Largest Carnivore! Frightening Facts About The Largest Carnivores

Carnivores are animals that prey on other species for food.

They are usually large and deadly, though there are smaller creatures like insects and fish which solely eat meat as well. Carnivores are usually distinguishable from herbivores by their fast reflexes, jagged teeth, and strong jaws, or other aggressive features present on their bodies.

The largest carnivores on Earth are usually apex predators, meaning that they are at the top of the food chain in their specific habitats. They are not targeted by other animal species because of their immense size and strength, so challenging them would be a waste of time.

Currently, the largest carnivore on Earth dwells in the sea, and the largest carnivore in the world to ever exist is long extinct (thankfully for us! ).

The Largest Carnivore On Land

There are many large carnivores on land that humans should be careful of and keep their distance.

Polar Bear: The largest terrestrial carnivore as of today is undoubtedly the vicious polar bear!

Polar bears, true to their name, are native to the frigid cold regions near the North Pole, in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Norway.

As they need a lot of fat in order to survive their freezing surroundings, they feed on animals that have a lot of natural fat in their bodies, mainly seals. They take advantage of small icebergs and sea ice to get close to seals and hunt them down.

Though adult polar bears typically weigh between 770-1540 lb (349.3-698.5 kg), the largest polar bear ever on record is said to have weighed 2209 lb (1002 kg), and stood 11 ft 1 in (3.4 m) tall!

Brown Bear: A close cousin of the polar bear, which is the largest land carnivore, the brown bear is the second largest carnivore on land. There are over 80 types of known brown bears, and this animal can be found in colder areas across Europe, Asia, and North America.

These creatures will eat anything from small rodents to fish, small mammals, cattle young, and even carrion.

Unlike polar bears that are purely carnivorous in nature, brown bears are omnivorous and will feed on berries, plants, and roots as well. They are huge, typically weighing between 176-1322 lb (80-600 kg) on average.

Bengal Tiger: The largest cats on land, fully grown Bengal tigers can weigh up to 500 lb (227 kg)!

These tigers are mainly found in India and Bangladesh and are apex predators in their habitats. Their stripes help them to camouflage against the dense vegetation and tall grass, along which they lie in wait for animals such as antelopes, deer, buffaloes, and boars which make up the majority of their diet.

Unfortunately, the population of these wildcats is rapidly decreasing year by year, with their current IUCN status being Endangered.

Lion: Though smaller than Bengal tigers, African lions are famously known as the 'King of the beasts', being the top dogs in their habitats of savannahs and grasslands in Africa.

These massive African cats average out at 440 lb (200 kg) and hunt a wide range of animals from antelopes, zebras, wild hogs, hippos, and wildebeests to smaller mammals like deer and hares.

They can usually be found on land around water bodies like ponds and lakes, where other animals come to drink, making them easy targets for a lion.

Black Bear: Almost all types of black bears are massive, with varieties in North America and Asia weighing 350 lb (159 kg) and 300 lb (136 kg) on average respectively.

Their diet usually changes with the seasons, with these bears sustaining themselves on fruits, nuts, honey, roots, and insects like ants in the warmer seasons and prey like deer and hares during the colder seasons, for added fat and protein. They may also kill and eat livestock, as well as forage for food in human settlements.

They may also eat animal carcasses if there is a food shortage.

The largest reptiles to roam the Earth are the saltwater crocodile, which can be found in northern Australia and Southeast Asia. Close behind them is the freshwater Nile crocodile, which is quite vicious as well!

The Largest Carnivore In The Ocean

What is the largest carnivorous sea creature? Many scary species lurk at the bottom of the ocean.

Blue Whale: Though nowhere near as vicious as sharks, blue whales are still some of the world's largest animals as they feed exclusively on plankton, which is essentially tiny animals. Blue whales can measure up to 100 ft (30.5 m) long, and even newborn whales rank among the largest land mammals!

These giant creatures have hearts the size of an average car, and their steady heartbeats can be heard from 2 mi (3.2 km away! ).

Sperm Whale: Known as the largest toothed predator, these normally peaceful whales feed on seals, sharks, squids, and fish.

They can measure up to 80 ft (24.4 m) long in size, and they have the largest brains on Earth, weighing a whole 20 lb (9 kg).

Unfortunately, these predators have become prey themselves, and they were hunted ruthlessly by humans throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for their spermaceti, a waxy substance located in their heads to make various commodities like soaps and candles.

Fortunately, their numbers are slowly increasing as sperm whales are now a protected species.

Lions Mane Jellyfish: Though not the largest, this terrifying jellyfish is definitely the longest carnivore in the ocean, with ribbon-like tentacles extending almost 120 ft (36.6 m) long! They use these tentacles to sting and entangle their prey, which includes fish, small sea creatures, and other jellyfish as well!

Giant Squid: The largest cephalopod on Earth, the giant squid is almost 40 ft (12 m) in length! This intimidating creature of the deep ocean has a reach of over 30 ft (9 m) long with its enormous tentacles, and it uses them to grab onto prey and devour it with its large gaping mouth.

Basking Shark: Despite being a shark, which is known for its thirst for blood and viciousness, the basking shark is actually a gentle giant! It uses its large, gaping mouth to take in plankton, fish eggs, and larvae, and has not been observed to attack any other creatures.

It is the second-largest fish on record and its body weighs a whopping 8500 lb (3855 kg) to its 40 m (12.5 m) size.

Largest Carnivore Animals That Are Now Extinct

The largest carnivore ever to exist was the Spinosaurus, which was a carnivorous dinosaur existing around 97-112 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. It is believed that it roamed the swamps of North Africa, with a specimen being found both in Egypt and Morocco.

This giant lizard was named after the long, sharp spines on its back, which were most likely connected to each other with a thin membrane in resemblance to a sail.

It is believed that it was quite proficient at swimming, with its flat, paddle-like feet, dense bones like penguins, and short hind legs which would have made it easier to move around in the water.

These features, along with its long snout with conically shaped teeth give rise to the theory that the Spinosaurus was an expert fisherman and possibly relied on seafood to supplement its diet.

This dinosaur is larger than both the Tyrannosaurus rex and Giganotosaurus, both of which were fearsome carnivores in their own right. However, unlike them, the Spinosaurus may not have been as vicious.

Unlike the T-rex, which had deadly serrated teeth to tear into its prey, the Spinosaurus had slanted, needle-like teeth instead which would have been more useful in piercing fish. Rather than attacking other dinosaurs and animals as prey, this lengthy lizard would have only had to use its strength in terms of defense.

The largest mammal to ever roam the Earth was the South American short-faced bear, which weighed between 3501–3856 lb (1588–1749 kg).

What birds are carnivorous?

Carnivorous birds, also called birds of prey, are quite adept at hunting. Here are some of the most vicious birds of prey.

Andean Condor: This bird is considered the largest carnivorous bird on Earth. The condors of South America are vultures, so rather than hunting for their own prey, these birds feeds on whatever carrion they can scavenge, only hunting when no food is naturally available.

These massive birds can weigh up to 33 lb (15 kg), and have wingspan of nearly 10 ft (3 m) long! Unfortunately, they are endangered in South America, with the population of this species declining rapidly.

Bald Eagle: Widely known as the mascot of the United States of America, this beautiful specimen of a bird has an extremely powerful sense of vision, which it uses to locate from afar before swooping down and piercing it with its incredibly sharp talons.

They have a bodyweight of between 6.6-14 lb (3-6.4 kg) and have a wingspan of almost 6-7.5 ft (1.8-2.3 m).

Eurasian Eagle Owl: Usually found in the mountains of Europe and Asia, this powerful owl can weigh up to 9.2 lb (4.2 kg), and has a wingspan of nearly 6.5 ft (2 m) in size! Though it usually feeds on rodents, rabbits, and other small mammals, this deadly bird has been known to kill a human being!