Complex life has existed on earth for just over half a billion years, and in all that
time the planet has seen some terrifying, weird, and incredible animals.
The earth has been blessed with millions of years of animal diversity, and some of those
animals have been big.
We mean really, really big.
14.
Titanoboa
Modern anacondas can reach some pretty incredible lengths, with the largest ever recorded reaching
an astonishing 28 feet (8.5 meters) and weighing an estimated 500 pounds (227 kilograms).
Yet even that is only just barely half the size of the incredible Titanoboa which, true
to its name, reached a terrifying length of 50 feet (15 meters) and weighed in at 2,500
pounds (1,134 kilograms).
Titanoboa was a constrictor snake and would wrap its massive muscular coils around prey,
squeezing with so much force that it could potentially induce a heart attack.
Because of its incredible size, Titanoboa was almost certainly a water-dwelling snake,
living in marshes and swamps full of water that could support its massive bulk.
13.
Syrian Camel
Modern camels stand about 7 feet (2.15 meters) in the hump and weigh up to 2,200 pounds (1,000kg).
But 100,000 years ago the Syrian Camel would have towered over its modern day counterparts
at an astonishing 13 feet (4 meters) in height and weighing 5,480 pounds (2,486 kilograms).
Living 100,000 years ago, the Syrian camel was not thought to be domesticated by early
man, but the discovery of stone tools that used camel foot bones likely meant that man
actively hunted these giants.
The Syrian camel mysteriously disappeared at around the same time as the other great
Ice Age mammals, and though some scientists blame humans for hunting them into extinction,
many are skeptical that a young humanity would have had the numbers necessary to kill off
so many species at once.
The discovery of iridium fragments in sedimentary layers around the world from around the extinction
of the Ice Age mega-fauna hints at a possible asteroid impact for the extinction, but with
humanity still tens of thousands of years away from inventing writing and historical
records, we may never truly know the cause.
12.
Sharks are the undisputed kings of the ocean, but millions of years ago they were just another
fish in the sea, for something far more terrifying than Jaws lurked in the depths.
Reaching a length of up to 60 feet (18 meters) and weighing in at an incredible 100,000 pounds
(45,359 kilograms), the Mosasaur ruled the oceans during the time of the dinosaurs.
Despite its mass, Mosasaurs were incredibly agile, and employed double sets of flippers
that exploited a quirk of fluid dynamics- by having the rear flippers stroke out of
synch with the front flippers they could catch the wake of the front flippers and provide
extra bursts of speed.
Hunting sharks, giant prehistoric fish, and even each other, Mosasaurs were one of the
most fearsome marine animals of all time, and a hunter so adept that it took global
climate change to bring its reign to an end.
11.
Liopleurodon
Ancestor to the mighty Mosasaurus, Liopleurodon ruled the oceans for 20 million years before
Mosasaurus came on the scene, though it went extinct shortly after.
At 30 feet (9 meters) in length and weighing between 2,200-3,700 pounds (998-1,678 kilograms),
Liopleurodon was a fearsome apex predator, but ultimately no competition for Mosasaurus.
What it lacked in sheer size though it made up for in speed, being one of the fastest
of the pliosaurs and snacking on fish, squid, and smaller marine reptiles.
It's thought Liopleurodon had an extremely well developed sense of smell as well, akin
to a shark, making it one of the most fearsome predators to ever swim the seas.
10.
Sarcosuchus Imperator
At 20.24 feet (6.17 meters) long, a saltwater crocodile nicknamed Lolong is the largest
officially recorded crocodile ever discovered.
Yet Lolong would have been nothing more than a moderately sized meal for Sarcosuchus, which
reached 40 feet (12 meters) and weighed 20,000 pounds (9,072 kilograms).
Because crocodiles are one of the few species of animals on earth that never stop growing,
it's actually not known if 'Super Croc', as Sarcosuchus is nicknamed, could grow even
larger than this.
Scientists conducting tests on the growth rings of one Sarcosuchus' remains discovered
that the giant crocodile wasn't done growing yet even though it was over 40 years old when
it died.
With modern saltwater crocs living for up to 70 years, it's quite possible that scientists
have simply not discovered enough Sarcosuchus remains to discover how truly monstrous these
super crocs grew.
9.
Paraceratherium
The African Elephant is the largest land mammal currently alive, standing at 11 feet (3.4
meters) and weighing 13,000 pounds (5,897 kilograms).
Yet an African Elephant would have barely reached to the shoulders of Paraceratherium,
which stood at a whopping 24 feet (7.3 meters) and weighed up to 44,000 pounds (19,958 kilograms).
Essentially a hornless rhinoceros that looked like a cross between a rhino and a dinosaur,
Paraceratherium holds the record for the largest land mammal to have ever lived.
With its long neck it devoured leaves from the tallest trees, but needing to keep that
massive bulk fueled it's thought that as forests turned to grasslands, Paraceratherium's fate
was sealed and extinction was quick to come.
8.
Whale Shark
Terrifying early sailors with its iconic shark fin, the Whale Shark quickly proved to be
nothing more than a gentle giant.
The largest living fish in the world, whale sharks can grow up to 36 feet (11 meters)
and weigh up to 41,000 pounds (18,597 kilograms), though unofficial accounts say they can grow
larger.
Despite its incredible size, whale sharks actually feed on the tiniest animals in the
ocean- plankton and small fish that are accidentally swallowed by its huge mouth.
With a calm and serene temperament, whale sharks are a favorite attraction for divers,
and have been known to even give some a ride by allowing them to cling to their fins!
Just don't try doing that with a Mosasaurus!
7.
Leedsichthys
Whale sharks are the largest fish alive today, but millions of years ago Leedsichthys dwarfed
modern whale sharks with a length of 55 feet (17 meters) and a weight of 43,000 pounds
(19,504 kilograms), officially making it the largest fish to have ever lived.
Yet just like the whale shark, Leedsichthys was a filter feeder that cruised the world's
oceans, mouth agape and swallowing down mouthfuls of plankton, krill, and jellyfish.
Had they been around today and given their massive size, that might have accidentally
included the occasional hapless diver!
6.
Palaeoloxodon Namadicus
Dinosaurs are renowned for producing some of the largest beasts to ever walk (or swim)
the earth, but mammals were quick to show that they too had what it took to grow really,
really big.
The king of elephants, Palaeoloxodon reached 16 feet (5 meters) at the shoulder, and weighed
in at 48,000 pounds (21,772 kilograms).
Due to a lack of discovered fossils scientists are actually unsure about Palaeoloxodon's
true size, and some think it might have actually grown bigger than Paraceratherium, dethroning
it as the largest land mammal to have ever lived.
Whatever Palaeoloxodon's true size, it's clear that mammals have proven they too can throw
their weight around.
5.
Shastasaurus
The largest animals to have ever existed often come from the depths of the ocean, and that's
no accident.
Due to massive bulks, these animals could only exist in water that helped support their
massive weight, and few animals have ever approached the staggering dimensions of Shastasaurus.
At an astonishing 68 feet in length (21 meters) and 80,000 pounds (36,287 kilograms), Shastasaurus
may have been the largest reptile to ever swim the ocean, and grew as big as a modern
day sperm whale.
Yet for all its size, the Shastasaurus likely also fed on small animals and plankton given
the fact that it had short, toothless jaws better suited for sucking in water and anything
caught in it.
4.
Megalodon
The largest Great White Shark ever officially measured was found off the coast of Cuba and
was 21 feet (6.4 meters) long and weighed in at 7,328 pounds (3,324 kilograms), yet
this modern day monster wouldn't have reached even half the size of Megalodon.
At a length of 52 feet (16 meters) and weighing up to 200,000 pounds (90,719 kilograms), Megalodon
would have made a snack out of a Great White.
And if you thought you were afraid to go into the water before, imagine going for a dip
in an ocean patrolled by a giant that could fit an entire rhinoceros into its mouth!
It's teeth reached up to 7 inches in length and it's thought it preyed on...
literally anything smaller than itself, including other Megalodons.
Though it went extinct 1.6 million years ago, some scientists believe there is a possibility
of a remnant population surviving somewhere in the deepest depths, and eyewitness testimony
of sharks in excess of 40 feet may give these theories some credence.
3.
Spinosaurus
No dinosaur is more famous or feared than the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex- yet Spinosaurus
would certainly have given any T-rex a run for its money.
The largest carnivorous dinosaur ever discovered, Spinosaurus was over 60 feet (18 meters) in
length and weighed in at 200,000 pounds (90,719 kilograms)- its head alone was the size of
a tall human, and filled with teeth up to eight inches in length.
Yet despite its massive size and formidable claws, Spinosaurus did not hunt other dinosaurs
as its teeth were hollow like a crocodile's and not serrated, thus not suitable for tearing
into tough hides.
Instead Spinosaurus cruised the ancient swamps and marshes of prehistoric Earth feasting
on fish and scavenging other dinosaur's kills.
2.
Argentinosaurus
At last we reach the king of the land heavyweights- the mighty Argentinosaurus.
At a length of up to 115 feet (35 meters), and weighing in at 100 tons, Argentinosaurus
was for all intents and purposes predator-proof.
However with eggs that were the size of a coconut, its clear that young Argentinosaurus
had a lot of growing up to do, and scientists estimate that it took a whopping 40 years
for an Argentinosaurus to reach full size.
While the young may have been vulnerable to predators, we doubt there would've been many
carnivores brave enough to face down the wrath of a herd of these titans.
1.
Blue Whale
It can be easy to look at a history of the earth's animals and wonder where all the giants
went, yet the modern day Blue Whale is not just a giant, but the largest animal to have
ever lived.
With reports of blue whales over 100 feet in length (30 meters), and weighing 300,000
pounds (136,078 kilograms), blue whales have never faced the risk of predation- until man
came along.
Fiercely hunted for their oil, blue whales nearly went extinct until global conservation
programs and a ban on whaling started to see their numbers rebound.
Sadly where tens of thousands used to swim the world's oceans, it's thought that only
a fraction of this number remain and their future is still uncertain.
Which of
these animals would you like to see in person?
What's more terrifying, a giant Titanoboa or a Super Croc?
Let us know in the comments below!
Also, be sure to check out our other video Can a Cockroach survive a nuclear explosion?!.
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