Top 10 largest predators on Earth

The carnivorous order includes about 16 families, 280 species. They are distributed almost all over the world. In ordinary life, it is customary to call predators not only mammals, but also all carnivorous vertebrates.

Carnivores are most often those who prey on other vertebrates. Once upon a time, there were no large predatory animals among mammals, but gradually they began to stand out for their size.

The largest land and underwater predators on Earth can weigh up to 100 tons, grow up to 20 m in length. We will tell you more about them in the article.

10 Andean condor

The largest flying bird in the Western Hemisphere is andean condor. Its wingspan is from 260 to 320 cm. It also has a significant weight: males – from 11 to 15 kg, females – from 8 to 11 kg. The length of these birds is from 117 to 135 cm. It can be found in South America, in the Andes.

It has black shiny plumage, a white collar around the neck, and white feathers on the wings, which are especially noticeable in males. In adults, the neck and head are without feathers; in chicks, there is a gray fluff there.

This bird is especially impressive when it soars high in the sky, spreading its wings, rarely flapping. They rise heavily from the ground, after a long run. The Andean condor feeds on carrion, in search of food it can travel great distances, up to 200 km.

9. Lev

10 thousand years ago it was the largest and most widespread mammal. But now their numbers have dwindled significantly. So, if in 1970 there were at least 100 thousand individuals, by 2004 there were already no more than 16,5 – 47 thousand. Most of them live in Africa.

Adult lion can weigh from 150 to 250 kg if it is a male, and from 120 to 182 kg if it is a female. However, they have their own champions in weight. In Kenya, a lion was shot dead, whose weight was 272 kg. The heaviest lions live in South Africa. But still, the champions are those who live in captivity, because. they reach enormous sizes.

In the UK in 1970 there lived a lion whose weight was 375 kg. The body length of this animal is also significant: in males – from 170 to 250 cm, in females from 140 to 175 cm, plus a tail. The largest lion was killed in Angola in 1973, its body length was a record 3,3 m.

8. Tiger

Now there are not so many of them left, only about 4 – 000 individuals, most of which (about 6%) are Bengal tiger. Hunting for them is now prohibited. Continental ones are much larger than those that live on the islands.

The largest species of tigers include the Amur and Bengal. Their males grow up to 2,3-2,5 m, rare specimens – up to 2,6-2,9 m, if you count without a tail. They weigh up to 275 kg, there are individuals whose weight is 300-320 kg. In nature, the weight is slightly less, from 180 to 250 kg. But there are also record holders.

The heaviest Bengal tiger weighed 388,7 kg, while the Amur tiger weighed 384 kg. The height at the withers of these animals is a little more than a meter – 1,15 m. The average weight of a Bengal tiger is 220 kg, and that of the Amur tiger is 180 kg. Females are much smaller in size, weighing about 100-181 kg.

Now tigers can be found on the territory of 16 countries, including Russia. Not all of them are huge. The Sumatran tiger, which can be found on the island of Sumatra, is the smallest: the weight of a male is 100-130 kg, and females -70-90 kg.

7. Komodo dragon

It is also called giant indonesian monitor lizard or komodo dragon. This is a species of lizard that can be found on a number of Indonesian islands. Translated from the Aboriginal language, its name means “ground crocodile“. This is the largest modern lizard, it can grow up to 3 m and weigh about 130 kg.

The Komodo monitor lizard is dark brown in color with small specks and speckles of yellow; young specimens have orange or yellow specks on the back, which merge into one strip on the neck and tail. Their usual size is from 2,25 to 2,6 m per dyne, weight – from 35 to 59 kg. Males are usually larger than females.

One of the largest specimens grew to 304 cm, weighed 81,5 kg. The largest lizards are those kept in captivity. So, in the St. Louis Zoo there lived a Komodo dragon 3,13 m long, it weighed 166 kg. Despite their size, they are very flexible and can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h. They have strong legs with pointed claws, with which they dig holes from one to five meters long.

6. A combed crocodile

It is one of the largest reptiles on Earth. Males of this crocodile can grow up to 7 m in length and at the same time weigh about two tons. It is found in a large area from Sri Lanka to Vietnam.

Just born combed crocodiles weigh about 70 g, their size is 25-30 cm. But already at the 2nd year of life, their length reaches 1 m, and their weight is 2,5 kg. Adult males grow 2 times larger than females and are 10 times heavier. Most of them – 3,9 – 6 m in length, and females – 3,1 -3,4 m. Weight depends on length and age. Adult crocodiles are heavier than young ones, even if they do not differ from them in size.

5. Brown bear

Once upon a Time brown bear could be found throughout Europe, but gradually its number decreased. The largest specimens of brown bears live in southern Alaska and the Far East.

If we take average values, the body length of adult males is 216 cm, and weight is 268,7 kg, in females – 195 cm, weight is 5 kg. There are also larger specimens. A bear weighing 174,9 kg and with a body length of 410 cm was found in the South Kamchatka Reserve.

4. Polar bear

He lives in the polar regions, his body length is up to 3 m, he weighs up to 1 ton. Most polar bears not so large – 450-500 kg – males, 200-300 kg – females, body length, respectively, 200-250 cm, 160-250 cm.

The largest representatives are found on the Bering Sea. Lives on drifting ice floes. Its main prey is marine animals. To catch them, he sneaks up unnoticed from behind cover and stuns the prey by hitting it with a huge paw, and then takes it out onto the ice.

3. Great white shark

She is also called man-eating shark. It is found in almost all oceans of the planet, with the exception of the Arctic. The largest females – grow up to 4,6 – 4,8 m in length, weigh from 680 to 1100 kg, some – more than 6 m, weighing up to 1900 kg. Males are not so large – from 3,4 – to 4 m.

The largest specimen was caught in 1945 in Cuban waters, its weight was 3324 kg, and the length was 6,4 m, but some experts doubt that it was so huge.

2. Killer Whale

These are the largest carnivorous dolphins. They have a black back and sides and a white throat, over each eye is also a white speck. Males killer whale grow up to 10 m, weigh up to 8 tons, females – a little less – up to 8,7 m in length.

Each individual killer whale population feeds on a specific food. So those that live in the Norwegian Sea eat herring, others prefer to hunt pinnipeds.

1. Sperm whale

This is one of the largest, large toothed whales. Adult males can grow up to 20 m in length and weigh 50 tons, while females – up to 15 m, and their weight is 20 tons. These are giants that can grow all their lives: the older sperm whale, the larger it is. The average weight of males is about 40 tons, but individual specimens can weigh up to 70 tons.

Previously, when there were more of these whales, the weight of some was about 100 tons. Because of such a significant size in nature, the sperm whale has no enemies. Only killer whales can attack juveniles and females.

But due to the fact that people have been hunting these whales for a long time, their population has significantly decreased. The exact number of sperm whales is unknown, but scientists suggest that there are about 300-400 thousand of them.