Wow! Gigantic Animals That Actually Exist
Looking way back in the history of animals, it’s easy to say that dinosaurs were huge. So were many other species of animals, but as humans and other predators increased in population, animals no longer grew to their once giant-size. Today, animal gigantism mostly occurs on islands, where the animals are isolated from the colonies on the mainland. Animals inhabiting islands have fewer predators and often more resources for food and water. What’s interesting about most of the animals on this list, however, is that many eat the same portion sizes as their regular-size counterparts.
Owner Says 3,682 Pound Bull Is “All Muscle”
In 2009, a bull from England named Field Marshall weighed a staggering 3,682 pounds. This was of particular note because one year earlier he weighed 300 pounds less. Owner Arthur Duckett, 80, told the media: “He’s in very good health and there’s no reason why he won’t keep on growing. He’s only eight and unless something unforeseen happens he will get bigger and bigger. But he’s not fat – he’s all muscle. I could feed him heavier but I don’t want to make him look grotesque, I want him to be healthy and put on weight naturally. That’s why I keep him outdoors in a field and not inside.”
The Giant Mekong Catfish Is Endangered
On May 1, 2005, fishermen from northern Thailand caught this giant catfish in the Mekong River. (That’s why the species is named the Mekong giant catfish). The fish weighed 646 pounds and was nearly nine feet long (as large as a grizzly bear). The fish was the largest freshwater fish ever recorded. Unfortunately, these fish are disappearing. Zeb Hogan, a member of the World Wildlife Fund told the media, “I’m thrilled that we’ve set a new record, but we need to put this discovery in context: these giant fish are uniformly poorly studied and some are critically endangered. Some, like the Mekong giant catfish, face extinction.”
The Saltwater Crocodile That Eats Sharks
Male saltwater crocodiles can weigh as much as 1,000 to 2,000 pounds. In 2014, Brutus the giant saltwater crocodile made headlines for chomping down on a bull shark. The 18-foot long croc was photographed in Kakadu’s Adelaide River. He initially became famous for eating kangaroo meat on a “jumping crocodile” tour in 2011. But his fight with a shark three years later really cemented his celebrity status. Harry Bowman from Adelaide River Cruises explained: “It’s pretty gobsmacking for them. A lot of people who come on these cruises haven’t seen a crocodile before. To see them in the wild up so close, I think they’re awed. It’s like seeing a dinosaur really.”
The Giant Percheron Stallion Named Moose
This enormous horse named Windermere’s North American Maid (a.k.a. Moose) is a draft horse and Percheron supreme world champion. According to the owners at Windermere Farms, Moose won many championships throughout the United States and Canada. They said, “We started calling North American Maid ‘Moose’ because he was always such a big colt. Now he stands 19 hands and moves with incredible action.” He was also used in their breeding program: “We feel Moose is the complete package in a Percheron stallion; one where you can acquire the size to be competitive in the show ring without sacrificing style.”
The Titan Longhorn Beetle Is 6.6 Inches Long
If you don’t like bugs, this one is probably terrifying. Titan longhorn beetles live in the rainforests of South America in countries such as Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and north-central Brazil. They are one of the biggest beetles on Earth. The largest Titan specimen measured 6.6 inches long! While Hercules beetles can be longer, they’re measured from their horn, which protrudes from their thorax. However, the Titans have much bigger bodies. Their mandibles are so strong they can cut pencils in half. They have strong jaws and hiss and bite to stave off predators. Adults do not eat; they search for mates.
This Crab’s Legs Are Insane
The world’s biggest crab is the Japanese Spider Crab. They live naturally around the waters of Japan and the span of their legs are larger than any other arthropod, reaching up to 18 feet from claw to claw. The body can grow up to 16 inches wide, and they can weigh as much as 42 pounds. In Japanese, they are called “taka-ashi-gani,” which means “tall legs crab.” They have an armored body to protect themselves from predators such as octopi. The Japanese Spider Crab are masters of camouflage and use shells, sponges, and other ocean elements to disguise themselves. These crabs are considered a delicacy.
Chilli The Giant Cow Weighs 2,750 Pounds
Jenny Wheadon of Ferne Animal Sanctuary in Somerset, England, is the caretaker of Chilli the big cow, who stands tall at 6 feet 6 inches. During an interview with “Today” in 2008, she explained, “He’s fed exactly the same as the other cattle — just fresh Somerset grass and good air.” Chilli is 18 inches taller than a regular-sized cow and was estimated to weigh a whopping 2,750 pounds. He and four other cows were abandoned at the sanctuary one morning, but his companions were all normal size. Jenny added: “He just grew and continued to grow and grow.”
The Friendly 15.3 Hands Donkey
Oklahoma Sam was dubbed the “Tallest Living Donkey” in 2012 at the age of four years old. At an astonishing 15.3 hands in length, she was much larger than the common donkey, who is typically eight hands. Oklahoma Sam lived in California with her owner and several other animals, including a Macaw, duck, goose, and four cats, who had no problem with the donkey’s size. Owner Linda Davis told Guinness World Records, “It actually doesn’t cost any more to have a donkey of this size. He doesn’t eat more. In fact, if I give him more bale he’ll just use it to make his bedding more comfortable.”
A Jellyfish Larger Than A Human!
In July 2019, a biologist and an underwater cameraman, Lizzy Daly and Dan Abbot, were diving off the coast of England when they spotted an absolutely enormous barrel jellyfish that was larger than Daly! She posted this photo to social media with the caption, "Woah!!!!! We went diving in Falmouth yesterday to finish off #WildOceanWeek and came across this GIANT barrel jellyfish! What a way to finish off this marine wildlife adventure!"
Daly and Abbot were filming wildlife encounters as part of a fundraising effort for the Marine Conservation Society. According to Wikipedia, the creatures usually measure in around 16 inches in diameter, but can grow to more than 35 inches in some cases (like this one).
A Red Tibetan Mastiff Sold For $1.5 Million
Adult Tibetan Mastiffs can weigh as much as 286 pounds. In 2011, a red Tibetan mastiff was the most expensive dog in the world after being sold for 10 million Chinese yuan, or $1.5 million. Owning one of these animals has become a bit of a status symbol for the Chinese. It enables the rich to show off their wealth instead of using expensive cars or jewelry. The Tibetan Mastiffs are red, which is a lucky color for the Chinese. They are also considered to be holy animals and are credited with giving their owners better health and security.
Giant Freshwater Stingray Looks Terrifying
These animals can weigh as much as 1,300 pounds and be as long as 6.2 feet across. Like the giant catfish, they are found in the Mekong River. They are indigenous to rivers and estuaries in Indochina and Borneo but are endangered. People hunt them for meat or use them for recreation. They are commonly displayed in aquariums. Unfortunately, their habitats have been degraded so their numbers are dwindling. They eat fish and invertebrates, and females generally give birth to between one and four pups. They are not aggressive, but their sting can pierce the bone. Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter was killed by a stingray in Australia.
5 Foot Bismarck Flying Fox Of New Guinea
The Bismarck masked flying fox lives in Papua New Guinea and is named after the Bismarck Archipelago. They are the largest bats in the world. These animals are called flying foxes because of the fox-like shape of their heads. Their wingspan can reach as far as 5.25 feet but are typically just under five feet. It has pointed ears and no tail. They are one of the few species of mammals in which the males are able to lactate. They eat fruit, nectar, and flowers. They are unable to echolocate, but they have very good eyes. Their colonies can include as many as 200,000 bats.
From Runt To 245 Pounds
Giant George was dubbed the world’s tallest living dog by Guinness World Records. The Great Dane was 3 feet, 7 inches from his paw to his shoulder and nearly seven feet long. He weighed 245 pounds — about 100 pounds more than the average Great Dane. According to owners Dave and Christie Nasser, he was the runt of the litter. They explained on their website: “Eager to play … this big Great Dane was scared of water, scared of dogs a fraction of his size and, most of all, scared of being alone.” He died in 2013 just shy of his eighth birthday.
Holy Ham! This Chinese Pig Weighed 1,984 Pounds
Depending on the type of pig, they typically weigh anywhere from 100 to 240 pounds. This guy weighed over 10 times that amount! This humongous pig is from China. He was so big that he weighed a staggering 1,984 pounds. He was treated quite well during his short life — he only lived until the age of five. But he was fed high-quality meals and lived in a very nice pigsty. The Liaoning Provincial Agricultural Museum was so proud of the animal that they petitioned the Guinness Book of Records to get him listed as the biggest pig that ever existed.
Flemish Giant Rabbit Is As Big As The Family Dog
The Flemish Giant rabbit is a huge breed of domestic rabbit and is essentially the biggest breed of the species. It’s not uncommon for them to weigh as much as 22 pounds. The longest one on record was about 4 feet 3 inches long. Notice the one in the photo above — it’s just as large as the Collie it’s sleeping next to! While they can be wonderful pets, they are typically bred for their fur and meat. They have very nice temperaments and are docile. They were bred as far back as the 16th century in Belgium, and eat Timothy hay like normal-sized rabbits.
The Three-Foot Long Coconut Crab
Coconut Crabs are the largest crabs in the world. They are a species of the hermit crab. They can weigh up to nine pounds and grow 3 feet 3 inches in length from leg-to-leg. They live on certain islands in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and as far away as the Gambier Islands. Their meals typically consist of fruits, nuts, and seeds, but they’ll eat carrion and other things as well. They do not eat coconut very often even though the fruit is associated with their name. They only climb when they want to escape and feel they are in danger. Seeing one of these scaling your wall would leave anyone in complete terror.
Cinereous Vulture Has An 8-10 Foot Wingspan
These birds are the world’s largest bird of prey. They can weigh up to 31 pounds and have a wingspan of 8-10 feet. These large birds live in Europe and Asia. Females are slightly bigger than the males. They are also one of the world’s heaviest flying birds. The Cinereous Vulture is a largely solitary animal but occasionally live in pairs. However, groups with as many as 20 birds may convene to feed off of carcasses. Their diet consists mostly of carrion. Their status is listed as “near threatened” because of habitat destruction and due to eating poisoned bait used to kill dogs and other animals.
Big Jake Weighed 2,600 Pounds
Big Jake was listed in the Guinness World Records in 2012. He was credited as the world’s tallest horse at six feet, nine inches. He weighed 2,600 pounds. His owner, Jerry Gilbert, raised the equine on his farm in Michigan. He explained: “He was extremely hard to hold on to when he was young and when I would turn him outside sometimes he would take me with him!” Big Jake got along well with other animals and liked pulling a wagon. Because of his size, he lived in an extra-large stall — it was 20X20 feet instead of the more common 12X12 feet.
World’s Biggest Bunnies
Darius the bunny is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as being the longest bunny at 4 feet and 4 inches, but his son Jeff the bunny currently surpasses him at 4 feet 5 inches, and Darius’ daughter Enya is expected to surpass them both! Once bred for meat, the continental giant breed of bunnies makes great house pets. Darius is so large that the owner Annette Edwards houses him in his own dog crate! A bunny of Darius’s size isn’t exactly cheap to maintain as Darius consumes over 2,000 carrots and 700 apples a year in addition to a great deal of rabbit food.
King of the Jellyfish
The Lion’s Mane Jellyfish is the largest species of jellyfish in the world! The creature gets its name from the association of its tentacles appearing like the hairs on a lion’s mane. The biggest recorded specimen of a Lion’s mane was found on a shore in Massachusetts Bay in 1870. The bell of this colossus measured about seven feet and six inches, and with tentacles reaching up to 121 feet, it may be a while before we find another Lion's Mane of this size. The Lion’s Mane jellyfish is a cold-water creature, has a lifespan of about a year, and its diet consists of other smaller jellyfish.
World’s Largest Ants
The giant Amazonian ant, also known as Dinoponera, is among the largest ants in the world. Although there is much more conversation around the bullet ant due to their size and notorious sting, the size of a female giant Amazonian ant can reach up to 1.2- 1.6 inches in length. Found only in South America, a colony of this particular ant tends to consist of fewer than 100 ants. Also, don’t be fooled: although they aren’t particularly known for their venom, the giant Amazonian ant is still extremely poisonous. Their sting is known to cause extreme pain for up to 48 hours after the initial sting.
The Maine Coon Cat
The state cat of Maine is also one of the largest and oldest domestic breeds in North America. The Maine Coon is the largest domesticated cat breed in the world. Male Maine Coons can reach a height of anywhere between 10 and 16 inches and on average weigh 13 to 18 pounds, with females measuring just slightly smaller. The record for the longest domestic cat in the Guinness Book of World Records belongs to a Maine Coon named Stewie. Measuring 48.5 inches from nose to tail, Stewie was truly a long cat. Despite having such an imposing profile, Maine Coons are known for being gentle, intelligent and quite playful creatures.
The World’s Biggest Land Snail
The giant African Snail is the largest land gastropod. With the largest snail ever recorded measuring 15.5 inches and weighing 2 pounds, the giant African snails' ranking at the top is undisputed. The giant African snail's accolades don’t stop there, however. This snail is also listed as one of the most invasive species in the world and the United States Department of Agriculture sees it as one of the biggest potential threats to agriculture and crops in the US. The average lifespan for one of these snails is between 5-7 years and their diet can consist of anything among 500 different species of plants!
The Largest Animal That Ever Lived
Any list about large creatures is incomplete without a mention of the largest animal not only still living, but to have ever existed. The Blue whale is a true titan, reaching a length of up to 98 feet and weighing a maximum of 190 tons. Once in abundance all over the world, whaling has greatly reduced this majestic creature’s numbers and it is estimated that there are somewhere between 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales left in the world today. Blue whales eat mostly krill -- up to 40 million krill in a day. An average blue whale's heart weighs about 400 pounds and they are the largest of any known animal.
Gary The Capybara
Gary The Capybara is the world’s largest pet rodent. Standing at about the size of a midsize dog, Gary is a beloved member of his owner’s family. Melanie Typaldos and Richard Loveman met Gary on a trip to Venezuela and fell in love with him, eventually bringing him back to her home in Texas. Gary spends his days swimming in his owners' swimming pool and said to be a fast learner. According to Ms. Typaldos, Gary knows how to turn in circles, stand up, jump, and shake hands when told to do so. Gary’s favorite place to sleep is right next to his owners in the family bed.
Sammy The Tortoise
Although Colin Kaepernick is a quarterback known not just for his big playing ability but also his smooth elusiveness and explosive mobility, his giant pet tortoise Sammy was the exact opposite. Weighing in at 115 pounds, Sammy is a member of the third largest species of tortoises in the world. These tortoises can live up to 150 years so the concept of a tortoise outliving its owner is a potential scenario so some owners put their pet tortoises in their will. In 2013, when the San Francisco 49ers were en route to the super bowl, it is worth noting that Sammy the tortoise had his own Twitter feed and had much to say.
Largest Land Carnivores
The Polar Bear and Kodiak bear are the world’s largest land carnivores. A male polar bear can weigh anywhere from 772 to 1,543 pounds with a female polar bear weighing about half as much. The polar bear depends on sea ice to hunt its meal of choice, seal. Due to climate change, the Polar Bear’s current conservation status is vulnerable, and biologist estimate that there are roughly 20-25,000 polar bears currently worldwide. Often Polar Bears are painted as being extremely aggressive, but that’s not often the case. Polar Bears will often choose to escape and avoid confrontation when given a choice.
Largest Land Carnivore
The Kodiak bear inhabits the Kodiak islands in Southwest Alaska. Measuring very closely to the Polar bear, they share the title of largest land carnivore. Whereas the Polar bear eats almost exclusively meat, the Kodiak bear has a much more diverse diet that changes depending on the season. During the spring they eat fresh vegetation along with the carcasses of animals that died during the winter. During the summer, they continue eating vegetation and berries along with Salmon. Some other things that some bears eat year-round are seaweed, deer, and garbage left behind by humans. Although the majority of adult bears die as a result of natural causes, more than 90% of adult male Kodiak bears are killed by hunters.
Big Bob The Goldfish
Meet Big Bob, the goldfish the size of a foot-long sandwich from Subway. Bob’s owner Anne Cooper bought him from a pet shop when he was only an inch long. Big Bob dwarfs all of the other fish in Anne cooper’s tank and is on his fifth fish tank since outgrowing the other ones. Anne Cooper claims that Big Bob gets violent when he isn’t fed on time and his thrashing about is so violent that he is capable of scaring her two cats away from his tank. Also, Big Bob is known to hate the color red.
Largest Amphibian species
Native to the mountain streams and lakes of China, the Chinese giant salamander is the worlds largest amphibian. On average, an adult salamander can weigh anywhere from 55 to 66 pounds and measure about 3.77 feet across. The heaviest salamander ever recorded weighed 110 pounds and measure 5.9 feet across. Salamanders eat a wide range of things and have been known to dine on dine on insects, worms, other amphibians, shrimps, crabs, fish, and water shrew. Currently it’s conservation status stands at critically endangered and its species is continually in decline due to human interactions. The vocalizations of the Chinese giant salamander are unique in that they are said to resemble that of a crying child.
Giant Invertebrates
Once thought to be a myth, the first live giant squid was photographed by Japanese researchers in 2002, then first captured in the wild on film in 2004. The giant squid is the second largest living invertebrate, with the largest being the Colossal squid which is still being researched as it is an extremely rare specimen. The maximum length for a giant squid is believed to be 43 feet for females and 33 feet for males from top to bottom with a maximum weight of 606 pounds for a female giant squid and about half of that for males. Giant squid feed on deep sea fish and other squid and the only known predator for an adult giant squid is the Sperm whale.
Giants Of The Amazon
Weighing up to 550 pounds and reaching a size of up to 30 feet in length, the Green Anaconda is the world’s biggest snake, but also the world’s biggest reptile. The green Anaconda isn’t quite the longest snake in the world, but when weight is considered, overall, it is the biggest. The snake can be found in remote regions throughout the central parts of South America and tend to stick to places close to water in the Amazon rainforest. They continue to grow throughout their entire lifespans and are predominantly nocturnal creatures that feed on capybaras, deer, tapirs, caimans, and on occasion even jaguars.
Goliath Frog
Although not quite the largest amphibian on earth, the Goliath frog still holds the title of being the largest living species of frogs on the planet! They can weigh over seven pounds and can only be found on the continent of Africa in the rivers within the countries of Cameroon and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. Goliath frogs eat spiders, small snakes, crabs, turtles, smaller frogs, worms and other insects. They only eat small snakes as bigger snakes feed on the Goliath frogs. Goliath frogs live for up to 15 years and are currently classified as an endangered species.
Supersize Spiders
The Goliath Spider, also known as the bird-eating spider, is the world’s biggest spider in terms of mass and size. Found in the rainforest of South America, the Goliath Spider makes its home in borrows and female spiders can live anywhere from 15 to 25 years, with males living only three to six years. Despite one of its known names, the Goliath Spider only occasionally feasts upon adult birds, instead it eats other spiders, amphibians, snakes and rodents. Although the Goliath Spider is venomous, its venom isn’t as powerful as one might imagine and is comparable to the venom from a wasp sting.
More About Supersized Spiders
The Giant Huntsman spider is the world’s largest spider by leg span. Although not as bulky as the Goliath spider, the legs on a Giant Huntsman spider can reach up to one foot in length. The giant Huntsman spider is native to Laos and is believed to be a cave dweller. Huntsman spiders don’t build webs like other spiders, instead, they opt to hunt and although they are venomous, they are not considered to be a big threat to humans. There have even been instances where people have taken huntsman spiders in as pets. Huntsman spiders primarily only eat other insects, and occasionally geckos.
Gentle Giant
Although the blue whale holds the title for the largest creature on earth, and thus the ocean, the whale shark is the world’s largest fish. The whale shark isn’t considered dangerous and is even known to be playful and to let divers catch a ride on its back. The whale shark is generally found in tropical waters closer to the equator and is a filter feeder. Its diet consists mostly of plankton but on occasion, it may also eat small squid, small fish, and krill. The largest known whale shark was 41.5 feet in length and weighed 47,000 pounds.
The Leatherback Sea Turtle
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest turtle alive today and is also one of the heaviest reptiles in existence. Despite being a turtle, the Leatherback doesn’t possess a bone shell. Where most turtles have a shell, the leatherback has its skin exposed. On average, Leatherbacks measure 6 to 7 feet in length and can weigh between 550 to 1,540 pounds. The Caribbean holds the largest average size per region, with leatherbacks there averaging around 847 pounds. Little is known about how long leatherbacks can live but their diets consist of mostly jellyfish. They can be found in oceans all across the world.
The Goliath Beetle
The size and weight of the Goliath Beetle make it one of the largest insects on the planet. In the larval stage, the Goliath Beetle can weigh between 2.8 – 3.5 oz and measure up to 9.8 inches, but as adults their weight tends to go down by half. An adult male Goliath beetle can only reach a length of 2.4- 4.3 inches. Goliath Beetles are native to Africa’s tropical forest and a way to tell males apart from the female beetles is by looking for the horn that males use to combat other males for food or potential mates. In the wild they feed on tree sap and need to maintain a high protein diet, but when kept as pets, people have been known to feed the beetles cat and dog food as a protein supplement.
The African Elephant Is The Largest Living Land Animal
At a weight of nearly six tons, the African elephant is the largest living animal on land. For reference, that's nearly the weight of three cars. The largest African elephants are impressively long at 7.5 meters in length and 3.3 meters high at the shoulders. Their giant ears allow them to radiate extra heat, which is a necessity because they spend their days grazing in the hot African sun.
The elephants' most impressive feature – their gorgeous tusks – is also their downfall. The animals are under severe threat because of poaching and habitat loss.
Giraffes Are As Tall As A Single Story House
According to the World Wildlife Federation, giraffes are the tallest terrestrial mammal in the entire world. The males regularly stand at five meters tall – the same height as a single-story home. What's even more impressive is a giraffe's massive heart – and we don't mean they're extra generous. The gentle giants have a heart two-foot heart and a blood pressure that's up to three times greater than a healthy human's. How else would all that blood pump blood up its insanely long neck?
Giraffes are so tall they actually have trouble standing up from a seated position, which is why you usually see them standing. On the plus side, they can nab the best leaves at the top of tall trees. Yum!
Frankie The Great Dane Is 2016's Biggest Dog Ever
Frankie the Great Dane may look intimidating, but the seven-foot tall dog has a heart of gold. The England-based pup is also a record holder. In December of 2016, he was named the tallest dog in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records (but was overthrown in 2017 by Big George). This giant pup weighs a whopping 15 stone (210 pounds), and it costs about £100 ($134) a week just to satiate his massive hunger. His favorite meal? A whole roast chicken or peanut butter on toast. He also loves to eat sofas and has destroyed 23 of them throughout his lifetime.
The Biggest Butterfly In The World Is A Lady
Butterflies may be tiny, but Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly is the largest of the bunch. This massive insect has an 11-inch wingspan – that's almost an entire foot. It's found exclusively in the tropics of Papua New Guinea and was discovered by a wildlife collector and naturalist named Albert Steward Meek in 1906.
When it comes to Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterflies, the females are actually the most impressive. They're way bigger than their male mates, but the males are more vibrantly colored with shimmering blue and green wings. Females simply have brown wings with white triangles.
The Biggest Earthworm Is Over Nine Feet Long
Gross. We don't often want to think of slippery, sliding things creeping just below the surface, but that's a reality we've got to face. Nature has many wonders and some of them are wildly weird worms. Australia's Giant Gippsland Earthworm is one of the biggest things lurking just below. It can grow up to a whopping 9.8 feet long and live up to five years (that's right, this giant invertebrate clocks out at kindergarten).
Don't worry though. You probably won't find this worm lurking beneath your front lawn. They thrive in the wet, clay subsoils of river banks and hardly ever come to the surface (unlike their smaller relatives who pop up every now again to defecate).
This 922-Pound Liger Is The World's Largest Living Cat
At 922 pounds, Hercules certainly earns his name. This liger – a hybrid offspring from a lion and a tiger – calls the Myrtle Beach Safari wildlife preserve home. He clocks in at 131 inches long and measures 49 inches tall at the shoulder, but he's hardly as fierce as he looks. He still enjoys getting fed a bottle of milk by his keepers, and even at over 100 times the average weight of a house cat, he still likes to play like a kitten. Ligers are the largest of the big cats and can grow up to twice the size of a purebred tiger or lion.
This Earthworm Is So Big People Thought It Might Be A Snake
In December of 2013, a photo of a giant earthworm started making rounds on the Internet. People claimed the worm was so big it had to be fake, but rest assured, it was real. The worm was discovered by Mickey Grosman after a 5,000 mile-trek across South America. He picked up this giant guy in Sumaco National Park, but wasn't able to identify what the heck it was.
According to some reports, the giant worm might be Glossoscolex Gigantes, others think it could be a Caecilian, a legless amphibian. All we know is that it's absolutely gigantic.
These Creepy, Crawly Bottom-Feeders Are Huge
They're not quite a crab and not quite a pill bug, but they're definitely related. Giant isopods are the largest creepy, crawly of the bunch. These bottom-feeders regularly grow up to sizes that exceed 14.2 inches in length. In 2010, a giant isopod clocking in at 2.5 feet long was pulled from the water. The weirdest part is that scientists can't really figure out why these creatures are so big. The only clue is that their massive size might help them survive the excessive pressure at the very bottom of the ocean. Oh yeah, they're also carnivores. Prepare to never sleep again.
A Whopping 36 Foot Great White Was Pulled Up In South Australia
Great white sharks are renowned for being, well, great. These sharks average a whopping 20 feet in length and 5,000, but they can get so, so much bigger. The two greatest great whites ever pulled from the ocean clocked in at a whopping 36 and 37 feet long, according to The Guinness Book of World Records. The biggest of the bunch was caught in Port Fairy, South Australia in the 1870s, while the smaller giant was caught in the 1930s in New Brunswick, Canada. Could you imagine the size of those teeth?
Ludo, The World's Biggest House Cat, Is Seriously Huge
Maine Coon's are known as the largest cat species ever (and one of the oldest American breeds). The myth is that main coons were created when a brown tabby mates with an actual, wild raccoon. Though that's completely impossible, you can't deny their size. Ludo is the biggest of the bunch at nearly four feet long. Though his British mate Stewie (mentioned above) might have been a bit larger, Ludo currently holds the title due to Stewie's tragic passing. This big cat would give some dogs a major run for their money.
This 222 lbs. Siamese Carp Is The Real Deal
It looks Photoshopped, but it isn't. This massive 222 lbs. Siamese carp was pulled out of a lake in Ban Pong, Thailand after an epic, 90-minute battle. Tim Webb, the 57-year-old fisherman who managed to tame the beast caught the clunker by using bread and bran rice as bait (carbs really were his downfall).
After Webb took snapped this photo with two fellow fishermen, he released the majestic giant into his own fishery 25 miles from the lake. It took six people to lift the fish into his truck, and presumably, the fish proceeds to live happily in his new home.
This Massive 22 Lbs. Lobster Got A Taste Of Freedom
In the summer of 2017, this giant lobster finally saw freedom. Louie, the giant 22-pound, lobster was estimated to be around 132 years old. That's far too wise to be trapped in a tank for 20 years, but nonetheless, he spent two decades inside a tank in a Long Island restaurant. His owner, Yamali, couldn't bear to let someone eat the magnificent creature, so instead, he set him free. The town of Hempstead held an official ceremony to return the lobster to the wild.
Lobster expert Bob Bayer, the executive director at the Lobster Institute in Maine, believes that Louie will thrive in the wild. What sorts of predators want to snack on a giant, 22-pound whopper with claws (besides people with a cup full of butter)?
Louie is half the size of the largest lobster ever caught, but far, far beyond the average three to four pounds of a typical lobster.
Things Are Kind Of Fishy With This Gigantic Goldfish
Though gigantic carp occasional exceed 90lbs, their smaller relative the goldfish isn't really known for its size. Goldfish are tiny, but the truth is that they can get pretty massive in the wild. Many of us have the compulsion to dump our precious goldfish into the nearest lake when we no longer want to care for them, but that's actually the worst thing you can do. This invasive species has few natural predators and keeps growing. Recently, a four-pound goldfish was discovered by researchers – a far cry from the teeny, tiny pet you won at the carnival last year.
Komodo Dragons Might As Well Be Dinosaurs
The dinosaurs are extinct, but that's okay because we've still got the Komodo dragon. The species itself is millions of years old -- a relic from prehistoric times when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. This giant creature is the world's largest living lizard and the real-life dragon equivalent of our Game of Thrones favorites.
Though the mighty Komodo doesn't spit fire or fly, it can take down prey as big as a water buffalo. It grows up to 10 feet in length and can weigh well into the 300-pound range, though average Komodos don't often exceed 155 lbs.). The largest Komodo dragon on record was 366 pounds and a whopping 10.3 feet in length.
This Puppy Has The Biggest Tail Ever
Though Keon the Irish wolfhound might not stand as tall as his Great Dane friends, this dog has some seriously impressive stats. He recently broke the record for having the biggest, longest tail out of any dog. His tail is absurdly huge at 30.2 inches – just think of all the things he probably knocks over around the house. Would you want to be hit with that tail as he's happily wagging along?
Keon, which stands for "courageous warrior," is apparently a gentle giant, albeit probably a little clumsy. He lives with his family in Westerlo, Belgium, where he gets plenty of belly rubs.
The World's Largest Tortoise Was Weighed 919 lbs.
Tortoises are large, but none were larger than Goliath. In the 1960s, this hatchling found a home at Seffner's Life Fellowship Bird Sanctuary where he kept growing until he reached a whopping 919 lbs. Though most tortoises reach their maximum size at age 30, Goliath never stopped growing.
Giant tortoises like Goliath thrive in the Galapagos islands and the Aldabra Atoll. It's estimated that nearly 25,000 of these creatures call those areas home, but they were once more widespread.
Though Goliath passed away in 2002, his legacy as the largest tortoise lives on.
These Mega-Horns Aren't Photoshopped
This steer may not be the biggest cow by any means, but his giant horns are like something out of a sci-fi film. It looks like they've been CGI-ed four our wildest fantasies, but they're totally authentic. Lurch, an African Watusi steer, has the largest horn circumference of any steer in the world at 37.5 inches. His horns were eventually his downfall. The poor critter died in 2010 when cancer at the base of his horns spread. The legend of Lurch will always exist in our memories and he's survived by his doting owner Janice Wolf, who resides in Gassville, Arkansas.
This Huge Sheep Had 88lbs Of Wool
This sheep may have just been the biggest sheep in the world, but he lost a whole lot of weight. Chris, an overgrown Australian sheep, was fighting for his life after living in the wild for several years. His coat grew so wooly that he was barely able to function. The RSPCA admitted that once the big boy was sheered, he had lost 88 lbs. of wool.
Chris was so gigantic that he dwarfed the kangaroos that shared the open fields with him. He was four to five times the normal size of a merino sheep.
The Red Kangaroo Is Basically A Body Builder
You wouldn't want to mess with a red kangaroo. Not only are they more muscular the worst of gym rats, but they're super aggressive. Male red kangaroos can reach up to 5.9 feet tall. The largest one ever documented clocked in at nearly seven feet and 201 lbs.
In 2015, Roger the kangaroo took the Internet by storm. This giant red kanga was nearly 200 lbs. and could literally crush metal with his bare hands. At 10 years old, it's likely that Roger will grow and outweigh the heaviest red kangaroo on record. For now, we still wouldn't want to get on this guy's bad side.
Bandit's Thyroid Problem Made Him The Largest Raccoon Ever
Poor Bandit. His thyroid problem made him the largest raccoon on the planet. This playful 75 lb. creature was named the world's fattest raccoon by the Guinness Book of World Records. Despite his health issues, Bandit was adopted by a loving family of dogs, where he was raised by a mother alongside a dog and her puppies. Eventually, he found a human home and settled down with a woman in Palmerton, Pennsylvania before his untimely death. Unfortunately, his thyroid problem eventually turned fatal, but at that point, he was already famous. He had a quick spot on the Food Network and was a regular at Ice Cream World, where he loved to drink slushies through a straw.
11 Year Old Boy Shoots, Kills 1,051 Pound Hog
In 2007, an 11-year-old boy named Jamison Stone shot a giant hog that weighed 1,051 pounds and was nine-feet long. Jamison casually told ABC News, “He was snarling, you know popping his jaws as a threat, and that’s when I took my shot.” He and his dad hunted the gigantic animal for three hours before finally taking him down. After a photo of the boy with the hog went viral, many doubted its authenticity. Jamison and his dad insisted it was for real. It’s possible because, in 2004, a National Geographic forensics team unearthed the original “Hogzilla,” an 800-pound wild boar that was killed in Georgia.
