The biggest shark in the world. Giant Elephant Shark off the Italian Riviera Fairy Tales You Want to Believe

IN documentary show a great white shark swimming past caged scuba divers. You freeze in fear, because this is a huge White shark- a healthy, creepy, carnivorous predator! And you know it's big, even huge, but only until you see it in comparison to the poor tiny divers hiding in their cages. Only then do you truly realize the mind-blowing size of this animal!

In fact, most of us don't really know how big some animals are. They don't even have a clue! But don't worry, if this is about you, then today you will see animals that are actually much larger than you think!

The point is that animals are different forms and sizes. Some people use their weight as a determining factor, believing that the heaviest animal automatically becomes the largest. Others believe that the largest animal is the longest, while others under the concept of "largest" mean the height (height) of the animal.

In a word, no matter how we measure animals, there is no doubt that there are animals of incredibly huge sizes! For example, almost everyone knows that the blue whale and African elephant- the largest animals on the planet (therefore, of course, they are also included in this list).

But what does it mean? How big are they? How can you compare them to something we are familiar with, such as the size of a football field, a building, or even a bus!

Once you know more about these animals, we think you will have a better idea of ​​their size (and this discovery may shock you). Here are 25 animals that are much more than you think!

25. Great white shark

The great white shark is famous for its frightening size: adults, on average, grow up to 4.6 meters in length, although there were individuals up to 6 meters, weighing up to 1.9 tons. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio can tell about one such close one.

24. Bottlenose dolphin, or big dolphin


Cute, very smart and incredibly friendly, bottlenose dolphins are associated exclusively with goodwill. Seeing on TV or in videos posted on the Internet how they emerge from the water and jump through the rings, performing at shows in water parks, it is quite difficult to imagine their impressive size.

However, the size of bottlenose dolphins can vary between 2-4 meters, and their weight can reach 150-650 kg. If you swim next to these animals, they will be almost twice your size (or even more if you are a short person).

23. Sperm Whale


Sperm whales are considered the largest toothed whales on the planet. Adult males grow up to 17-20 meters in length, reaching a weight of about 40-50 tons, which means that a Boeing 737-800 with a maximum take-off weight of 75 tons will not be able to lift two such animals into the air.

22. Hippo, or common hippopotamus


Hippos are large, obese animals that are the third largest land mammals(after elephants and white rhinos). They grow up to 3.3-5 meters in length, reaching a weight of up to 3 tons. This is the approximate length and weight of the Hummer H2 SUV.

21. Leo


Widely known as the "king of the beasts", an adult lion can weigh over 250kg - almost the weight of two people like wrestler Brock Lesnar.

20. Ostrich

Ostriches are the largest modern birds. Usually they weigh somewhere between 63-145 kg, almost like two adults, growing up to 2.7 meters in length.
Ostriches are known for their strength and long legs, which help them overcome 3-5 meters in just one step. Their strong paws are also a formidable weapon, since an ostrich can kill a person or even such a large animal as a lion with one blow.

19. Dark tiger python


The dark tiger python is one of the three largest snake species in the animal kingdom. Its length, on average, is 3.7 meters, but in nature there was an individual 5.74 meters long. Yes, this is longer than most of the trees that grow in your area.

18. Liger


A hybrid cross between a lion and a tigress, the liger is the largest known living member of the cat family. Weight adult, as a rule, exceeds 300 kg, and the length of a liger standing on its hind legs can reach 3.66-4 meters. To give you an idea of ​​how high this is, let's say that the height of the average one-story house is about 3 meters.

17. Blue or blue whale


Being 30 meters long and weighing 180 tons, blue whales are the largest animals living on our planet, and possibly the heaviest of all that have ever existed on Earth, including dinosaurs.

Just for comparison, a blue whale is almost two city buses long and weighing 10 times more. Now every time you see two buses parked side by side, you will remember blue whale.

16. Fighting bull


Fighting bulls are the bulls involved in the Spanish bullfight. The height of an adult (at the withers) is 1.55 meters. An adult fighting bull weighs between 500-700 kg, almost as much as a Formula 1 car (702 kg) with a racer.

15. Salted crocodile


Salted crocodile, also known as saltwater crocodile or a man-eating crocodile belonging to the family of real crocodiles - the largest reptile on the planet. It is also considered the world's largest terrestrial or coastal predator, at the top of the food chain.

Adult males of medium size reach a length of 5 meters and can weigh almost 450 kg - even a heavyweight, world record holder in powerlifting (430 kg) could not lift one of them. However, some males can reach a length of 7 meters, while weighing almost 2 tons.

14. Grizzly


Most adult female grizzlies weigh around 130-180 kg, while males grow up to 180-360 kg, that is, weighing almost four Leonardo DiCaprio, who weighs 79 kg.

13. Tuna


Tuna is a marine finned fish belonging to the tribe Thunnini, which consists of 15 species belonging to 5 genera. The sizes of representatives of this tribe can vary greatly. The size of the largest of them, common tuna, is 4.6 meters in length and 684 kg of weight. This is more than Jon Brower Minnoch - the heaviest man in the history of mankind, weighing an impressive 635 kilograms.

12. White or polar bear


Polar bears are large carnivores that live in cold climates (within the Arctic Circle).

The largest polar bear ever recorded weighed 1,000 kg. On average, polar bears can reach 3 meters in height, standing on their hind legs. It's higher than the most A tall man in the history of mankind (Robert Wadlow), whose height was 2.72 meters.

11. Common wolf

The common wolf is one of the largest currently existing members of its family. Males, on average, weigh 43-45 kg, and females - 36-39 kg.

Wolves are also known for their huge appetite: they can eat 9 kg of food in one sitting. It is more than an ordinary family out of 8-10 people can eat during Sunday lunch.

10 Japanese Spider Crab


An adult of a giant Japanese spider crab can reach 4 meters in paw span, 45 cm in carapace length and weight 20 kg.

Japanese spider crabs are considered the largest arthropods, known to man. To give you an idea of ​​their enormous size, let's say that the average American compact sedan is 4.27 meters long. This crab can grab almost the entire car with its claws.

9. Tiger


On average, the length of the body of these predatory animals varies between 1.5-2.9 meters, and their weight varies from 75 to 325 kilograms.

The largest tigers, the Amur or Siberian tigers, can reach a length of 3.3 meters and weigh 300 kg. Just think for a moment: a tiger is over 8 times heavier than the average family dog ​​(using a Labrador as an example).

8 Spotted Hyena


Spotted hyenas are the largest of three types hyenas. The remaining two species are brown and striped hyenas. Adult individuals reach 1.3 meters in length, while weighing 40-64 kg.

The spotted hyena is known for its proportionately large heart, accounting for 1% of its body weight, which gives these animals great endurance during a long chase.

7. Giraffe

Thanks to their long legs and neck, giraffes are the tallest mammals on our planet. Only the leg of a giraffe is much longer than the average height of a man (177 cm). Adults weigh 900-1200 kg and reach a height of 5.5-6.1 meters - it's almost like a two-story building!

6. Moose


The elk is the largest species of the deer family. Males are easily recognizable by their huge horns, the span of which reaches 1.83 meters.

The size of the moose is very easy to underestimate, however, adults in any case can reach 2.3 meters at the withers. If a person with a height of 1.83 meters stands next to an elk, then the animal will rise above him by several tens of centimeters.

5 African Elephant


African elephants are the largest land animals on earth. They are slightly larger than their Asian counterparts. The largest ever recorded African elephants reached 4 meters at the shoulders and weighed more than 10 tons. Adjusted one way or another, but it's almost 5 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs.

4. Owl


The eagle owl, which lives in most of Eurasia, is one of the major representatives order of owls. Females grow up to 75 cm in length with a wingspan of 188 cm. Males are slightly smaller in size.

3. Medusa Nomura


Medusa Nomura - very large

A person often asks the question: is he alone in the Universe? Is there life somewhere else or is he completely, completely alone? We don't know the answers. Bye. But before you look with bated breath at the stars, you should better look around, because we share the planet with myriads of other creatures, each of which is unique and inimitable in its own way.

The smallest can be seen only with the help of very powerful technology, for others, the person himself can become an annoying, but easily overcome obstacle. It is such large animals that make people stop to once again admire the diversity and bizarre fantasy of nature. Let's do it too.

Blue whale - giant of giants

At this particular historical moment in time, blue whales are the largest animals on earth, in water and in the air. Photos or videos can be impressive, but they don't even come close to conveying their size. On land, these giants may seem somewhat clumsy, but in the water they are unmatched. As for the size, here are just a few facts that will help you feel their scale:

1. The length of the whale can reach 33 meters. If it's hard to imagine, imagine a nine-story building and add one more floor to it.
2. The weight of such a giant can be up to 200 tons. For example, the weight of Daewoo Matiz is less than 800 kilograms, that is, the whale is 250 times larger than a small, but still car.
3. An adult animal burns 1 million calories per day. We would have to eat 500 kilograms of beef chops for this, while a whale costs a ton of krill.
4. The second largest animal is the elephant, but it weighs about the same as the whale's tongue alone.

This is only a small part of the information about this magnificent animal, but even it allows you to imagine how huge it is.

African Elephant - King of the Pampas

We have already talked about this animal above, but this does not mean that it does not deserve more detailed description. If blue whales are the super champions of all the elements, then the African elephant conquered only the land, but on the other hand, there is no more massive animal on it. Here's a couple interesting facts:

1. Elephant ladies weigh about three tons, their cavaliers - up to five, and the very best can increase up to seven and a half tons of live weight.
2. The baby elephant is born very tiny - only a centner of weight and a meter of height, but he eats a lot of fatty mother's milk and grows quickly.
3. The tusks of a hardened male can reach a weight of 100 kilograms each.

Of course, compared to the blue whale, these numbers are not very impressive, but life in the air dictates its limitations. On the other hand, other animals are even smaller.

Giraffe - 6 meters of misunderstanding

It is difficult to imagine the vagaries of evolution that gave rise to these strange creatures with their long legs and a neck comparable in length to them. But you can safely admire the result, if not in natural environment, then at least in a photo or video. And to make it interesting to admire, here are a few dry statistical facts:

1. The growth of a giraffe can reach six meters, of which 2 is only the neck. At the same time, they weigh relatively little - 1000-1200 kilograms. Not surprising, given that they are mostly made up of legs and necks.
2. Despite the fact that the length of the giraffe's neck strikes the wildest fantasies, approaching nightmares, it has as many vertebrae as in the human neck - 7 pieces.
3. The language of the giraffe is another asset. He can stick it out almost half a meter.
4. It is difficult to imagine a running giraffe, but he can do it quite well, reaching speeds of up to 55 km / h. Jumping giraffe looks even more phantasmagoric. But at the same time, he can overcome the bar of two meters.

Thus, despite the seeming clumsiness and awkwardness, the giraffe is a strong, hardy and ideally adapted miracle of nature for life in its conditions. Of course, this is not the largest animal in the world, but it is consistently in the top three.

Southern elephant seal - a waterskin with fat

The sea elephant is the most large view pinnipeds, and the southern branch is significantly larger than its relatives. They live, as the name implies, on south pole, which determined them appearance. In a harsh climate, and even more so in icy (in the literal sense of the word) water, one cannot survive without a thick fat layer that would protect him from this disgrace.

True, because of this, they began to look like wineskins filled with liquid fat, especially when they roll over to the rookery. But in the water they acquire the grace of a bird and the purposefulness of a torpedo. In this regard, these large animals once again confirm that nature does nothing for nothing, adapting each creature to certain conditions. A few basic parameters of these giants:

1. In length, the male can grow up to 6 meters, having accumulated 5 tons of weight. His spouses are more miniature, their weight is about one ton at 2-3 meters in length.
2. A newly born baby weighs only 50 kilograms.
3. There may be several hundred females in the rookery and only a few dozen males who have won the right to be in this paradise.

Fat, clumsy, ugly - actually sea ​​elephants- the personification of grace. Under the water. Not surprisingly, this is where they spend 70-80% of their lives.

Ostrich - running bird

It is worth many, many times to thank nature that ostriches and their relatives do not fly. Otherwise, it would be scary to imagine what the monuments and squares of the cities would have turned into, which they would have chosen as their permanent place of deployment. Their passage would resemble a carpet bombardment. And now you will understand why:

1. The weight of an adult large ostrich can be up to 150 kilograms with a growth of 2.5 meters.
2. Their head is small, but very beautiful and big eyes. The brain already does not fit well in the head, so it is comparable in size to the eyes.
3. Ostriches do not know how to fly, but they run excellently: at speeds up to 60 km / h. Even one-month-old chicks can reach speeds of up to 50 km / h, catching up with their mother.

Ostriches are beautiful and elegant birds. But still, it's good that they don't fly.

Liger - from a change in the places of the terms, the amount changes

There are three types of cats: domestic, small wild and big wild cats. In this case, the liger could be called very large wild cat. Not surprising, because they are much larger than both the lion dad and the tigress mom. Such marriages are quite rare, but any zoos or parks are proud of children.

This hybrid looks like a lion with soft, blurry stripes, but this is not what is interesting, but their size. Here are some facts:

1. Liger Hercules weighs 400 kilograms, twice ahead of dad and his relatives.
2. Most big liger, marked by the Guinness Book of Records, weighed 798 kilograms. It can easily be divided into 4 lions.
3. A descendant from a tiger father and a lioness mother is called a tiger, but it does not have such an impressive size.

4 liligrens are now growing up in the Novosibirsk zoo - the eldest girl Kiara and newborn triplets. They were born from the marriage of a ligitsa and a lion, creating a very rare and unique variety. It is still difficult to say whether they will be able to surpass their predecessor parents.

Grizzly is not a teddy bear at all
The grizzly is an Americanized version of our native brown bear. But, having moved abroad, he acquired impressive claws, a bad temper, and besides, he grew up a little. See for yourself:

• On average, the growth of a grizzly ranges from 2.2 meters to 2.8.
• The weight is about half a ton.
• Some, the most hardened, reach a height of 4 meters. Weight and bad temper increase proportionately.
• Bear loves an aggressive manicure: the length of his claws is about 15 centimeters, twice as long as human fingers.

Now you know what is the largest animal on our planet. Unfortunately, most of the champions listed in our article are firmly established in the Red Book. If humanity does not change its attitude towards them in the near future, then they risk moving to Chernaya. Our grandchildren are at risk to learn about them: from photos and videos.

The second largest of the existing sharks again scares the Italians.

Yesterday, April 22, in the afternoon, two vacationers on the Italian coast were “lucky” to see one of the largest sharks on the planet with their own eyes. giant shark ( Cetorhinus maximus) sailed between the island of Gallinara and the city of Albenga. According to eyewitnesses, the giant "jaws" moved in the direction of the port of Loano, in Albengo. The elephant shark has already become interested in a specialized center for the study of cetaceans: its specialists are checking how much a specimen that has appeared on the coast can pose a danger to humans.

Giant elephant shark is the second largest of the sharks now preserved on Earth and is inferior in size only to the whale. This species belongs to the category of endangered. Its laterally compressed snout sometimes hangs over its mouth, like a trunk, and its laterally flattened head makes the shark look like an elephant. The mass of such a "fish" can reach 10 tons, and the length is 14 meters. Fortunately, huge individuals are extremely rare, but even small representatives of the species, from 4 to 8 meters long and weighing up to 6 tons, are not a sight for the faint of heart. The giant shark is prone to a sedentary lifestyle, its speed of movement is 3 - 5 km / h. Sometimes in places of accumulation of plankton, representatives of this species gather in small flocks. A few gaping-mouthed elephant sharks cruising the surface can strike fear into anyone. But ichthyologists reassure: giant sharks are not dangerous to humans, because they are not predators and feed exclusively on plankton. Their stomach can hold up to a ton of plankton, but their teeth do not grow more than 5 mm.

The length of the elephant shark seen yesterday on the Ligurian coast did not exceed 4 meters, that is, it had a rather miniature size. Although eyewitnesses hardly thought so. On the other hand, this is not the first time that giant sharks in Italy. And tour operators in the entertainment program, in addition to clean waters and golden beaches, to include the opportunity to see an endangered species of basking sharks in their natural habitat.

I was asked a good question: “How to build operational management in a company where everyone is crazy about project activities? The question is excellent, as it reflects many of the trends that exist in modern business. It generated a stream of thoughts. Which I wanted to write down, along the way talking about those myths that walk around the market and infect the brains of entrepreneurs and leaders. I want to warn the reader right away that the thoughts are multidirectional and I did not even make serious attempts to structure them, and I made subheadings simply to facilitate perception.

What do organizations and computers have in common?

First, let's compare an organization to a computer. Without an operating system, it's just a piece of iron. High-tech, expensive, but still, a piece of iron. Which can please the eye, but no longer bring any benefit. A fully equipped office without employees might look something like this. Or with employees who do not communicate with each other, they come to workplace and sit around all day doing nothing. That is, they can potentially benefit, but they do not.

If operating system installed and running, you can install application programs on it that do something useful. At the same time, the OS itself does not offer any visible result. It "only" makes programs work. The quality of the operating system may vary. Some programmers have deeply studied the capabilities of the hardware and have written a program that ensures full performance. Moreover, they created a complete guide for future developers of application software. Others - they did it on a blunder, so that at least somehow it worked. Moreover, only a stubborn fan who is not too lazy to find out the properties of the system through trial and error can write application programs. The first system will run any application software. In the second, only a couple of programs, and even then with failures.

People in the organization

Now back to organizations. Everything here is very similar, but a little more complicated. The operating system is installed in the people who make up the executive mechanism of the company. That is, they can think, speak, make decisions, perform some operations with their hands. However, each operating system has its own. And it is far from always compatible with a similar system of a neighbor. Therefore, an organization needs a set of rules that will not only make the mechanism work, but also ensure that all components are compatible. I will not write in this article about how to do this. For, firstly, this is a topic for other reflections, and secondly, I write about it all the time anyway.

Where are they looking for a way?

The market does not offer a universal way to build an organization that is suitable for a stall, a factory, and a trading company. Unless the state specifies several mandatory items of the charter, but sets out requirements for formalizing relations with employees, transactions with partners and financial reporting. Where do you get this set of rules from? Naturally, those who have already managed to build effective organizations. Those who show high market results. The leaders.

And entrepreneurs rush into all serious. Learn from successful companies. They read books about how to achieve success in business. And they try to apply the same rules in their companies. However… Attempts to transfer successful management models to most organizations most often fail. Where are the numerous Zappos? Where is Patagonia? Where are the Toyotas? Where is Tavrida Electric? All of them are unique. Even though these companies actively share “secrets”, the same level of staff involvement, the same quality, and the same system of relationships cannot be achieved elsewhere. So maybe the point is not what specific methodology is used in these companies? Maybe it's in the operating system of the business? In those deep rules that are laid down in the system initially. Which are not visible to the naked eye, but have a critical impact on any process in the company. Let's figure it out.

And what are entrepreneurs and managers really trying to transfer to their companies? Regulations and work schedule? Bonus rules? The essence of conversations in smoking rooms? No matter how. For the most part, they try to implement only theses that they have read in books, heard at seminars or received on excursions to successful enterprises. Theses, which according to successful entrepreneurs led their companies to success. “Organize processes”, “Take care of people”, “Count money correctly”, “Be active”, etc. I can say with confidence that these slogans have not changed from year to year for the last hundred years, at least. Only the faces on the covers and the examples given in the books themselves change.

What about technology?

But what about the management technologies themselves? Little is written about them in motivational literature. That is, they talk a lot about what needs to be done and very little about how. And here comes the army of consultants. Both professional and not so professional. Offering specific methods. And, interestingly, the methods, too, as a rule, do not shine with novelty. But the names change regularly. After all, teaching methods is a business like any other. And according to the laws of marketing, he must regularly offer the consumer a “new” product.

The success of consulting projects, in fact, is determined by only one thing: do people do what is written in smart books or not. Maybe that's why IT projects are the most successful. After their implementation, it is simply impossible not to fulfill the requirements - you won’t press the button at the right time, you won’t get the result. True, many manage to ignore it, and such it is, which is why expensive management software works by itself, and managers by themselves.

Who is stronger - an elephant or a shark?

But regularly heard disputes, reminiscent of "my kung fu is better than your kung fu." This is argued by supporters of different approaches. “Project management is the only way,” some say. “We need structured management,” others answer. "Business processes!!!". "Linear-functional diagram - that's what will save the world!". "Matrix! Matrix only! True, then they come to their workplaces and commit, with different levels qualities, ordinary managerial actions (well, of course, if they have someone to manage): they set tasks, scold employees for mistakes, write down tasks in a diary and think whether to entrust them to someone or it is easier to do it yourself.

The essence of the disputes themselves most often lies in the fact that each of the arguing at one time was "torn" by some particular method, under which he is now trying to adjust the whole world. Often without paying attention to whether the technique really takes root. And this is a consequence of the fact that there are many developers of specific methodologies (although not so much), and few developers of integral models. But in fact, it is useless to argue about whether the process approach or the project approach is better. Each methodology must be applied in certain moment time and be relevant to the tasks at hand. Both can exist without interfering with each other. And more often, helping. Arguing about whether to implement PMBOK or Agile (Yes! I heard such an argument!) Is generally harmful. For truth is not born in such a dispute, and those who argue, as a rule, do not own either one or the other. But the apologists of this or that doctrine are not dictated by logic. Some even announce the delivery of regular reports as a project.

Have you looked at the main thing?

In the meantime, it is worth remembering that any methodology is not an operating system. This is application software. Which is set on culture - a set of beliefs, traditions and rituals adopted in a particular country, area and company. Set on the core values ​​of employees and customers. And on the system of basic regulations of the company. Try, for example, to implement Agile in a company where it is not customary to strive for results, but there is a tradition to arrange an emergency at the end of each period. Or try to create Zappos where people don't like each other and compete for convenience and rewards. Or "Marriott" where there is a tradition to consider tourists as cattle. It must be remembered that such an “operating system” is often installed by default. And without replacing it with a more modern and technologically advanced product, it is simply impossible to think about applying any methodology. First you need to provide “elementary” things: basic regulations, labor discipline, motivation rules, etc. And for this, it will be necessary to remove all aggressive carriers of the old culture from the company, and convince the rest to create new traditions. Otherwise, it will be the same as when you try to install an iPhone application on an android. That is, it can be written to memory, but will not work. Although ... you can be proud that you still have it. Already a lot. To be a source of pride, it does not have to work at all (no, I am not hinting at the turquoise Sberbank at all).

Long and hard

However, the reset of values, regulations, motivational system, ideology is a long, dreary, difficult work and does not give results “right here and now”. About the same as what is required in order to achieve results in the gym - you won’t get by with exercise equipment alone: ​​you need the right diet, the right routine, and even the right thoughts. Therefore, most skip this part and go straight to the study and implementation of the "magic wand". Just like in the gym, beginners immediately grab the heaviest barbell, injuring themselves and completely discouragement to continue training. A magic wands are divided into two categories: those that give at least some result, slightly changing the worldview of the entrepreneur himself, and those that do not give any result at all. The first are entrepreneurs who acquire a strong belief that there is a one-size-fits-all way to improve the company. The second ones also stick, but they make you believe that there is no universal way to improve. Or rather, that there are no ways at all. Then the conversations are like this: “We tried this and that. Nothing works because we failed.” Both of those are bullshit.

Tales you want to believe

But still, many believe that somewhere out there there are mysterious people, with an unattainable intellect and worldview, who managed to create something successful, despite the fact that it contradicts elementary logic. But looking like it's filming a large number of load from the entrepreneur. For example, many companies rave about "flat" structures. In reality, I have not yet seen any such structure that works and brings results. Most often, these are systems that overload managers with control and lose effectiveness. And the most responsible employees work for everyone else, only at the same time they do not have real powers, because now they are called not leaders, but “mentors” or something else. But a normal hierarchy is necessary for any company.

Or they believe that there are such IT systems that bring companies to new level. However, no system will work for employees. It can only force them to take certain actions and reduce the number of employees themselves, reducing Negative influence human factor. But is this a new level?

And many entrepreneurs also believe that by using clever tools, they can make employees think like them. They believe that leadership can be taught. And at the same time that there is a magical way to accomplish all this without changing their own habits. Well, well... crystal balls and proprietary products have always found their audience.

Well her, this reality

Once upon a time, I also believed that there are secrets that you just need to find out in order to create ideal systems. And then it turned out that there was only one secret. Those who achieve real success either have a unique product that provides the company with leadership in a certain segment for a certain time, which is enough to build a “modern technological” company. Or there is a monopoly. Or a unique manager who managed to infect the whole company with his ideas. And in all these companies there is a built-in system of regulations, rules and ideas. There is a correct operating system, without which all the "secrets" become useless. But it's harder to believe. There is nothing magical about this.

work damn it

Well, finishing this chaotic stream of thoughts, I will answer one question “What should I do?”, which entrepreneurs and managers regularly ask me. Work. And hope not for a miracle, but for the painstaking construction of the system. That is, in fact, on themselves.

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. The average length of the body 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 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 early Middle Ages it was destroyed in these regions. In 2006 international union The Nature Conservancy declared the hippopotamus 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 most big shark among their 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. These animals have lower jaw mobile and can open almost 90 degrees, which helps to capture fairly 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 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 dorsal, 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.