Our everyday world is created around medium heights. A woman's average height is 1.6 meters, while men are about 1.8 meters tall. Cabinets, vehicles, doorways - they are all designed with these average values in mind.
Nature, however, is not intended for averaged values. The species and types of all living things have evolved over the centuries to be just at a height suitable for their needs. So, whether it’s a giraffe or a brown bear, these animals are as high as they need.
This planet is full of creatures, large and small, but you may be surprised to find out how big some animals can become. Despite the fact that gravity holds back everything, some creatures seem to win the fight against gravity and reach incredible sizes.
Want to know what are the tallest animals in the world? Then we present you a list of 10 record-breaking giants of the Earth.
List
- 10. African buffalo, up to 1.8 m
- 9. Eastern gorilla, up to 1.85 m
- 8. White rhino, up to 2 m
- 7. African ostrich, 2.5 m
- 6. Red Kangaroo, up to 2.7 m
- 5. Camel, up to 2.8 m
- 4. Brown bear, 3.4 m
- 3. Asian elephant, up to 3.5 m
- 2. African elephant, up to 4 m
- 1. Giraffe, up to 6 m
10. African buffalo, up to 1.8 m
African buffalo sometimes confused with the American bison, but they are very different.
The African buffalo has a long stocky body, which can weigh up to 998 kg and reach 1.8 meters in height. Since they are often hunted, their number is decreasing, but so far, fortunately, has not reached a critical point.
9. Eastern gorilla, up to 1.85 m
Eastern lowland gorillaalso known as gorilla grauer, is the largest of the four subspecies of gorillas. She differs from others in her stocky body, large arms and short muzzle. Despite their size, the eastern lowland gorillas feed mainly on fruits and other grassy materials, like other subspecies of gorillas.
During riots in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, gorillas were vulnerable to poaching, even in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, which is home to the largest population of protected eastern lowland gorillas. Rebels and poachers invaded the park, and people set up illegal mines.
Over the past 50 years, the range of the eastern lowland gorilla has shrunk by at least a quarter. According to the latest census in the mid-1990s, only 16,900 animals remained in the wild, but after more than a decade of destruction and fragmentation of habitats and civil unrest, the number of eastern gorillas may have decreased by half or more.
Adult male gorillas weigh up to 440 pounds and can reach a height of 1.85 meters, standing on two legs. Mature male gorillas are known as “silver backs” for white hair that develops on their backs at the age of about 14 years.
8. White rhino, up to 2 m
Majority (98.8%) white rhino found only in four countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya. Adult males can reach 2 meters in height and weigh 3.6 tons. Females are significantly smaller, but can weigh 1.7 tons. They are the only rhinos that are not in danger, although they have suffered a major blow from the surge in poaching in recent years.
The northern white rhino was once found in southern Chad, the Central African Republic, southwestern Sudan, northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and northwestern Uganda.
However, poaching has led to their extinction in the wild. And now only 3 individuals remain on the earth - all of them are in captivity. The future of this subspecies is very bleak.
7. African ostrich, 2.5 m
Ostriches - These are large flightless birds that live in more than 25 countries in Africa, including Zambia and Kenya, and in the westernmost part of Asia (in Turkey), but you can find them around the world. They are sometimes grown for meat, although there are wild populations in Australia.
According to the African Wildlife Fund, ostriches have no teeth, but they have the largest eyeballs among any land animals and an impressive growth of 2.5 meters!
6. Red Kangaroo, up to 2.7 m
Red kangaroo extends throughout western and central Australia. Its range of habitat covers shrubby, meadow and desert areas. This subspecies usually settles in open habitats with a small number of trees for shade.
Red kangaroos are able to store enough water and choose a lot of fresh vegetation to survive in arid conditions. Although the kangaroo feeds mainly on green vegetation, especially fresh grass, it is able to get enough moisture from food even when most plants look brown and dry.
Kangaroo males grow up to a meter and a half in length, and the tail adds another 1.2 meters to the total length.
5. Camel, up to 2.8 m
Single humped camelscalled arabian camelsare the highest types of camels. Males reach a height of about 2.8 meters. And although they have only one hump, this hump holds 80 pounds of fat (and not water!), Necessary for additional nutrition of the animal.
Despite their impressive growth, dromedary camels became extinct, at least in the wild, but the species has been around for almost 2000 years. Today, this camel is domesticated, which means that it can roam in the wild, but usually under the gaze of a herder.
4. Brown bear, 3.4 m
Brown bears Is a family with many subspecies. However, brown bears, also sometimes called grizzly bearsare one of the largest predators on the planet. As soon as they stand on their hind legs, they become as high as 3.4 meters, depending on the breed of the bear.
Given the number of subspecies and the range of habitats - you can find brown bears in North America and Eurasia - a brown bear is generally considered the least concern of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but there are still some outbreaks, mainly due to destruction habitats and poaching.
3. Asian elephant, up to 3.5 m
Asian elephantreaching a height of 3.5 meters, is the largest living land animal in Asia. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed in the Red Book as being endangered, as the population has declined by at least 50 percent over the past three generations (estimated at 60–75 years). He is primarily threatened by habitat loss and degradation, fragmentation and poaching.
The largest ever recorded Asian elephant was shot dead by Susang Maharajas in the Garo Hills of Assam, India in 1924. He weighed 7.7 tons, and was 3.43 m tall.
2. African elephant, up to 4 m
Basically elephants inhabit the savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. They can live up to 70 years, and their growth reaches 4 meters.
Although elephants are native to 37 African countries, the African Wildlife Fund estimates that only about 415,000 elephants remain on Earth.
About 8% of the elephant population in the world is poached annually, and they breed slowly - the elephants' pregnancy lasts 22 months.
1. Giraffe, up to 6 m
Giraffe - The largest rudimentary animal and the highest of all terrestrial mammals. Giraffes occupy open meadows and savannahs in Central, East and South Africa. They are social animals and, as a rule, live in herds of up to 44 individuals.
Distinctive features of giraffes include its long neck and legs, as well as its unique color and pattern.
Formally known as Giraffa camelopardalis, according to National Geographic, the average giraffe has a height of 4.3 to 6 meters. Most of the growth of a giraffe is, of course, its long neck.