Our world is home to millions of unique and beautiful animals, we get the chance to see many of these creatures in nature documentaries. However, the deception animals get on the screen will never truly reflect the size of an animal when seen in person.
Some animals come across smaller but there are plenty whose size is underwhelming when compared to the actual size of the animal.
Not many of us will have had the chance to get up close and personal with these giants, and with the sheer size of some of them you may not wish too!
So read on and learn about some of the animals whose height may deceive you.
Elephant Seal
When you think of a seal you may think of the smaller more loveable sealion. The name may indicate that this breed of seal is a bigger variant however, the animal really does live up to the elephant name.
The elephant seal can way up to just over a staggering 6,500 pounds around the same as a small elephant. They spend 80% of their day in the water and the other 20% hanging about on shore.
Saltwater Crocodile
The saltwater crocodile is the largest reptile in the world. An adult male can reach up to 20 feet in length and weigh upwards of 2,600 pounds. These crocs rule the rivers and streams they dwell in and are top of the food chain for the areas they call home.
Moose
We all know moose are big but did you know that the average moose more than likely dwarfs your car!
Unlike their depiction in cartoons moose are not friendly creatures and will not think twice to attack you or your car and they have the brawn to take both of you comfortably.
A moose can grow up to seven feet at full adulthood and can weigh 1,600 pounds even more staggeringly the male moose antlers can grow up to seven feet wide. The moose has the height and wingspan to challenge even the tallest NBA player.
Python
If you are not a fan of snakes then you may want to skip this next entry. Normally pythons reside in Africa and Asia, but more recently the species has been introduced to southern states of the United States.
They have become an invasive species in the Florida Everglades, so how big can they get?
Adult pythons can weigh 44 pounds and reach lengths of seven feet.
They can comfortably take down animals much larger than themselves and yes that does include humans so next time you plan to take a trip down to the Florida Everglades make sure to check where you are stepping.
American Buffalo
The good old Buffalo or better known as Bison is one of if not the most iconic animal to roam the United States, (just behind the bald eagle of course) but for those who live in states where the buffalo is not naitive you may be taken aback by just how large they really are.
As a relative to the cow family you will most likely find them roaming the plains and grasslands in heards. Despite being related to the cow they are typically double the size and weight, buffalo can weigh up to 2,200 pounds and much like the moose they are the size of a car.
Giraffe
This may seem an odd entry considering everybody knows the giraffe is the largest land mammal on the planet. But, did you know that an adult male giraffe will reach 19 feet tall. It’s hard to believe that they are related to deer.
To put their height into perspective Shaquille O’Neal who towers over the average man is 7 foot 1 inches tall, this means that the standard giraffe is the same height as nearly three Shaqs stacked on top of each other.
Blue Whale
Some of you may have thought the giraffe was the largest animal on earth; however, this is not the case. The blue whale is the largest mammal on earth, reaching an insane 100 feet in length and the heaviest ever recorded weighing in at 181 tonnes.
Just the blue whale’s heart is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. As well as being the largest animal on earth they are also the loudest. The blue whale’s call reaches a higher decibel level than a jet engine.
Hippopotamus
Finally we have the hippopotamus. The hippo is the third largest land mammal on earth just behind the elephant and rhinoceros. They can weigh up to 3,300 pounds and despite not being that tall and having stubby legs they can run at an impressive 19 miles per hour.
You may think their weight would be a negative considering they are primarily an aquatic species, but their weight allows them to sink to the bed of a river and then run on the river bed.
They have been known to comfortably keep up with tourist boats that have annoyed the walking tanks.
So, next time you are on an african safari keep an eye out for any hippos because they are faster than you think and have very bad tempers.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, some of the most deceiving creatures that share our beautiful world. All of these creatures are unique and have their own impressive characteristics, they are so impressive that a lot of the time we may forget just how large they actually are.
Many of the animals we listed were aquatic creatures and with 80% of the ocean having not been mapped, explored or even seen by human eyes, who knows what type of aquatic animals are living below the depths.
There may well be a sea creature out there larger than the blue whale but it may be so remote or so deep underwater that we simply may never be able to find it, so who knows maybe one day the blue whale will be usurped.
Hi, I’m Olivia Kepner and I am a zookeeper here in San Diego. Since I was a young girl I have always been fascinated by animals and species across the globe.
I used to beg my parents to take me to our local zoo every single weekend. Well, I say local – it was more like a two hour drive away. But they took me as much as they could, allowing me to fall in love with the animals again and again.
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