Biggest Animals

From the largest animal that has ever lived to the biggest land animals and reptiles, these heavyweights are ranked by typical adult weight. Sheer size shapes how each of these animals lives, eats, and survives.

By the Global Animal Guide editorial team Last reviewed July 16, 2026 Cite this page How we research & review

Rankings use stats and conservation status from our species database. For IUCN categories, verify current assessments on the IUCN Red List.

Biggest Animals compared

Biggest Animals: size, speed, lifespan, native range and conservation status
#	Animal	Weight	Length	Top speed	Lifespan	Native to	Status
1	Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus	150,000 kg	30 m	50 km/h	85 yrs	Oceans	Endangered
2	Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalus	50,000 kg	22 m	40 km/h	85 yrs	Oceans worldwide	Vulnerable
3	Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus	40,000 kg	16 m	35 km/h	65 yrs	Oceans worldwide	Vulnerable
4	Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae	30,000 kg	15 m	27 km/h	80 yrs	Oceans	Least Concern
5	Whale Shark Rhincodon typus	19,000 kg	12 m	5 km/h	80 yrs	Oceans	Endangered
6	Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata	7,000 kg	9 m	35 km/h	45 yrs	Oceans worldwide	Least Concern
7	African Elephant Loxodonta africana	6,000 kg	7.5 m	40 km/h	65 yrs	Africa	Endangered
8	Orca Orcinus orca	5,000 kg	8 m	56 km/h	60 yrs	Oceans	Data Deficient