A List of the World’s Biggest Animals, Sorted by Type

The list below shows every type of animal featured on this site, and tells what are the biggest animals of that type. So, follow the links below, to discover more about the heaviest, largest, biggest, tallest and longest…

Animals – The Blue Whale (biggest and biggest ever), African Bush Elephant (heaviest on land), Giraffe (tallest on land)

• Chordates – The Blue Whale (biggest and biggest ever), African Bush Elephant (heaviest on land), Giraffe (tallest on land)
  • Vertebrates – The Blue Whale (biggest and biggest ever), African Bush Elephant (heaviest on land), Giraffe (tallest on land)
    • Fish – The Whale Shark (biggest), Leedsichthys (biggest ever)
      • Cartilaginous Fish – The Whale Shark (biggest), Megalodon Shark (biggest ever)
        • Sharks – The Whale Shark (biggest), Megalodon Shark (biggest ever)
        • Rays – Manta Birostris (biggest)
    • Amphibians – The Chinese Giant Salamander (biggest)
      • Caecilians – Caecilian Thompsoni (biggest)
        
      • Frogs – The Goliath Frog (biggest)
      • Salamanders – The Chinese Giant Salamander (biggest)
    • Reptiles – The Saltwater Crocodile (biggest), the Reticulated Python (longest)
      • Crocodilians – The Saltwater Crocodile (biggest)
      • Lizards – Komodo Dragon (biggest), Tylosaurus (biggest ever), Megalania (biggest ever on land)
      • Snakes – The Titanoboa (biggest ever), the Reticulated Python (longest), the Green Anaconda (heaviest), the King Cobra (largest venomous)
      • Tuataras – The Cook Strait Tuatara (biggest)
      • Turtles and Tortoises – The Leatherback Sea Turtle (biggest), the Galápagos Tortoise (biggest tortoise)
    • Birds – Ostrich (biggest), Wandering Albatross (biggest flying), Elephant Bird (heaviest ever), Giant Moa (tallest ever), Kori Bustard (heaviest flying)
      • Flamingos – Greater Flamingo (biggest and tallest)
      • Galliformes – North American Wild Turkey (largest), Green Peafowl (biggest wingspan)
      • Owls – Eurasian Eagle Owl (biggest), Cuban Giant Owl (biggest ever)
      • Parrots – Hyacinth Macaw (longest, biggest flying), Kakapo (biggest)
        
      • Penguins – Emperor Penguin (biggest), Anthropornis (biggest ever)
      • Pigeons and Doves – Marquesan Imperial Pigeon (largest), Crowned Pigeon (largest tree-living), Dodo (largest ever)
      • Ratites – Ostrich (biggest) Elephant Bird (heaviest ever), Giant Moa (tallest ever)
      • Storks – Marabou Stork (biggest)
      • Waders (Shorebirds) – Far Eastern Curlew (biggest) Beach Stone-Curlew (heaviest)
      • Waterfowl – Trumpeter Swan (biggest)
    • Mammals – Blue Whale (biggest and biggest ever), African Bush Elephant (heaviest on land), Giraffe (tallest on land)
      • Placentals – Blue Whale (biggest and biggest ever), African Bush Elephant (heaviest on land), Giraffe (tallest on land)
        • Bats – Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox (biggest)
        • Carnivorans – Southern Elephant Seal (biggest), Polar Bear (biggest on land)
        • Cetaceans – Blue Whale (biggest and biggest ever)
        • Even-Toed Ungulates – Hippopotamus (biggest), Giraffe (tallest)
        • Odd-toed Ungulates – White Rhinoceros (biggest)
        • Primates – Mountain Gorilla (biggest), Gigantopithecus (biggest ever)
        • Proboscidea – African Bush Elephant (biggest)
        • Rodents – Capybara (biggest), Josephoartigasia Monesi (biggest ever)
      • Marsupials – Red Kangaroo (biggest), Diprotodon (biggest ever)
      • Monotremes – Western Long Beaked Echidna (biggest)
• Echinoderms – Catala’s Starfish (heaviest), or Midgardia Xandaros (longest arms)
• Arthropods – Japanese Spider Crab (biggest), American Lobster (heaviest), Coconut Crab (biggest on land)
  • Crustaceans – Japanese Spider Crab (biggest), American Lobster (heaviest), Coconut Crab (biggest on land)
  • Chelicerates
    • Arachnids
      • Spiders – Goliath Bird-Eating Spider (biggest ever)
  • Insects – Goliath Beetle (heaviest), Little Barrier Island Giant Weta (or Wetapunga) (heaviest as an adult), Atlas Moth (largest wings)
    • Ants – Biggest Ant Colony, Titanomyrma (biggest ant)
    • Bees – Megachile Pluto (biggest)
  • Myriapods – Arthropleura (biggest ever)
    • Centipedes – Scolopendra Gigantea (biggest poisonous)
    • Millipedes
• Mollusks – Colossal Squid (biggest)
  • Gastropods – Giant Ghana Snail (biggest)
• Placozoans – Trichoplax Adhaerens (biggest, and only)
• Velvet Worms (Onychophora) – a species with no name (biggest by far)