The body length, height, and overall weight determine the total size of an animal. Big or large animals are either heavy due to their increasing weight or tall because of their height. The blue whale is the largest animal, weighing around 30,000 pounds. Besides being heavy, it is long, too, measuring 70-80 feet on average.
List of the Biggest Animals in the World
Biggest Birds
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By Height and Weight
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Name of the bird
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Height and Weight (in feet and pounds)
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1. Common Ostrich
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Height: 5-10 feet, Weight: 150-320 pounds
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2. Somali Ostrich
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Height: 6-7 feet, Weight: 200-230 pounds
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3. Southern Cassowary
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Height: 5-6 feet, Weight: 37-150 lbs
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4. Northern Cassowary
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Height: 4.9-5.9 feet, Weight: 70-80 pounds
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5. Emu
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Height: 4-5 feet, Weight: 100-120 pounds
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By Wingspan
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Name of the bird
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Height (in feet)
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1. Wandering Albatross
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10-11 feet
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2. Great White Pelican
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7.5 -11.8 feet
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3. Southern Royal Albatross
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9.5-9.8 feet
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4. Dalmatian Pelican
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5-6 feet
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Biggest Fish
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Name of the fish
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Height and weight (in feet and pounds)
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1. Whale Shark
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Height: up to 45 feet, Weight: 40,000 pounds
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2. Basking Shark
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Height:22-29 feet, Weight: 10,000-12,000 pounds
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3. Great White Shark
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Height:11-16 feet, Weight: 4,200 -5,200 pounds
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4. Ocean Sunfish
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Height: 12-14 feet, Weight: 500-2000 pounds
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5. Atlantic Blue Marlin
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Height: 12-14 feet, Weight: 200-1800 pounds
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Biggest Amphibians
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Name of the amphibian
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Height and weight (in feet and pounds)
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1. South China Giant Salamander
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Height: 6 feet, Weight: 55-70 pounds
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2. Chinese Giant Salamander
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Height: 6 feet, Weight: 55-70 pounds
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3. Japanese Giant Salamander
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Height: 4-5 feet, Weight: 45-55 pounds
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Biggest Reptiles
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Name of the reptile
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Height and weight (in feet and pounds)
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1. Saltwater Crocodile
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Height: 10-12 feet, Weight: 2000-3000 pounds
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2. Leatherback Sea Turtle
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Height: 4-6 feet, Weight: 550-2000 pounds
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3. Nile Crocodile
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Height: 9-14 feet, Weight: 490-1000 pounds
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Biggest Insects
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Name of the Insect
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Height and Weight (in feet and pounds)
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1. Giant Weta
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Height: 4 inches, Weight: 2.5 ounces
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2. Goliath Beetle
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Height: 2.4-4.5 inches, Weight: 2.5-3.5 ounces
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3. Elephant Beetle
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Height: 2.75-4.75 inches, Weight: 2.5-3.5 ounces
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Biggest Invertebrates
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Name of the Invertebrate
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Height and weight (in feet and pounds)
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1. Colossal Squid
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Height: 60-90 feet, Weight: 1100 pounds
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2. Coconut Crab
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Height: 3 feet, Weight: 9 pounds
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Other Large Animals
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Biggest Lizard
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Komodo Dragon (200-300 pounds; 8-10 feet)
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Biggest Snake
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Green Anaconda (500-550 pounds; 25-29 feet)
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Biggest Rodent
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Capybara (look similar to beavers, and hamsters) (70-150 pounds; 20-25 inches)
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Biggest Frog
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Goliath Frog (8-10 pounds; 10-12 inches)
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Biggest Butterfly
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Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (11 inches –wingspan)
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Biggest Octopus
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Giant Pacific Octopus (50-200 pounds; 600 pounds maximum weight)
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Biggest Pig
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Giant Forest Hog (300-600 pounds)
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Biggest Deer
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Moose (600-1200 pounds)
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Biggest Spider
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Goliath Birdeater
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Biggest Sheep
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Argali (200-400 pounds; 3-5 feet)
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Biggest Bear
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Kodiak Bear (660-1320 pounds; maximum weight of 1500 pounds)
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Biggest Marsupial
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Red Kangaroo (About 200 pounds; 5 feet)
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Biggest Jellyfish
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Lion’s Mane Jellyfish (200 pounds; 120 feet)
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Biggest Bat
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Golden-crowned Flying Fox (2.6 pounds; 5.5 feet)
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Quick Facts
Large Land Animals: African Bush Elephant, Asian Elephant, African Forest Elephant, White Rhinoceros
Large Sea/Ocean Animals: Blue Whale, Giant Squid, Whale Shark, Giant Pacific Octopus
FAQs
Q. Why were animals in the prehistoric period so big? The big or large animals of the present day are nothing compared to the gigantic ones that used to exist in the prehistoric ages. Geological studies show that food plants were of high quality during the Mesozoic Era and available in abundance. This was one of the factors that contributed to the enormous size of the dinosaurs and other animals who lived then.
Q. Which animals used to be big (in the past)? Gigantopithecus blacki (giant hominid), Daeodon shoshonensis, Dunkleosteus terrelli (jaw fishes), Beelzebufo ampinga (frog)
Q. Which of the large animals live in Australia? Red kangaroo, Southern Cassowary, Saltwater Crocodile
