Biggest Animal in the World
The biggest animal in the world is the Blue Whale. The longest one recorded was 33.3 m (109 ft). The heaviest recorded weighs 190 metric tons (210 short tons).
Largest Organisms
If all living organisms are included (not just animals), the answers would differ. Some would point to the Great Barrier Reef, which goes on for 2,000 km. Others do not agree because it is made up of multiple organisms.
Another candidate would be the Aspen tree (Populus tremuloides). It produces several identical trees linked by a single root system. The biggest one is called Pando, and it is found in a grove in Utah. It spans an area 0.43 km2 (106 acres). It weighs 6,600 short tons (6,000 t).
The Largest Terrestrial Animals
The African Elephant is the biggest. It weighs 18,500 lbs and has a length of 6.56 (21.85 ft). Second would be the Asian Elephant. The average weight is 8,750 lbs. its average length is 5.85 (19.5 ft).
The Hippopotamus is ranked number three. It weighs 5,250 lbs and is 3.3 (11 ft) long. The White Rhinoceros is at number four. It is 3.75 (12.5 ft) long and weighs 5,000 lbs.
The Gaur is at number five. It is 2.94 (9.8 ft) long and weighs 3,000 lbs. At number seven is the Walrus. It is 3.3 (11 ft) long and weighs (2,645 lbs. The Black Rhinoceros is at number eight. It weighs 2,420 lbs and is 3.38 (11.25 ft).
The Saltwater crocodile is at number nine. It is 6 (20 ft) long and weighs 1,700 lbs. Rounding off the top ten is the Wild Asian Water Buffalo. The animal weighs 1,684 lbs and is 3.42 (11.4 ft) long.
Dinosaurs
No discussion of the biggest animal in the world will be complete without mentioning dinosaurs. The heaviest complete skeleton found is the sauropod Giraffatitan. Scientists estimate it was 12 m (38 ft) tall, tall and weighed 30,000 to 60,000 kg (30 to 65 short tons).
The longest is a Diplodocus, about 25 m (82 ft) long. The Bruhathkayosaurus may have weighed as much as a Blue Whale. The sauropod Amphicoelias fragillimus may have been as long as 200 feet, longer than a Blue Whale. However the remains are incomplete, so these are only estimates.
The Blue Whale remains the biggest animal in the world today. But larger species may be uncovered. Until full remains are uncovered the title will belong to the Blue Whale.
