As humans, we are one of the most defenseless creatures on the planet when it comes to physical attributes. We may have a big brain, but compared to the leviathans of now and the past, we are midgets. This may be the reason why things that turn out bigger than we imagine tend to give us a shock. Like 78-feet cacti and snails that are bigger than our hand.
1. An absolute wolf-dog-hybrid unit.
Pictured above is Yuki, a wolf-dog hybrid created by letting a big dog like an Alaskan malamute or a Husky mate with an actual wolf. Illegal in some states but in demand in many parts of the world, these dogs have a mix of domestic and wild genes in them that can give rise to interesting temperaments.
2. Think of it as a slimy bunny in a shell.
The giant African land snail may look a bit like a tiny bunny, albeit slimy and encased in a shell but technically, it is a very invasive land pest that likes to eat and lay eggs, rapidly. Earlier found only in East Africa, the pet trade has introduced this all over the world, with detrimental results. Adult snails can go grow as big as 8 inches long and have a 5-inch diameter.
3. A beetle the size of a mouse.
The African Goliath Beetle is one the largest beetles of the scarab family, with adults reaching almost 12 cm in length. They mostly live in Africa and eat foods like tree sap and rotten fruit that are high in sugar. The image shown above is of a female.
4. A blue whale’s heart has arteries that a human could fit inside.
The fact that a blue whale’s heart is big is not surprising considering it is the largest animal on the planet. What’s surprising is the size of the arteries of a blue whale’s heart, which can easily fit in a full-size human in them. Plus, a blue whale’s heart weighs a whopping 180 kg.
5. An ostrich egg, with a chicken egg for comparison.
The ostrich lays the largest egg amongst birds that are alive today. Plus, its egg also holds the record for being the largest cell in the world, reaching 6 inches in length and 5 inches in diameter. Not eaten as much as reality TV shows would like you to believe, ostrich eggs can weigh 1.3 kg.
6. Turtles can grow to be this massive.
Giant leatherback sea turtles can grow really large, up to 7 feet in length, and they can weigh up to 2,000 pounds or 910 kg. Once prevalent in every ocean except the Arctic and the Antarctic, today their numbers are decreasing and they are now considered vulnerable.
7. The leaf of the Victoria Amazonica can support 40 kg.
The leaves of the Victoria Amazonica, or giant water lily, are huge, and grow up to 8 feet in diameter. Supported by a fleshy, spiny underside with a stalk that descends more than 20 feet into the water, the leaves of this plant can support the weight of a small human.
8. The largest bird to ever exist was way bigger than a human.
The world’s largest bird ever was the Giant Teratorn Argentavis magnificens and it lived in Argentina about 6-8 million years ago. Fossil remains suggest it may have had a wingspan of 20-25 feet and weighed 80 kg (176 pounds). Pictured above is a museum reconstruction of this bird.
9. A bear-sized wild boar.
Ordinarily, wild boars and other feral hogs can easily cross 200-250 pounds in weight, but sometimes Mother Nature ends up showing her largesse and a few species can grow up to 1,000 pounds. The picture above shows the skull of a 760-pound wild boar, as compared to the skull of a full-sized wolf.
10. Cacti can be tree-sized too.
The typical symbol of a desert, the Saguaro cactus, can be taller than a tree. While normal, average heights of this spiny desert plant can reach 40 feet, a recorded specimen was measured at a whopping 78 feet.
11. This eagle has talons that are longer than bear claws.
Rarely spotted in their natural habitat, the Harpy Eagle boasts a wingspan of 6-7 feet, or 2 meters, long. Its curved talons are larger than the already-large claws of a grizzly bear.
12. The biggest plane has a wingspan of 385 feet.
The Stratolaunch has the largest wingspan of flown planes, at 385 feet. It has been built to carry a 550,000-pound payload. You can see how small an 18-wheeler looks beside it, just to give you an idea of its ginormous size.
13. A friendly, giant stick insect.
Stick insects are hardly the scariest of the creatures in the insect world. That said, having a longish-stick fall and suddenly start crawling up your arm could upset even the best of us. While this stick insect seems big, the largest of them can actually grow up to 13 inches, giving all non-bug-lovers the heebie-jeebies.
14. A rabbit, the size of a dog.
Actually, it looks bigger than the dog. The Giant Flemish Rabbit was once bred for fur and meat but its docile and sweet temperament have turned it into a popular pet. The world’s largest rabbit recorded was a giant Flemish that measured 4 feet 3 inches in length, weighed in at 22 kg.
15. Japanese Spider Crabs have a 12.5-foot legspan.
The Japanese Spider Crab may start small at just 0.3 inches, but they are the world’s largest crustaceans with a leg span of 12.5 feet. Not only do they live for 100 years, but these large spider-like creatures are actually the gentle giants of the sea. In Japan, they are considered a delicacy.
