From foxes that fly to giant horses as big as elephants, here are 10 giant animals you never knew really existed.
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10. Giant Mekong Catfish
The deepest part of the ocean has all types of terrifying wildlife. You’ll need to be careful not to become a tasty snack for some of them. Some of these animals are tiny, while others are so large that you wouldn’t even take the edge off their gigantic appetite if they caught you.
9. Frilled Shark
When you see this sea animal, the first question you have to ask is, “Does this fish still exist?.” The answer is YES! The Frilled shark is known as the snake fish of the deep. They’re, on the one hand, fascinating, and on the other terrifying. Frilled sharks have existed for millions of years, but they live far away from humans.
8. Argentavis Magnificens
Have you ever seen a bird as big as a Cessna aircraft? Over four million years ago, the skies of Argentina flooded with scary birds known as Argentavis Magnificens. The bird, also known as the Giant Teratorn or monster bird, is one of the largest birds ever found. They look like vultures, but bigger than any bird alive today. It’s possible that a human could even ride on these creatures, if they’d let you on their back!
7. Paraceratherium
Paraceratherium was a large herbivore with a long neck that looked like a hornless rhinoceros or an elephant without a trunk.. It’s also popularly known as Indricotherium and looks like a huge horse, but it’s more than twice the size of even the largest modern-day horse.
6. Megatherium Americanum
Sloths today are not even 3 feet (1m) tall, but there once lived sloths that were the size of elephants.
Megatherium Americanum was the most massive ground sloth ever, living from 5 million years ago to as recently as 12,000 years ago. That means that early humans did in fact encounter these savage beasts, and probably even hunted them for food. The word Megatherium is derived from the Greek word “mega,” meaning “great.” The name means “a great beast of America.”
5. Mastodon
In 1739, a Dutch farmer discovered the first remnant of a large extinct animal in Claverack village, New York. This animal had a very heavy tooth and was named the Mastodon.
Related to mammoths, Mastodons were prehistoric animals that existed in North America over 10 million years ago up to their extinction 11,000 years ago.
4. Glyptodon
Can you remember how a tortoise looks? Now, think about a giant tortoise with an armored tail and shell-like covering over its backs. That’s the Glyptodon. This armored animal was roughly the same size and shape as a Volkswagen Beetle car.
3. Mammoth
Mammoths are another group of elephant-like creatures extinct in the world today. These prehistoric mammals were around 2.6 million years ago and lasted for 11,700 years. They usually had long, curved tusks. Some possessed a covering of long hair. Various species of mammoths lived in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America.
2. Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox
Giant creatures that we can still find in the world aren’t only land or sea animals; some are creatures of the air.
The flying fox, also known as the golden-capped fruit bat, is a rare species of megabat indigenous to the Philippines. It has very long wings that can wrap around its body like a cloak. These wings measure about five feet wide (1.5m) if in full display and weigh about 2½ pounds (1kg).
1. Longhorn Beetle
What comes to mind when you think of a beetle? A small, insignificant insect? How about an insect that’s as big as your hand? Some people get terrified at the sight of a simple cockroach. What then will happen when they get to see this giant beetle wiggling around their house? This Titan longhorn beetle can make your blood run cold.
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