The Heaviest Animals
Discover the heaviest animals on the planet – all neatly organized in one chart!
And there's more thrilling information! If we had just created a top ten list of the heaviest animals, neither the polar bear nor the leatherback sea turtle would make the cut. Every position would be filled solely by whales. It's a fact!
But what’s the reason behind this? The blue whale isn’t the only massive whale. Other right whales, including the North Pacific right whale, the southern right whale, the North Atlantic right whale, and the Greenland right whale (just to name a few) are also significantly heavier than all other animals. They can weigh anywhere from 50 to 100 tons. This is why we’ve selected records from a variety of animal orders and genera.
Top 20 Heaviest Animals in the World
| Category | Animal | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Heaviest animal | Blue whale | 190 tons |
| Heaviest shark | Whale shark | 12-20 tons |
| Heaviest terrestrial mammal | Elephant | 5-6 tons |
| Heaviest even-toed ungulate | Hippo | 4.5 tons |
| Heaviest seal | Elephant seal | 4 tons |
| Heaviest odd-toed ungulate | Rhino | 2.3 tons |
| Heaviest bony fish | Ocean sunfish | 2.3 tons |
| Heaviest reptile | Saltwater crocodile | 2 tons |
| Heaviest reptile | Leatherback sea turtle | 2019 lbs (916 kg) |
| Heaviest bear | Polar bear | 1984 lbs (900 kg) |
| Heaviest bird (flightless) | Ostrich | 34 lbs (156 kg) |
| Heaviest snake | Green anaconda | 214 lbs (97.5 kg) |
| Heaviest rodent | Capybara | 200 lbs (91 kg) |
| Heaviest penguin | Emperor penguin | 99.2 lbs (45 kg) |
| Heaviest crustacean | American lobster | 44 lbs (20 kg) |
| Heaviest bird (able to fly) | Kori bustard | 48.5 lbs (22 kg) |
| Heaviest bird of prey | Andean condor | 33 lbs (15 kg) |
| Heaviest pelican | Dalmatian pelican | 33 lbs (15 kg) |
| Heaviest starfish | Thromidia catalai | 13.2 lbs (6 kg) |
| Heaviest frog | Goliath frog | 8.06 lbs (3.66 kg) |
| Heaviest beetle | Goliath beetle | 3.8 oz (110 g) |
Comparisons and Examples
In movies even big animals often look rather sweet and not as chubby and heavy as they really are. A polar bear and the leatherback sea turtle alone are as heavy as a small car. Have you ever tried to lift a car with your hands? Then you know what this means.
A blue whale can weigh up to 190 tons. For comparison: A blue whale weighs as much as 10 city buses, 95 helicopters or 2,000 human beings. This is still hard to imagine, isn’t it?
How Do You Measure the Weight of a Whale?
Personal scales (those in the bathroom) mostly can only measure weights of up to 309 pounds (140 kg). So how do you measure the weight of a giraffe or an elephant? For this purpose the animals are led onto a weighbridge. These devices are designed for weights of up to 60 tons.
So far so good, but how does it work with a blue whale? It is much heavier than 60 tons. And how can you get the animal out of the water to put it on the weighbridge? The exact weight of living whales can usually only be estimated. Yet you can measure the weight of stranded (dead) animals by means of a crane scale.
The Largest Dinosaur
Dinosaurs were the largest and heaviest terrestrial animals that ever lived. But even they cannot compete with the blue whale. With up to 100 tons, the Argentinosaurus is considered to be the heaviest dino. Scientists have been arguing about the exact weight for ages, but they can only revert to the dino’s bones to get a rough idea.
Sources:
- „Largest frog“ (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com)