Complex life has existed on earth for just
over half a billion years, and in all that time the planet has seen some terrifying,
weird, and incredible animals. The earth has been blessed with millions of
years of animal diversity, and some of those animals have been big. We mean really, really big. 14. Titanoboa Modern anacondas can reach some pretty incredible
lengths, with the largest ever recorded reaching an astonishing 28 feet (8.5 meters) and weighing
an estimated 500 pounds (227 kilograms). Yet even that is only just barely half the
size of the incredible Titanoboa which, true to its name, reached a terrifying length of
50 feet (15 meters) and weighed in at 2,500 pounds (1,134 kilograms). Titanoboa was a constrictor snake and would
wrap its massive muscular coils around prey, squeezing with so much force that it could
potentially induce a heart attack. Because of its incredible size, Titanoboa
was almost certainly a water-dwelling snake, living in marshes and swamps full of water
that could support its massive bulk. 13. Syrian Camel Modern camels stand about 7 feet (2.15 meters)
in the hump and weigh up to 2,200 pounds (1,000kg). But 100,000 years ago the Syrian Camel would
have towered over its modern day counterparts at an astonishing 13 feet (4 meters) in height
and weighing 5,480 pounds (2,486 kilograms). Living 100,000 years ago, the Syrian camel
was not thought to be domesticated by early man, but the discovery of stone tools that
used camel foot bones likely meant that man actively hunted these giants. The Syrian camel mysteriously disappeared
at around the same time as the other great Ice Age mammals, and though some scientists
blame humans for hunting them into extinction, many are skeptical that a young humanity would
have had the numbers necessary to kill off so many species at once. The discovery of iridium fragments in sedimentary
layers around the world from around the extinction of the Ice Age mega-fauna hints at a possible
asteroid impact for the extinction, but with humanity still tens of thousands of years
away from inventing writing and historical records, we may never truly know the cause. 12. Sharks are the undisputed kings of the ocean,
but millions of years ago they were just another fish in the sea, for something far more terrifying
than Jaws lurked in the depths. Reaching a length of up to 60 feet (18 meters)
and weighing in at an incredible 100,000 pounds (45,359 kilograms), the Mosasaur ruled the
oceans during the time of the dinosaurs. Despite its mass, Mosasaurs were incredibly
agile, and employed double sets of flippers that exploited a quirk of fluid dynamics-
by having the rear flippers stroke out of synch with the front flippers they could catch
the wake of the front flippers and provide extra bursts of speed. Hunting sharks, giant prehistoric fish, and
even each other, Mosasaurs were one of the most fearsome marine animals of all time,
and a hunter so adept that it took global climate change to bring its reign to an end. 11. Liopleurodon Ancestor to the mighty Mosasaurus, Liopleurodon
ruled the oceans for 20 million years before Mosasaurus came on the scene, though it went
extinct shortly after. At 30 feet (9 meters) in length and weighing
between 2,200-3,700 pounds (998-1,678 kilograms), Liopleurodon was a fearsome apex predator,
but ultimately no competition for Mosasaurus. What it lacked in sheer size though it made
up for in speed, being one of the fastest of the pliosaurs and snacking on fish, squid,
and smaller marine reptiles. It's thought Liopleurodon had an extremely
well developed sense of smell as well, akin to a shark, making it one of the most fearsome
predators to ever swim the seas. 10. Sarcosuchus Imperator At 20.24 feet (6.17 meters) long, a saltwater
crocodile nicknamed Lolong is the largest officially recorded crocodile ever discovered. Yet Lolong would have been nothing more than
a moderately sized meal for Sarcosuchus, which reached 40 feet (12 meters) and weighed 20,000
pounds (9,072 kilograms). Because crocodiles are one of the few species
of animals on earth that never stop growing, it's actually not known if 'Super Croc', as
Sarcosuchus is nicknamed, could grow even larger than this. Scientists conducting tests on the growth
rings of one Sarcosuchus' remains discovered that the giant crocodile wasn't done growing
yet even though it was over 40 years old when it died. With modern saltwater crocs living for up
to 70 years, it's quite possible that scientists have simply not discovered enough Sarcosuchus
remains to discover how truly monstrous these super crocs grew. 9. Paraceratherium The African Elephant is the largest land mammal
currently alive, standing at 11 feet (3.4 meters) and weighing 13,000 pounds (5,897
kilograms). Yet an African Elephant would have barely
reached to the shoulders of Paraceratherium, which stood at a whopping 24 feet (7.3 meters)
and weighed up to 44,000 pounds (19,958 kilograms). Essentially a hornless rhinoceros that looked
like a cross between a rhino and a dinosaur, Paraceratherium holds the record for the largest
land mammal to have ever lived. With its long neck it devoured leaves from
the tallest trees, but needing to keep that massive bulk fueled it's thought that as forests
turned to grasslands, Paraceratherium's fate was sealed and extinction was quick to come. 8. Whale Shark Terrifying early sailors with its iconic shark
fin, the Whale Shark quickly proved to be nothing more than a gentle giant. The largest living fish in the world, whale
sharks can grow up to 36 feet (11 meters) and weigh up to 41,000 pounds (18,597 kilograms),
though unofficial accounts say they can grow larger. Despite its incredible size, whale sharks
actually feed on the tiniest animals in the ocean- plankton and small fish that are accidentally
swallowed by its huge mouth. With a calm and serene temperament, whale
sharks are a favorite attraction for divers, and have been known to even give some a ride
by allowing them to cling to their fins! Just don't try doing that with a Mosasaurus! 7. Leedsichthys Whale sharks are the largest fish alive today,
but millions of years ago Leedsichthys dwarfed modern whale sharks with a length of 55 feet
(17 meters) and a weight of 43,000 pounds (19,504 kilograms), officially making it the
largest fish to have ever lived. Yet just like the whale shark, Leedsichthys
was a filter feeder that cruised the world's oceans, mouth agape and swallowing down mouthfuls
of plankton, krill, and jellyfish. Had they been around today and given their
massive size, that might have accidentally included the occasional hapless diver! 6. Palaeoloxodon Namadicus Dinosaurs are renowned for producing some
of the largest beasts to ever walk (or swim) the earth, but mammals were quick to show
that they too had what it took to grow really, really big. The king of elephants, Palaeoloxodon reached
16 feet (5 meters) at the shoulder, and weighed in at 48,000 pounds (21,772 kilograms). Due to a lack of discovered fossils scientists
are actually unsure about Palaeoloxodon's true size, and some think it might have actually
grown bigger than Paraceratherium, dethroning it as the largest land mammal to have ever
lived. Whatever Palaeoloxodon's true size, it's clear
that mammals have proven they too can throw their weight around. 5. Shastasaurus The largest animals to have ever existed often
come from the depths of the ocean, and that's no accident. Due to massive bulks, these animals could
only exist in water that helped support their massive weight, and few animals have ever
approached the staggering dimensions of Shastasaurus. At an astonishing 68 feet in length (21 meters)
and 80,000 pounds (36,287 kilograms), Shastasaurus may have been the largest reptile to ever
swim the ocean, and grew as big as a modern day sperm whale. Yet for all its size, the Shastasaurus likely
also fed on small animals and plankton given the fact that it had short, toothless jaws
better suited for sucking in water and anything caught in it. 4. Megalodon The largest Great White Shark ever officially
measured was found off the coast of Cuba and was 21 feet (6.4 meters) long and weighed
in at 7,328 pounds (3,324 kilograms), yet this modern day monster wouldn't have reached
even half the size of Megalodon. At a length of 52 feet (16 meters) and weighing
up to 200,000 pounds (90,719 kilograms), Megalodon would have made a snack out of a Great White. And if you thought you were afraid to go into
the water before, imagine going for a dip in an ocean patrolled by a giant that could
fit an entire rhinoceros into its mouth! It's teeth reached up to 7 inches in length
and it's thought it preyed on... literally anything smaller than itself, including
other Megalodons. Though it went extinct 1.6 million years ago,
some scientists believe there is a possibility of a remnant population surviving somewhere
in the deepest depths, and eyewitness testimony of sharks in excess of 40 feet may give these
theories some credence. 3. Spinosaurus No dinosaur is more famous or feared than
the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex- yet Spinosaurus would certainly have given any T-rex a run
for its money. The largest carnivorous dinosaur ever discovered,
Spinosaurus was over 60 feet (18 meters) in length and weighed in at 200,000 pounds (90,719
kilograms)- its head alone was the size of a tall human, and filled with teeth up to
eight inches in length. Yet despite its massive size and formidable
claws, Spinosaurus did not hunt other dinosaurs as its teeth were hollow like a crocodile's
and not serrated, thus not suitable for tearing into tough hides. Instead Spinosaurus cruised the ancient swamps
and marshes of prehistoric Earth feasting on fish and scavenging other dinosaur's kills. 2. Argentinosaurus At last we reach the king of the land heavyweights-
the mighty Argentinosaurus. At a length of up to 115 feet (35 meters),
and weighing in at 100 tons, Argentinosaurus was for all intents and purposes predator-proof. However with eggs that were the size of a
coconut, its clear that young Argentinosaurus had a lot of growing up to do, and scientists
estimate that it took a whopping 40 years for an Argentinosaurus to reach full size. While the young may have been vulnerable to
predators, we doubt there would've been many carnivores brave enough to face down the wrath
of a herd of these titans. 1. Blue Whale It can be easy to look at a history of the
earth's animals and wonder where all the giants went, yet the modern day Blue Whale is not
just a giant, but the largest animal to have ever lived. With reports of blue whales over 100 feet
in length (30 meters), and weighing 300,000 pounds (136,078 kilograms), blue whales have
never faced the risk of predation- until man came along. Fiercely hunted for their oil, blue whales
nearly went extinct until global conservation programs and a ban on whaling started to see
their numbers rebound. Sadly where tens of thousands used to swim
the world's oceans, it's thought that only a fraction of this number remain and their
future is still uncertain. Which of these animals would you like to see in person? What's more terrifying, a giant Titanoboa
or a Super Croc? Let us know in the comments below! Also, be sure to check out our other video
Can a Cockroach survive a nuclear explosion?!. Thanks for watching, and as always, don’t
forget to like, share and subscribe. See you next time!
