Which are the world's tallest animals?
- Published
A new study shows that Dutch men are the tallest in the world at 1.83 metres. UK men come in at an average of 1.78 metres. But they are tiny in comparison to lots of the world's biggest animals! We've been taking a look at some of our taller cousins in the animal kingdom.
The blue whale is the biggest of the lot - averaging around 30 metres in length! Their tongues alone can weigh as much as an elephant and their hearts are as heavy as a car. Incredibly, their diet is almost made up entirely of tiny shrimp-like creatures called krill.
Small but mighty long, the Lion's mane jellyfish has tentacles that can grow to 30 metres. It uses its long stinging tentacles to grab prey, like smaller jellyfish, and pull them in to eat.
Giraffes are the world's tallest mammals - its legs alone are taller than most humans. Giraffes even have super long tongues - which they use to grab leaves and buds from high branches.
The saltwater crocodile is the largest of all reptiles, and can grow up to six metres long. They lurk at the edge of water, waiting for prey to stop to take a drink - and then drag them under. They've even been known to eat sharks!
Brown bears can reach up to three or four metres when they're standing on their hind legs - making them one of the biggest animals on land.
African elephants are around three metres tall at shoulder height. They've even got big teeth - each molar weighs around five kilograms and is about 30 cm long.
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