Giant Creatures To Remind Us Just How Wild The Animal Kingdom Is

We humans may like to consider ourselves the most amazing creatures on Earth, but every once in a while you’ll come across an animal far greater than us that will remind you just why it’s called the animal kingdom.

It can be humbling for all of us to remember that there are bison that weigh 3,000 pounds or spiders bigger than a dinner plate roaming around just waiting for us to slip up…

Searching For Buried Treasure

You’re going to need to bring him a lot more sand if you expect that this giant leatherback turtle is going to be able to successfully bury himself on this beach.

leatherback sea turtle
Photo Credit: Reddit / WulfsigeX
Photo Credit: Reddit / WulfsigeX

That’s a big turtle!

That’s A Straight-Up Dinosaur Claw

If there was ever any doubt that birds descended from dinosaurs, this scaly claw should be all the proof that we need.

southern cassowary bird
Photo Credit: Twitter / @PaleoFeathers
Photo Credit: Twitter / @PaleoFeathers

Go ahead and look up a cassowary bird if you want to see the creature that comes with these claws.

And This Isn’t Even Your Biggest Concern

When it comes to Australian wildlife, we all know that big spiders are part of the package, but this is a little too much to process.

australia giant spider
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit

And this one isn’t even the most deadly…

Don’t Poke The Bear

If you’re going to go around picking up grizzly bear paws, you’d better make sure that the bear that belongs to it is completely asleep.

woman holding paw of sedated bear
Photo Credit: Reddit / dustyfrown
Photo Credit: Reddit / dustyfrown

Or else you’re going to learn your lesson real quick.

Now That’s A Growth Spurt

At birth, a sunfish is smaller than a marble!

sun fish birth to full grown
Photo Credit: Reddit / thalassophobia
Photo Credit: Reddit / thalassophobia

But you shouldn’t underestimate them—they grow up to be the kid pushing others around on the playground if anyone tries to mess with them.

Dad Vs. Dog

There are cat people, there are dog people, and then there are house-horse people.

6'2 dad standing with large dog
Photo Credit: Reddit / ScottPuppy
Photo Credit: Reddit / ScottPuppy

Dad is standing tall at 6’2″, but he’s definitely not at the top of the totem pole in that household.

Imagine What The Uncle Looks Like If That’s The Ant

“A flood brought in this new species of ant to my neighborhood. Size comparison between regular ant.”

ant comparison
Photo Credit: Reddit / EPIC_BAGELS9000
Photo Credit: Reddit / EPIC_BAGELS9000

What biblical level of flooding has to happen in a neighborhood to bring in ants that look like tarantulas?

Oh Snap

You might have come across a snapping turtle or two at the local pond and thought they were a decent size.

snapping turtle baby vs full grown
Photo Credit: Reddit / AntiSocialBlogger
Photo Credit: Reddit / AntiSocialBlogger

But it turns out they come in a much bigger size than what we’re used to seeing.

It Follows You Everywhere

Giant squids are known for having the largest eyes in the animal kingdom, and this is your proof of that.

largest eye in animal kingdom
Photo Credit: Reddit / kevin_flu
Photo Credit: Reddit / kevin_flu

Giant squids can grow up to five times the size of an adult man, so naturally, their soccer ball-sized eyes match that.

Hop The Heck Away From Us

You don’t have to panic, at least not completely…

grasshopper size comparison costa rica
Photo Credit: Reddit / ShrodingersLitten
Photo Credit: Reddit / ShrodingersLitten

This giant grasshopper that measured more than a foot long was found in Costa Rica, so there’s a good chance it’ll never make it’s way to America.

The Maine Attraction

She’s not even a fat cat. This Maine coon cat is just truly big-boned.

maine coon cat vs siamese cat
Photo Credit: Reddit / AJSTOOBE
Photo Credit: Reddit / AJSTOOBE

You get used to their size if you have one—until you see it next to your other kittens and realize it’s the size of a schnauzer.

How Is This Pawssible?

It really shouldn’t come as a surprise to us that a tiger has some pretty large feet to keep their giant bodies standing.

huge tiger paw
Photo Credit: Imgur
Photo Credit: Imgur

But it’s different to see it up close.

Smile For The Camera

Why does this look like a selfie taken by a parent who just got their first camera phone?

selfie with lion head
Photo Credit: Instagram / @lionwhispersa
Photo Credit: Instagram / @lionwhispersa

His head alone takes up most of the frame of the picture, so who knows how big the rest of his body is?

Wouldn’t Want Them Stepping On Your Toes

Horses are big enough as is, but then you get to the Clydesdale, and it’s a whole new level. They’re glorious in the Budweiser commercials, but in person?

giant clydesdales
Photo Credit: Reddit / kaywhyesay
Photo Credit: Reddit / kaywhyesay

You’ll want to watch your step—or theirs

We Won’t Be Shaking On It

When it comes to business dealings with this eagle, you’ll want to stick to fist bumps instead of handshakes.

eagle talon claw
Photo Credit: Twitter / @abriggswriter
Photo Credit: Twitter / @abriggswriter

Unless you want to risk some serious scars on your hands.

I Don’t Wanna Hold Your Hand

If you’re looking for the perfect way to probably break every bone in your hand, try shaking hands with a gorilla and see what happens.

holding a gorilla hand
Photo Credit: Imgur / ShadowBun
Photo Credit: Imgur / ShadowBun

He’d win in an arm-wrestling contest too, probably.

Whale Would You Look At That…

You learned in school that in terms of big animals, whales pretty much take the crown.

whale skull with human for scale
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit

But seeing just how big their skulls alone are is a real eye-opener.

Is This Squirrel Okay?

If you’re like me and you already weren’t thrilled about the existence of bats, you’re not going to be happy when you find out that the hammerhead bat is just flying around somewhere.

hammerhead bat creepy
Photo Credit: Reddit / AestheticPurrfection
Photo Credit: Reddit / AestheticPurrfection

This thing is terrifying!

Does He Like Crocodile Rock?

You have to be pretty confident in that glass container if you’re willing to take your chances in the water with a monster croc like this guy here.

swimming with a giant croc
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Photo Credit: Pinterest

You’d better hope he’s friendly.

This Is Where The Horsepower Comes From

It makes sense that an animal that weighs 1,500 pounds is going to have some pretty large organs to match its large exterior.

horse lungs fully inflated
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit

But seeing this set of fully inflated horse lungs puts it in perspective.

The Seal Of Approval

Imagine the splash that Minazo the elephant seal must make when he’s jumping in the pool at the aquarium.

elephant seal standing tall
Photo Credit: Reddit / 970souk
Photo Credit: Reddit / 970souk

He’d get a 10/10 in the cannonball competition for sure.

That Doesn’t Look Like a Backyard Snail

At first glance, you might have thought you were looking at a woman holding a bunny rabbit, but no, you’d be sorely mistaken.

african land snails
Photo Credit: Reddit / sverdrupian
Photo Credit: Reddit / sverdrupian

That’s simply a giant African land snail chilling on her hand.

His Head Weighs More Than A Human Being

At birth, a baby bison weighs around 40–70 pounds.

bison being tagged that weighs 3000
Photo Credit: Reddit / hootersbutwithcats
Photo Credit: Reddit / hootersbutwithcats

From there, they just keep on growing until they reach a size more like this guy, who weighs around 3,000 pounds.

Avocados Or Eggs?

You know that those giant green eggs couldn’t have come out of a chicken, so who do they belong to? Emus.

emu eggs compared to chicken
Photo Credit: Reddit / shzsky
Photo Credit: Reddit / shzsky

How someone got their hands on a bunch of emu eggs is a different question altogether.

An Absolute Unit

Hippos may seem like harmless creatures, but we don’t trust any creature that is four times as tall as our toddler.

hippo standing on back feet
Photo Credit: Reddit / sleeping_mouse
Photo Credit: Reddit / sleeping_mouse

If it wanted to, it could totally break through that glass wall. It just chooses not to.

That’s A Lot Of Slime

The giant Chinese salamander is rightfully named considering it’s the largest salamander and amphibian in the world. It reportedly sometimes smells like pepper and makes noises like a small child would.

GettyImages-165460951
Photo Credit: Michael Stuparyk/Toronto Star via Getty Images
Photo Credit: Michael Stuparyk/Toronto Star via Getty Images

The scientist was provided in case you doubted the salamander’s size. This one isn’t even fully grown!

Still Cute, Regardless Of Size

The larger one’s paw is about the size of the smaller one’s head, but double the dog just means double the cuteness in our book, regardless of their obvious size differences.

two breeds of malamutes
Photo Credit: Imgur / Lifewithmalamutes
Photo Credit: Imgur / Lifewithmalamutes

It’s amazing to see the scale with them together!

They’ve Found The Hungry Caterpillar

They weren’t kidding around with that children’s book about the very hungry caterpillar.

super chunky caterpillar
Photo Credit: Reddit / Shappie
Photo Credit: Reddit / Shappie

This is clearly a growing boy who needs his nutrients, and he’s had his fair share of food today.

Don’t Go Swimming In That River

Your first fishing trip of the season out with the boys, and one of you manages to reel this sucker in, what do you do?

goliath tiger fish congo river mouth open
Photo Credit: Reddit / PrestonGarvey1
Photo Credit: Reddit / PrestonGarvey1

If you toss it back in the water, he’ll know where your boat is when he comes back for revenge.

He Doesn’t Look Bald

There’s a good chance that you’ve never actually seen a bald eagle up close and personal.

bald eagles up close
Photo Credit: Reddit / ChaseDonovan
Photo Credit: Reddit / ChaseDonovan

But if you had, then you’d know they’re a lot bigger than they look from up in the sky.

A Moose On The Loose

In your mind when you picture a moose you picture a fairly large creature, but just how big are they?

moose compared to car
Photo Credit: Imgur / afriendlyuncle
Photo Credit: Imgur / afriendlyuncle

Well, here’s your size comparison. It could crush that car behind him in an instant.

Can We Get Him At The Pet Store?

As far as rabbits go, the Flemish breed is about as big as you’re going to get.

flemish rabbit vs normal sized bunny
Photo Credit: Twitter / @SuperiorArtemis
Photo Credit: Twitter / @SuperiorArtemis

They’re cuddly and friendly, but that cage you found on Amazon probably isn’t going to be big enough to contain him.

This Wombat Would Definitely Win In Combat

When you picture a wombat, you usually picture some cute little creature that is the size of a bunny rabbit or a small dog.

giant wombat in australia
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Photo Credit: Pinterest

But this guy is not your average wombat.

This Tiger Is The Real King

There are few times in your life when you’re going to feel the need to challenge a Siberian tiger

siberian tiger on back legs
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit

But just in case you were considering it, here’s an up-close look at just how big they are.

Whale Whale Whale, What Do We Have Here?

First of all, who knew that whale fins even had bones like a human hand?

human skeleton compared to whale hand
Photo Credit: Reddit / robotowilliam
Photo Credit: Reddit / robotowilliam

More importantly, this whale fin could take out that human skeleton with just one high five.

Popping Up To Say Hello

This croc is just popping out of the water to show off for the tourists.

GettyImages-546814944
Photo Credit: James D. Morgan / Contributor via Getty Images
Photo Credit: James D. Morgan / Contributor via Getty Images

He’s also showing up as a reminder that if he wanted to, he could definitely flip this boat, or at least do some serious damage.

That’s A Horse Of A Different Color

We knew that cows were fairly large creatures, but this is next level.

cow taller than human
Photo Credit: Reddit / mask_creations
Photo Credit: Reddit / mask_creations

Are we sure that isn’t just a Clydesdale that’s been painted to look like a regular old dairy cow?

Not Your Average Pond Frog

You may have liked to catch frogs at the pond or on the playground when you were a kid.

giant frog held by man
Photo Credit: Imgur
Photo Credit: Imgur

But no child would be prepared to catch this massive frog.

That Would Hurt If It Pinched You

If just one of its claws weighed nearly 5 pounds, imagine how big the lobster was that this claw came from.

giant lobster claw
Photo Credit: Reddit / Needcoffee214
Photo Credit: Reddit / Needcoffee214

We wouldn’t want to be the one who has to wrestle it into the pot.

He Can Take Whatever He Wants From Us

The coconut crab is the largest species of land-living crab in the world, and we don’t want to live anywhere near it.

massive cocnut crab on garbage can
Photo Credit: Reddit / PffftHoldMyBeer
Photo Credit: Reddit / PffftHoldMyBeer

If that thing showed up in our house we would have no choice but to evacuate and let it take over the home.