#25. Highest Jump By A Dog
Dogs can be quite enthusiastic, and they love showing us their affection. Just think of those ‘welcome home’ jumps pet owners often get from their furry friends. Someone once saw the potential in those and turned them into a competition, which is separated into different categories according to the animals’ height, length, and speed. There is a particular dog that left the world baffled.
This is the sports star Cinderella May, a gray greyhound. She holds the world record for the highest jump cleared by a dog. Believe it or not, she managed to jump across a large fence 1.72 meters high in the finals of Purina Incredible Dog Challenge. Her endeavors earned her the well-deserved nickname of “Flying Cindy.”
#24. Loudest Animal
The blue whale is a record itself, being the largest mammal that has ever populated the Earth. You may be surprised by their 30 meters in length, their weight of 180 tons, or even the fact that their vital organs are the size of a car. With a life expectancy of 90 years, they are also one of the longest-living animals. However, you will not believe the following fact.
It happens to be they are the loudest creature on the planet! Their low-frequency pulses can be detected more than 500 miles away, which is equivalent to 800 kilometers. Their heart is so powerful that, underwater, each beat exceeds 188 decibels. They are louder than the sound of a reaction engine!
#23. Longest Snake In Captivity
This is the first reptile on our list, but it’s not just any reptile. This is Medusa, the longest snake in the world, which reached a length of 7.67 meters (25 ft 2 inches) long. Since it was put into captivity, this fascinating creature owned by Full Moon Productions Inc is one of the main attractions in Kansas City, Missouri. So, if you are ophidiophobic, this is a place you wanna steer clear of.
Although it is believed that there may be pythons measuring up to 10 meters in the wild, this specimen became the world’s officially longest living snake, beating the Guinness record on October 12, 2011. Can you believe it actually weighs more than 158 kilos (350 lbs)? I can’t even imagine what its diet consists of …nor do I want to!
#22. Largest Living Cat
Let me introduce you to this beautiful feline. His name is Hercules, and he’s the world’s largest living cat. This amazing liger (the lovechild of a lion and a tiger) is 3.33 m (131 inches) long and measures 1.25 m (49 inches) on the shoulder. This big cat weighs 418.2 kg (922 lb).
Although many would like to have him as a pet, he is definitely not suited for domestic living. This adult male is currently housed in Myrtle Beach Safari, a wildlife reserve in South Carolina. Ligers only exist in captivity due to human intervention, so it is as peculiar as it is controversial. Immensely peculiar and controversial, I would say!
#21. Strongest Animal
The Taurus scarabs seem to have come straight out of a science fiction story. But what’s their superpower? In case you did not know, they are considered to be the world’s strongest animal, capable of lifting no less than 1,141 times their own weight. That is equivalent to a person being able to lift about 82 tons.
This little oval-shaped dung beetle supports weights on its back without any difficulty. To measure this, Rob Knell, a biologist at the University of London, tested the ability of these beetles to defeat a mating rival, in a task that essentially involves force. If this animal were our size, you certainly wouldn’t want to face him.
#20. Fastest Skateboard Ride By A Dog
We still have a lot to say about dogs and sports. This time, we will talk about extreme sports. Have you heard of Jumpy? I bet so. His videos attract thousands of users on YouTube and this adorable border collie has skills that go beyond shaking your hand or bringing the newspaper to his owner.
Considered the smartest dog in the world, Jumpy has also become popular as a skater dog. On the set of Officially Amazing in Los Angeles, in 2013, this little athlete traveled 100 meters (328 feet) on a skateboard in 19 seconds and 65 hundredths, a mark not exceeded to date. By the way, he jumps on ramps and does difficult tricks like backflips.
#19. Longest Migration
Say hello to our first bird on the list, the Arctic tern. According to National Geographic, this migratory bird travels around 2.4 million kilometers during its lifetime, a distance equivalent to three trips to the Moon and back. Isn’t that awesome?
Recent studies have shown that their average annual round trip is up to 90,000 km (56,000 miles) long, on a trip that starts from Greenland and ends at the Weddell Sea, next to Antarctica. Undoubtedly, this is the longest migratory route of the animal kingdom.
#18. Longest Ears On A Dog
I bet nobody could pull off big ears like Harbor, this beautiful black and tan Coonhound. According to his owner Jennifer Wert of Colorado, he has earned thousands of fans throughout the world. Just look at the picture and you will notice that his ears are twice the size of his face!
Who wouldn’t want to take a picture with the dog with the biggest ears in the world? For your information, the adorable canine has a left ear that measures 31.1 cm (12.25 inches) and a right ear that measures 34.3 cm (13.5 inches). Why the difference, one may wonder?
#17. Most Venomous Animal
What comes to mind when you think of the most lethal creature on the planet? Well, probably not a translucent animal with the ability to shine in the dark. But I have some surprising news for you: the Chironex fleckeri, commonly known as the marine wasp, despite its harmless appearance, is believed to have enough poison to kill up to 60 humans. And we’re talking about a translucent box jellyfish that shines in the dark!
It is found in coastal waters from Australia to the Philippines and Vietnam. According to National Geographic, sea wasps become deadlier with age. The younger females, who hunt shrimp, have venom in only 5% of their stinging cells, while adults have it in 50%, which allows them to hunt larger prey.
#16. Woolliest Sheep
I know what you’re thinking: didn’t anyone notice that this sheep needed a haircut? Apparently not. The truth is that the animal had not been in contact with human beings for quite some time. When it was found several kilometers from a farm outside Canberra, everyone knew that they had to call an expert for an extreme makeover.
This is the wooliest sheep in the world, Chris. His size was four or five times greater than that of normal sheep. He won the Guinness record for the amount of wool removed from a single specimen: they removed over 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of wool! He was estimated to be about six years old and possibly had never been sheared.
#15. Fastest Wing-Beat
Hummingbirds are one of my favorite birds ever. Their colors range from green, light gray, violet and metallic blue, so bright that they create their own light effect. Hummingbirds have many skeletal and in-flight muscle adaptations that allow them great agility.
During the courtship, the ruby-throated Hummingbird performs a “dive” exhibit a few meters away from the female. The male’s wings can beat up to 200 times per second during these demonstrations. Isn’t that amazing?
#14. Most Dangerous Ant
The ant is another misleading insect since if we judged it by its size, one would think it is incapable of causing damage. However, some species can be as aggressive as any other predator. This is the case of the bulldog ant, originally from the coastal regions of Australia.
At least 3 human deaths caused by this species have been reported since 1936. So ants aren’t so innocent and harmless after all! These, in particular, have solitary customs and show little fear of human beings. Now you know what to do, stay away from them!
#13. Largest Brain
It is not entirely surprising that the larger an animal’s body is, the larger its brain can be. However, when scientists organize animals by the size of their brain in proportion to their body size, the one who tops the list is the shrew. Have you ever seen one of them?
The shrews are about 1 to 15 cm long with the tail included. This little mouse has a brain that represents 10% of its body mass. Maybe this data does not mean anything to you. But, what if I tell you that the brain of a human only represents approximately 2% of its total body mass?
#12. Most Tennis Balls In Dog’s Mouth
We all know that Golden Retrievers can be intense, from time to time. They play tirelessly, they are super sociable, lively and -as their name suggests- retrievers by nature, so they do love a good ball game. Augie was no exception, as she loved fetching tennis balls and putting them in her mouth.
This adorable puppy owned by the Miller family of Dallas, USA, has the record of keeping the largest number of tennis balls in her mouth at the same time. And she did it without anyone’s help! I wonder if at mealtime Augie finishes all her food in a bite. I don’t think it’d be a problem for her.
#11. Largest Egg From A Living Bird
Just by looking at this photo you can imagine this is not the egg of a dove but that of a much larger bird. What we see here is the largest egg laid by a bird ever recorded, weighing 2,589 kilograms (5 lb 11.36 oz). My common sense tells me that it looks like a dinosaur egg. But of course, this is not so.
Can you guess which species is responsible for this wonderful creation? This huge egg was laid by an ostrich in an ostrich farm owned by Kerstin and Gunnar Sahlin in Borlange, Sweden, in 2008. Don’t know about you, but I have my doubts about the whereabouts of this specimen.
#10. Fastest Tortoise
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has ever wondered why turtles are so slow, and there seems to be a whole mystique behind it. However, there is one turtle that stands out from the rest. His name is Bertie. Keep reading if you want to know how he became a celebrity.
Bertie is a South African leopard tortoise that lives in Durham, United Kingdom, crowned the fastest in the world by covering the distance of 5.48 meters (18 feet) in 19.59 seconds! Exactly 38 years after the previous record had been set.
#9. Fastest Water Walker
Being able to walk on water seems like a completely supernatural ability. For some reason, the South American basilisk lizard can do so at a speed of 1.5 meters per second (5 feet / s) for approximately 4.5 meters (14 feet 9 inches) before sinking and they are called Jesus Christ for it. Keep reading to find out how they can do this.
When this nice and fast lizard feels threatened, the first thing it does is run very quickly on the surface of a river or a lake. Their long toes on their rear feet along with the fringes of skin that unfurl beneath the water create tiny air pockets under the lizard’s feet. These air pockets give the lizard lift and thus prevent them from sinking. Isn’t that fantastic?
#8. Best Sniffer
The African elephant is the best sniffer in the animal kingdom and has the best sense of smell in the world. It lifts its trunk in the air to perceive distant smells. Just look at that huge trunk! They use their trunk to collect food as well, either from the ground or up to 6 or 7 meters high.
Amazingly, their huge thunks help them smell the water up to 12 miles (19 km) away. Elephants have twice as many odor genes as dogs and five times more than humans. You’ve probably already seen how they bathe: with their trunks they suck water that they then splash against their bodies to cool off.
#7. Longest Cat Fur
The sheep are not the only ones with incredible fur, just look at this marvelous ball of fluff. Her name is Sophie Smith, owned by Jami Smith. On November 9, 2013, this cat was measured in Oceanside, California. What did they find out?
Well, Sophie surpassed the longest fur mark on a cat at 25.68 centimeters (10.11 inches) long. At the age of 2, she beat the long-standing Colonel Meow by more than an inch. Surely there are hours of brushing, care and much love behind that radiant mane.
#6. Most Powerful Bite
Who do you think can have the strongest bite? You probably figured it was the lion, tiger or shark. Maybe a hyena, a polar bear, a hippo or a gorilla. But to your surprise, the saltwater crocodile has, by far, the most powerful bite in the animal kingdom.
The power of this creature when closing its jaws registers a total force of 3,700 pounds per square inch (psi), equivalent to 16,460 newtons of force. It could rival even that of its former ancestor and leader in this matter: nothing less than the T-Rex.
#5. Deepest Mammal Diver
For your information, Ahmed Gabr dived on the Egyptian coast of Dahab, in the Red Sea, until reaching 332.35 meters deep. This happened on September 18, 2014, and achieved an approximate distance equal to the height of the Chrysler building in New York (1000 feet). But although this is an admirable record for a human, other mammals can achieve even greater depths.
Cuvier’s peak whale exceeds all limits. It has reached depths of almost 3,048 meters (10,000 feet) below the ocean surface. It is, without doubt, the farthest depth ever observed among mammals. It also exceeds the record of the time it may be submerged, reaching 137 minutes underwater. Who dares to challenge her in a duel?
#4. The Fastest Dog With Front Paws Only
Records are there to be set or, in this case, to be broken: this little sweetie called Konjo exceeded Jiff’s previous 7.76-second mark after running five meters in just 2.39 seconds. This happened at Tustin Sports Park, Tustin, California, on December 22, 2014.
This half papillon, a quarter Jack Russell terrier and a quarter chihuahua became the fastest dog in the world on two legs. You can still watch his video on YouTube published by Guinness World Records. Julia Pasternack, its owner, said on several opportunities that Konjo began to walk on two legs being only a puppy.
#3. Biggest Eater Among Mammals
Wow! These small mammals continue to surprise us. Shrews are the ones that eat the greatest amount of food to body size ratio. As you know, its appearance is similar to a mouse. It weighs no more than 3 grams but during the day ingests 9 grams, that is, three times its weight.
What does this tiny being with a pointed and elongated snout feed on? Well, their diet is very varied. Earthworms, worms, spiders, snails, small mammals, amphibians, small reptiles, and even carrion. If it spends over 4 hours without eating, it can die! That explains the fact that they eat practically everything that crosses their path.
#2. Largest Eyeball
The wolf dressed as a grandmother from the Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm’s story Little Red Riding Hood doesn’t win the award for the biggest eyes of the animal kingdom. The winner is the colossal squid, a marine animal that inhabits the depths of the Arctic Ocean. It is also known as the largest invertebrate.
The light is very dim between 250 and 1,500 meters below the surface. Therefore, the eyes of this mollusk serve to detect its predators and escape in time. Reason enough for this species to develop imposing 27-cm-wide eyeballs. That’s even bigger than a basketball!
#1. Smallest Dog
Yes, the first place on this list goes to man’s (and woman’s) best friend. It is the smallest dog alive, in terms of height. Her name is Milly and is owned by Vanesa Semler de Dorado, Puerto Rico. I bet a dozen Millies fit into my bag. Well, it is the same length as a hamster and weighs no more than an apple!
This miniature chihuahua not only caught people’s attention after being recognized by the Guinness Book of Records but also by the scientific community. Researchers at the Sooam Biotech Foundation in Seoul, South Korea, decided to study it to discover the genetic code that was hiding behind its tiny size.