Whether alive or extinct, these creatures possess sizes that can make you feel scared just by hearing them.
Over its 4.5 billion years of existence, Earth has been dominated by creatures much larger than we imagine. Whether animals or plants, they are prehistoric giants. Besides, nature still hides other creatures that are also extremely large, making you surprised.
Below is a list of the most giant creatures to ever exist that are sure to make you feel tiny.
The Amphicoelia dinosaur was the largest animal that ever existed on Earth. These herbivorous dinosaurs lived 145-161 million years ago. They can reach a size of 58m in length, and just one of its vertebrae is 2.5m.
The “giant python” Titanoboa is a close relative of modern pythons but they are much larger. Titanoboa lived 58-61 million years ago and could be up to 13 meters long. Today’s reticulated pythons can only reach a maximum length of 7.5m.
The giant bird Argentavis magnificens that lived 5-8 million years ago is one of the largest birds in Earth’s history. Its wingspan can reach nearly 7m. Luckily they only eat rodents.
The Irish elk , or giant deer, appeared about 2 million years ago. When forests began to grow dense, this deer species gradually became extinct because its large antlers – more than 5m wide – made it impossible for them to move through dense branches and leaves.
The giant short-faced bear , if standing upright on its hind legs, can reach a height of 4.5m. With super strong jaws, they were among the largest carnivores to appear on Earth during the Ice Age. This bear species became extinct 14,000 years ago.
The ape genus Gigantopithecus is the largest ape ever recorded, and it lived 1 million years ago. Information about them is difficult to determine because only a small portion of their specimens remain. However, scientists believe that they can grow up to 4m tall, weigh 550kg and only eat leaves.
The Quetzalcoatl that lived 66-68 million years ago was the largest pterosaur and also the largest flying animal in Earth’s history. Its wingspan is up to 12-15m, and its food is carrion and some small vertebrates.
Finally, it is impossible not to mention the largest animal on Earth that still exists, and also the largest animal that has ever appeared, the blue whale . They can be up to 33 meters long and weigh 150 tons. By the 1960s, they were almost extinct with only 5,000 left. Fortunately, today the number is now more than 10,000.
