Life on earth, as magnificent and versatile as it is, is seemingly tame compared to the weird and wonderful creatures that once existed. All categories of life have reached unimaginable sizes, here are just a selection of prehistoric record breakers!
MEGALODON The biggest shark known to have existed, ruling over the oceans as recently as up to a million years ago. A length of almost 20 metres and weighing in at an estimated 48 tonnes, Megalodon could deliver a crucifying bite of up to 110,000N. It is no surprise that the Megalodon was dubbed the āwhale killing sharkā.
MEGATHERIUM Our early ancestors would have been quite familiar with Megatherium as they existed up to 8000 years ago, they were in fact the largest sloths to have existed. Sloths have a reputation as being lazy, slow and docile, but Megatherium was a 6 metre long, 4 tonne monster with a killer instinct and knife-like claws. Megatheriumās discovery came before that of the dinosaurs. Skeletons of these prehistoric beasts were a delight to the Victorian public and paved the way for the science of palaeontology.
ARCHELON Literally meaning ālarge turtleā, Archelon certainly was just that. Existing during the cretaceous, the time of the dinosaurs, Archelon could reach 4.5 metres long and may have lived to over 100 years old. Archelon could not compete with other cretaceous beings in speed and agility, but its blade-like beak was able to slice through flesh and crush though the toughest ammonite shells. Unfortunately Archelon appears to have been a popular snack for other marine dwellers, skeletons are frequently missing flippers or heads and covered in slashes.
TITANOBOA When the dinosaurs reign ended, a new era saw the rise of new super-predators, one was Titanoboa, the largest snake ever with a body up to 13 metres long, standing a metre off the ground and weighing up to 2500 pounds. Titanoboa was 30% longer than even todays largest species. Scientists believe this humongous snake hunted like its modern relatives, the boa constrictors, by winding around prey and suffocating them.
IRISH ELK Owner of the largest antlers of any animal, up to 3 metres wide, the Irish Elk gets its name from its frequent discoveries in Irish peat bogs. Existing up to 10,000 years ago, these would have been a common sight in grasslands for our ancestors. Many fossils indicate the animals died of starvation which is why the antlers are thought to have been part of elaborate mating contests between males, often resulting in one being fatally injured and unable to feed itself.
DEINOTHERIUM A distant relative of the elephants and mammoths, Deinotherium was more sinister, its name translates to āterrible beastā, they would have most likely caused trouble for our ancient ancestors around 1.5 million years ago. Deinotherium is actually considered to be the second largest land mammal of all time, behind Paraceratherium and is iconic in appearance due to its sharp, downward facing tusks.
ARCTODUS Known as the short faced bear, they were the biggest bears on record and one of the largest mammal carnivores to have existed. Whilst their skull was short, they were packed with piercing teeth that could deliver a bone crushing bite. Existing up to 11,000 years ago, out ancestors would have stayed well clear of this 900 kilogram predator, with slender limbs and knife-like claws, Arctodus was deadly.
SARCOSUCHUS One of the most infamous fossil discoveries in history, Sarcosuchus was the largest crocodile to walk the Earth up to 112 million years ago, this was a crocodile capable of killing dinosaurs. Sarcosuchus was twice as long as a saltwater crocodile, thatās 11-12 metres long and could reach over 8 tonnes. Its jaw was packed full of 66 teeth either side of its jaw and would have clamped down on prey that wandered too near.
ARGENTINOSAURUS One of the largest lifeforms that has ever stood on the Earth, Argentinosaurus could grow up to 30 metres long with its hind limbs standing 4.5 metres off the ground. They existed between 97-94 million years ago and at adulthood would have been virtually indestructible to predators. Its weight is estimated at a staggering 80-100 tonnes. There hasnāt been another land mammal on the same scale as Argentinosaurus since and itās unlikely there ever will be.
SPINOSAURUS The largest discovered therapod ever, a group that includes Allosaurus and Tryrannosaurus. Spinosaurus remained an enigma to scientists for decades, the only discovered specimen was sadly destroyed during World War 2 and was not rediscovered until the 21st century. Spinosaurus is thought to have reached up to 16 metres long and weighed in around 12 tonnes, that is almost double the weight of a T-rex!
Megalodonās position at the top of the food chain likely had a major impact on the structuring of marine communities; for example, fossil evidence indicates a correlation between C. megalodon emergence and extensive diversification of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises).
I was reading about Vortices and after hours of research online, out of the blue I stumbled upon this amazing bird. This is the Red Necked Phalarophe and from the looks of it seems to have put vortices to a really productive use – catching its prey.
By rotating around ~60-80 times a minute, it produces an upward vortex that sucks out insects/bugs/crustaceans from the water, which it swiftly picks up with its beak and eats. ( This one would have aced the Fluids class for sure š)
This is analogous to tornadoes sweeping up cars and houses along its way in an upward swirl.
Mind Blown!
** The actual dynamics of vortices of course is waay more complicated. š
Found mostly in South America. Its shell resembles bark, and its head resembles fallen leaves, making it an expert at camouflage. It is also an expert at looking like my nightmares.
Theyāre sunning! These are turkey vultures – you can tell because the underside of their wings look grey when theyāre backlit, like two of the three on the bottom. They tend to stop to rest / roost pretty high up because they generally like to fly on warm thermals, so this is totally normal sunbathing behavior for them in a nice warm spot.Ā
bit by Mocha, my hognose snake, yesterday
ā
please if you have or plan to get a hognose BE AWARE THIS CAN HAPPEN
even though Mocha is the sweetest hognose he mistook my hand for food, it happens.
Iām not mad, Iām not scared of him, Iām not adopting him out
however my hand is so swollen I canāt move it
this post is to show you what you have to be willing to suffer if you want a hognose
Iām not saying this will happen to everyone, itās very rare to be bit but know this is the aftermath!!! you have to be prepared and willing to take on the worst situation possible when dealing with ANY venomous animal
Agreed! Their āvenomā is basically the equivalent of a bee sting-it is defined as toxin non deadly to humans, but some people have more extreme reactions than others. When Coco was under 10 inches long she got a feeding hold on my finger for 10 minutes, my finger didnt swell nearly to that equivalent size. On the other end, hognose groups on facebook have examples of a bite making a large part of some peopleās arms swell.
Hognoses make wonderful pets but its recommended that you look elsewhere if you have a suspicion you may be allergic to something like a bee sting, or if you do not have the resources to go to a hospital in the worst case you find out the hard way
This reminds me of when my rat bit me. I put my hand in-between two boys who were about to brawl and the result was āa death biteā. I think Harley was trying to kill my other rat. (He held on even as I was screaming and it took a good 10 seconds before he let me go which he has NEVER DONE)
My hand swelled 3 times the size (exactly like this picture), he caused nerve damage (I still canāt feel my index finger and this was LAST YEAR) and I have two scars where his teeth went in.
This was a RAT.
All animals with teeth or sharp beaks could do this. Be aware that extreme cases like this CAN happen. They are very rare but itās possible. Rats donāt have venom but they do have bacteria. Learn your pets body signs so you can at least try to predict if something is gonna happen.
*I knew I could get hurt putting my hand in between two fighting rats. I didnāt care because I wanted to keep my rats from getting hurt. I took the worst bite Iāve ever experienced (instead of my rat getting it). I donāt regret it, but I do wish it didnāt happen.
Which is why Iām adding on. So y’all know itās not just snakes. Its not just āvenomā. It can be a rat with a powerful bite. It can be an allergic reaction from a cat scratch. It doesnāt have to break the skin either. Some birds have strong enough beaks that they can cause massive damage just from pressure.
Arizona pyrope garnet is calledĀ ant hill garnetĀ because they are āminedāĀ by ants.Ā Ants find the garnets while digging their anthills,Ā drag them out, and discard them on the surface. (Source)
The Akhal-Teke is a horse breed from Turkmenistan, where they are a national emblem.Ā They have a reputation for speed and endurance, intelligence, and a distinctive metallic sheen. The shiny coat of palominos and buckskins led to their nickname āGolden Horsesā. These horses are adapted to severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest existing horse breeds. (Source)
Iāve been wanting to know more about this beautiful FUCKING horse! THANKS
š„ There is beauty in destructionš„ 