains in it as an ordinary member.
The birth of a giraffe happy event for the whole herd. The giraffe born into the world, each adult gently greets with a touch of the nose.
Giraffes courageously protect babies, no matter whose they are. The parent is especially protective of her offspring. She, without hesitation, rushes towards a flock of hyenas, does not retreat in front of lions, even if there are several of them.
After ten days, small horns appear in the giraffe (before that, the horns were, as it were, pressed in). He is already quite firmly on his feet. The mother looks for other nearby females with the same babies, and they arrange for their offspring " kindergarten". This is where the danger lies in wait for the kids: each parent begins to rely on the others and her vigilance is dulled. The giraffe runs away from supervision and easily becomes the prey of predators. Only 25-30% of them live up to a year.
EThe giraffe was first called "camelopardalis" ("camel" - camel, "pardis" - leopard) by Europeans, because it resembles a camel (in its manner of movement) and a leopard (due to its spotted color).
The first giraffe was brought to Europe by Gaius Julius Caesar in 46 BC. e .. In modern times, the first giraffe brought was an animal that was brought by the Arabs in 1827. The name of the animal was Zarafa, which in Arabic means "smart". So Zharafa (pronounced in a European manner) gave the species its name. Therefore, today the word "giraffe" in most languages is pronounced almost in Russian.
The giraffe is the tallest animal on earth, with an average height of five meters. The length of one step of a giraffe is 6-8 m.
Giraffes have the largest heart and the highest blood pressure of any land animal. After all, the giraffe's heart pumps blood about 3 meters up the neck to reach the brain! The heart of a giraffe is really huge: it weighs 11 kilograms, has a length of 60 centimeters and a wall 6 centimeters thick.
The giraffe also has the longest tongue of all mammals (50 cm). The tongue of a giraffe is black. A giraffe can clean its ears with its tongue.
The vision of the giraffe is sharper than that of any other African mammal, with the exception of the cheetah. In addition, huge growth allows you to notice objects at a very long distance.
The giraffe's neck has only seven vertebrae, the same number as the human neck. Although the neck of a giraffe exceeds 1.5 m in length, there are only seven cervical vertebrae, like most other mammals, including humans. Just everyone cervical vertebra greatly elongated.
Although giraffes sometimes sleep lying down, most of the time they are in an upright position and sleep standing up, sometimes placing their head between two branches to keep from falling.
INTERESTING FACTS about giraffes.
The color of each giraffe is unique.
Scientists say that it is impossible to find two identically colored giraffes. The drawings of each animal are strictly individual, unique, characteristic only for him (as well as the drawing on the fingers of a person).
Giraffes are pacers.
Maybe because the front legs of a giraffe are longer than the back ones,the giraffe moves with an amble - that is, alternately brings forward both right legs, then both left ones. Therefore, the running of a giraffe looks like Very clumsily: the hind and front legs are crossed, but the speed reaches 50 km / h! During the gallop, the neck and head of the giraffe sway strongly, writing out, as it were, a figure eight, and the tail either dangles from side to side, or is lifted high and twisted over the back.
There are five-horned giraffes.
Males and females have a pair of short, blunt horns covered with skin on top of their heads. In males, they are more massive and longer - up to 23 cm. Sometimes there is also a third horn, on the forehead, approximately between the eyes; in males it is more common and more developed. Two bone outgrowths in the upper part of the occiput, to which the cervical muscles and ligaments are attached, can also grow strongly, resembling horns in shape, which are called posterior, or occipital. It turns out that in some individuals both three true horns and two rear horns are well developed - that's why they are called "five-horned" giraffes. Many old males generally have the whole head in the "bumps".
A giraffe can go without water longer than a camel.
Giraffes ruminate like cows. They have a four-chambered stomach, and their jaws are constantly chewing cud—partially chewed food that is regurgitated from the first chamber of the stomach for secondary chewing. Giraffes prefer thorny acacias, so the giraffe's mouth is surrounded by a horny layer of skin that protects it from sharp thorns and its saliva, which is very thick, envelops the thorns, which facilitates the act of swallowing.
Often they also feed on other shrubs and grass. Since the food of giraffes is very juicy, they are able to go without water for many weeks, possibly months.
Giraffes silently "talk".
The fact that many animals are able to communicate with the help of sounds not perceived by the human ear has long been known. Dolphins, for example, use ultrasound for this. Giraffes are like elephants blue whales and alligators prefer to "chat" in the infrasonic range.
In zoos, scientists have recorded many hours of "talk" of giraffes on film. All sounds made by these tall animals have a frequency below 20 hertz and are not audible to humans. That's why giraffes have enjoyed the reputation of being "dumb" for so long.
Research results indicate that in 24 hours giraffes emit several hundred sounds that differ in duration, frequency and amplitude in the infrasonic range. All these differences allow us to talk about the communication of giraffes, and not just consider the sounds they make as noise.
By the way, the opinion that giraffes do not make any audible sounds at all is erroneous. They may roar or bellow loudly in dangerous situations.
Enemies.
Adult giraffes have only two serious enemies - a lion and a man.
Most often, the lion attacks when the giraffe is lying or standing, clumsily bent over - drinking water or nibbling grass. Young giraffes are also preyed upon by other predators, such as leopards and hyenas. If the giraffe fails to escape, it fights back with its feet. A kick with a sharp hoof is so strong that it can decapitate a lion.
Man has been killing giraffes for a long time for meat, tendons (for making bowstrings, ropes and strings). musical instruments), brushes from the tail (for bracelets, fly swatters and threads) and skins (shields, drums, whips, sandals, etc. were made from it). Uncontrolled hunting has become one of the main reasons for the decline in both the number and distribution of these animals.
