Animals

From the world's tallest dog to its most dangerous ant, you'll find the fastest, tallest, oldest, strangest and most awesome species from the animal kingdom right here.

Records showcase

Animal videos

Watch the likes of the biggest horse in the world, Big Jake the horse and Corduroy, one of the oldest cats ever measured

Tallest dog ever

Tallest cat and longest tail ever

Oldest manatee ever

Big Jake, the world's tallest horse

Fastest tortoise

Largest reptile zoo

Meet Blosom the tallest cow ever

Most bird species in an aviary

Loudest purr by a domestic cat

Tallest and shortest dogs meet (former record holders)

Longest snake in captivity (former record holder)

Oldest cat living (former record holder)

Tallest donkey (former record holder)

Animal pictures

Images of record-breaking animals from all over the world

Longest tongue on a dog

The longest tongue on a dog measures 18.58 cm (7.31 in) and belongs to Mochi, a female St. Bernard owned by Carla and Craig Rickert (both USA) and was measured in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA, on 25 August 2016.

Smallest owl

The elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi) from south-western USA and Mexico is usually quoted as the smallest owl averaging 12–14 cm (4.75–5.5 in) in length and weighing less than 50 g (1.75 oz)

Highest bar jump cleared by a llama

The highest bar jump cleared by a llama is 1.13 m (3 ft 8.5 in), and was achieved by Caspa, owned by Sue Williams (UK) at Dogfest, in Arley Hall, Cheshire, UK, on 14 June 2015

woman next to the rabbit with the longest fur

Longest fur on a rabbit

The longest fur on a rabbit is 36.5 cm (14.37 in) and belongs to Franchesca, owned by Betty Chu (USA), as measured in Morgan Hill, California, USA, on 17 August 2014

Longest journey by a butterfly

A tagged male monarch (Danaus plexippus), released by Donald A. Davis (Canada) at Presqu'ile Provincial Park near Brighton, Ontario, Canada on 10 September 1988 was recaptured on 8 April 1989 in Austin, Texas, USA. It is assumed that this butterfly spent the winter in Mexico as it would not have been able to survive freezing winter temperatures in Texas. Hence, this butterfly travelled at least 4,635 km (2,880 miles) – a distance obtained by measuring a line from the release site to the overwintering sites and back north again to Austin, Texas, USA. However, the actual distance travelled could be double this figure

Largest toad

The largest known toad is the cane or marine toad (Bufo marinus) of tropical South America and Queensland, Australia (introduced). An average specimen weighs 450 g (1 lb) and the largest ever recorded was a male named Prinsen (The Prince), owned by Håkan Forsberg of Åkers Styckebruk, Sweden.

Fastest evolving animal

Sphenodon Punctatus, a type of reptile known as a tuatara, is evolving at a rate almost 10 times that of the average for all animals. In a report published in March 2008, it was revealed that this species is making about 1.37 substitutions per base per every million years, compared to the average of just 0.2

Smallest reptile

The smallest reptile species are three species of Madagascan dwarf chameleon – the Madagascan minute leaf chameleon Brookesia minima, the Madagascan micro leaf chameleon B. micra and the Mount d'Ambre leaf chameleon B. tuberculata. Adult males of all three species sometimes measure as little as 14 mm from snout to vent (anus); females are larger. Reptiles are typically measured from snout to vent, as tail lengths can vary depending upon injury and other external factors

Largest land snail

The largest known land gastropod is the African giant snail Achatina achatina, the largest recorded specimen of which measured 39.3 cm (15.5 in) from snout to tail when fully extended, with a shell length of 27.3 cm (10.75 in) in December 1978. It weighed exactly 900 g (2 lb)

Longest wave surfed by a dog

The longest wave surfed by a dog (open water) is 107.2 m (351.7 ft), and was achieved by Abbie Girl (USA) at Ocean Beach Dog Beach, in San Diego, California, USA, on 18 October 2011

Largest armoured dinosaur

Ankylosaurus, a herbivore protected with thick plates covering the skin, also had a double row projection of spikes running down from the back of their head to their club tail. Measuring 7.5–10.7 m. (24 ft 7 in–35 ft 1 in) long, 1.8 m. (6 ft) wide and 1.2 m. (4 ft) tall, it even had plates to protect its eyes with only its belly left un-plated

Largest bear

The largest bear alive today is the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), native to Greenland, Svalbard, Arctic Russia, Arctic Canada and Arctic USA. Adult males typically weigh 400–600 kg (880–1,320 lb), and have a nose-to-tail length of 2.4–2.6 m (7 ft 10 in–8 ft 6 in)

Tallest domestic cat (ever)

The tallest domestic cat ever is 48.4 cm (19.05 inches) is Arcturus Aldebaran Powers who was verified in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, on 3 November 2016.

Widest gape for a mammal

The common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius of sub-Saharan Africa including South Africa and eastern Africa has the widest gape of any mammal, as it is able to open its jaws to a remarkable 150°. This is more than 100° greater than the gape that a human can achieve (45°). The common hippo's mouth can yield this huge gape due to its jaws being hinged far back in its skull

Bini the Bunny with mini basketball in mouth

Most basketball slam dunks in one minute by a rabbit

Bini the Bunny – who lives in California, USA, with Shai Asor (USA) – successfully slam dunked a mini-basketball seven times in 60 seconds on 31 October 2016.

Most guide dogs trained by an organisation

In terms of the number of dogs trained, the world's largest assistance dog organisation is The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (aka Guide Dogs), with its head office in Hillfields, Berkshire, UK. As of 31 December 2016, Guide Dogs had successfully trained 33,910 dogs to provide mobility assistance to blind or partially sighted people.

Smallest service dog

The smallest service dog is Cupcake, a female long-haired chihuahua, who measured 15.87 (6.25 in) tall, on 08 September 2012. She is owned by Angela Bain (USA) of Moorestown, New Jersey, USA

Tallest cow ever

The tallest cow ever is Blosom, who was owned by Patricia Meads-Hanson (USA), and measured 190 cm (74.8 in) from the hoof to the withers, in Orangeville, Illinois, USA, on 24 May 2014

Most venomous scorpion

The most venomous scorpions are the fat-tailed scorpions belonging to the genus Androctonus. Several of these species rival each other in terms of the strength of their venom. The Tunisian fat-tailed scorpion (A. australis), for instance, has an intravenous LD50 of 260 µg/kg (a fatal dose of 18.2 mg for a 70-kg adult), and is responsible for 80% of stings and 90% of deaths from scorpion stings in North Africa. It has a body length of 10 cm (3.9 in), weighs around 15 g (0.5 oz) and has a life span of four years; it was discovered in 1758. In addition, an IV LD50 of 230 µg/kg (a fatal dose of 16.1 mg for a 70-kg adult) has been recorded for a close relative, A. mauretanicus

Tallest dinosaur

Dinosaur remains discovered in 1994 in Oklahoma, USA belong to what is believed to be the largest creature to have ever walked the earth. The Sauroposeidon stood at 18 m (60 ft) tall and weighted 60 tonnes (132,277 lb). The length of its neck is about a third larger that that of the Brachiosaurus, its nearest competitor. It lived about 110 million years ago, during the mid-Cretaceous period

Fastest 10 hoop slalom by a dog

The fastest 10 hoop/tyre slalom by a dog is 8.58 seconds and was achieved by Neo and his owner Stephen Bailey (both UK), in Minehead, UK, on 27 July 2016.

Most dangerous bird

The most dangerous of all birds are all three species of cassowary (family Casuariidae) which live in New Guinea and north-eastern Queensland, Australia, They are large birds (up to 2 m (6 ft 6 in) tall) and on each foot they have 3 forward pointing toes with strong claws to provide grip while running, the inner toe having a 12 cm (5 in) long spike for defensive purposes when it kicks out when cornered

Fastest time for a dog to retrieve a person from water

The fastest time for a dog to retrieve a person from water over a distance of 25 m is 1 minute 36.812 seconds, achieved by Jack the Black vom Muehlrad and his handler Hans-Joachim Brueckmann (both Germany), on the Kaarster See lake in Kaarst, Germany, on 11 June 2013

Rarest big cat

The world’s rarest big cat is the Amur, or Manchurian, leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), of which only 65–69 individuals are estimated to exist, according to the most recent census data from 2015. Native to the mountainous forests on the border of north-eastern China and the Russian Far East, it is currently classed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN

Longest-running pet shelter (single site)

The longest-running pet shelter on a single site is Battersea Dogs & Cats Home (UK), which has been operating in the same location in London, UK, since 13 May 1871 – a duration of 145 years 312 days as of 21 March 2017.

Animals

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On the farm