List of largest mammals

This is a list of some of the biggest mammals on Earth, grouped by their families. Mammals are animals that have fur or hair and give birth to live babies, instead of laying eggs. Some mammals are very large, like the ones you will see here! These big mammals can be found in many places around the world, from oceans to forests, and they play important roles in nature.

You can also learn more about the largest and heaviest animals by visiting the page on Largest and heaviest animals.

Tenrecs and allies (Afrosoricida)

The largest insect-eating mammal in this group is the giant otter shrew, found in Central Africa. It can weigh up to 1 kilogram and measure about 0.64 meters long.

There were also larger extinct relatives called bibymalagasy that lived in Madagascar. Scientists think they weighed between 10 and 18 kilograms.

Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla)

The largest mammal in this group by weight is the hippopotamus, found in rivers across sub-Saharan Africa. They can weigh up to 4,500 kg, be about 5 meters long, and stand nearly 1.7 meters tall. Even older hippos from long ago were just as big, maybe even bigger.

The tallest land animal today is the giraffe, reaching up to 5.8 meters into the air when standing on its legs. Even though they look thin, they can weigh as much as 2,000 kg.

Among the bovids—which include many familiar animals like cattle and bison—the heaviest living type is the gaur from Asia. Male gaurs can weigh up to 1,500 kg, be about 4.5 meters long, and stand 2.2 meters tall at the shoulder. Another strong member of this group is the wild yak, which can weigh up to 1,200 kg and stand about 2 meters tall.

The American bison from North America usually measures between 2 and 3.5 meters long, with adults standing anywhere from 152 centimeters to over 2 meters tall, depending on the individual. They typically weigh between 318 kg and 1,270 kg, although some very large ones raised on farms have weighed as much as 1,724 kg. Male bisons have short, curved horns that can grow up to 61 centimeters long, which they use to compete for mates and defend themselves. The European bison can be just as tall as the American bison, with the tallest ever measured reaching 210 centimeters at the withers (the top of the back just above the shoulders), though they tend to weigh less.

Wild water buffaloes from Asia are larger than their domestic cousins, weighing between 700 kg and 1,200 kg. They can be up to 3 meters long, with a tail nearly 1 meter long, and stand between 150 centimeters and nearly 2 meters tall. Like bisons, both male and female water buffaloes have large horns that spread widely, reaching up to 2 meters tip-to-tip.

The biggest ancient bovid might have been the extinct giant bison, which scientists think could have stood 2.5 meters tall and weighed over 2,000 kg. Another huge ancient bovid was Pelorovis , which also weighed around 2,000 kg.

The largest living member of the pig family is the giant forest hog from African rainforests. These pigs can weigh up to 275 kg, be about 2.6 meters long, and stand 1.1 meters tall. Wild boars have occasionally been reported to reach weights of 320 kg, especially in certain regions, and very fat domestic pigs can sometimes weigh as much as 1,157 kg. The biggest pig-like mammal known from the past was Kubanochoerus gigas, which may have weighed as much as 550 kg and stood over 1.3 meters tall.

The largest living deer is the moose, especially the Alaskan type, which has been found to weigh up to 820 kg, be nearly 3.5 meters long, and stand about 2.4 meters tall at the shoulder. The biggest deer ever known was C. latifrons, which may have stood between 2.1 meters and 2.5 meters tall and weighed perhaps as much as 1,200 kg. Another ancient giant, the Irish elk, had antlers that could spread up to 4.3 meters across—much wider than a moose’s antlers.

The biggest members of the camel family today are the bactrian camel and the dromedary camel. Both can weigh up to 1,000 kg, be about 4 meters long, and stand around 2.5 meters tall at the shoulder, with the hump reaching up to 3.45 meters. Some ancient camels found only in fossils, like Titanotylopus from North America, were possibly even larger, perhaps weighing around 2,485 kg and standing over 3.4 meters tall. Another huge ancient camel from Syria, sometimes called the “Syrian camel”, may have been as tall as 4 meters.

Whales (Cetacea)

The largest mammal—and the largest animal ever known—is the blue whale. One of the biggest ever measured was almost 34 meters long and weighed as much as 190 tonnes. Other very big whales include the fin whale, which can reach about 27 meters and 109 tonnes, and the bowhead and North Pacific right whale, both around 21 meters long and perhaps up to 133 tonnes.

Among whales that toothed, the biggest is the sperm whale. The largest males are usually about 18 meters long and can weigh around 50 tonnes.

The largest member of the oceanic dolphin family is the orca. The biggest one ever found was a male near Japan, almost 10 meters long and weighing about 10 tonnes.

The biggest porpoise is the Dall's porpoise, which can weigh up to 220 kg and be about 2.3 meters long.

The largest beaked whale is the Baird's beaked whale, reaching up to 14 tonnes and 13 meters in length.

The bigger of the two similar species, the beluga whale, usually grows between 3.5 meters and 5.5 meters long. Females are smaller, typically between 3 meters and 4.1 meters.

The largest river dolphin lives in the Amazon and can be up to 2.5 meters long, with females usually being the larger ones.

Some ancient types of rorqual whales from a few million years ago, known only from fragments of bone, hint that they might have been as big as today’s largest whales.

Perucetus, an ancient type of early whale, may have been very large indeed—perhaps up to around 20 meters long and anywhere from 85 to 340 tonnes heavy, though recent studies in 2024 and 2025 suggest it might have been a bit smaller, closer to 15 or 16 meters long and perhaps only 35 to 40 tonnes.

Carnivorans (Carnivora)

The largest carnivoran is the southern elephant seal, which can weigh up to 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) and measure 6.9 m (23 ft) long. On land, the polar bear is the largest, reaching heights over 1.6 m (5.2 ft) and lengths up to 3.1 m (10 ft). Another big bear is the Kodiak bear, a type of brown bear, almost as large.

The biggest member of the Felidae family is the tiger, with males in the wild weighing up to 388.7 kg (857 lb). In captivity, ligers, which are hybrids of lions and tigers, can weigh over 410 kg (900 lb).

The largest member of the Canidae family in the wild is the gray wolf. The biggest of these are the Mackenzie Valley wolf and the Eurasian wolf, weighing up to 86 kg (190 lb). Domestic dogs can sometimes grow even heavier, up to 155.6 kg (343 lb).

The biggest member of the mustelids family by weight is the sea otter, weighing up to 54 kg (119 lb). By length, it is the giant otter of the Amazon, measuring up to 2.4 m (7.9 ft) long.

The largest mongoose is the African white-tailed mongoose, weighing up to 6 kg (13 lb). In the viverrid family, the biggest is the Asian binturong, weighing up to 27 kg (60 lb).

The largest modern hyena is the spotted hyena, weighing up to 90 kg (198 lb).

The biggest living procyonid is the raccoon of North America, weighing between 3.5 and 9 kg (8 to 20 lb).

The largest skunk is the striped skunk, weighing up to 6.35 kg (14.0 lb).

Bats (Chiroptera)

Bats are fascinating mammals that can fly, and some are larger than others. The large flying fox is often considered the largest bat, with a wingspan that can reach almost 2 meters. Another bat, the Indian flying fox, is the heaviest, weighing up to about 1.6 kilograms. There are also other large bats, like the spectral bat, which lives in places called the Neotropics and is the largest in its family. The great evening bat is the largest in its own group, the vesper bat.

Armadillos (Cingulata)

The largest armadillo is the giant armadillo (P. maximus), which can weigh up to 54 kg (119 lb), stand about 0.55 m (1.8 ft) high at the shoulder, and be 1.6 m (5.2 ft) long. Even bigger armadillos lived long ago, especially Doedicurus from South America. These prehistoric armadillos were much heavier, possibly averaging around 2 tonnes and reaching lengths of up to 3.6 m (12 ft).

Colugos (Dermoptera)

There are two types of colugos, which are special gliding mammals that live in southeast Asia. The largest and most common one is called the Sunda flying lemur. It can weigh up to 2 kilograms, which is about 4.4 pounds, and be about 73 centimeters long, or roughly 29 inches.

Hedgehogs and gymnures (Erinaceomorpha)

The greatest moonrat is the biggest member of this group of spiky, small mammals. It lives in the rainforests of the Malaysian Peninsula as well as Sumatra and Borneo. This animal can weigh more than 2 kg (4.4 lb) and grow longer than 60 cm (24 in). It is related to hedgehogs, which are usually much smaller. Even bigger was a giant gymnure from long ago in Europe, which scientists think was larger than a house cat today.

Hyraxes (Hyracoidea)

The largest hyrax is the rock hyrax, which can weigh up to 5.4 kg (12 lb) and be 73 cm (29 in) long. Long ago, hyraxes were important herbivores in Africa, and some were as big as modern horses. Genera like Titanohyrax could grow to be as heavy as 600 kg (1,300 lb), or even more than 1,300 kg (2,900 lb). Megalohyrax from the upper Eocene to lower Oligocene was about the size of a tapir.

Rabbits, hares, and pikas (Lagomorpha)

The largest wild rabbit is the European hare, which can weigh up to 7 kg (15 lb) and measure 0.85 m (2.8 ft) long. A close competitor is the Alaskan hare, which can weigh slightly more, up to 7.2 kg (16 lb). Among pikas, the Chinese red pika is the biggest, with a body length of about 29 centimetres (11 inches). The biggest domestic rabbit breed is the Flemish Giant, which can weigh as much as 12.7 kg (28 lb). The largest lagomorph that ever lived was Nuralagus rex, from Menorca, which may have weighed between 8 kg (18 lb) and 23 kg (51 lb).

Elephant shrews (Macroscelidea)

Elephant shrews have long, trunk-like snouts and long legs, but they look like small shrews. They are not closely related to other animals like treeshrews. They are unique in how they behave and look. The largest elephant shrew is the grey-faced sengi, found only in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania and Kenya. This elephant shrew can weigh up to 0.75 kg (1.7 lb) and measure up to 0.6 m (2.0 ft) long.

Marsupials (Marsupialia)

The largest marsupial today is the red kangaroo from Australia. These kangaroos can stand as tall as 2.18 meters and weigh up to 91 kilograms. Even bigger kangaroos lived long ago, like Procoptodon goliah, which could stand about 2 meters tall and weigh around 230 kilograms.

Other large marsupials include the Virginia opossum from North America, which can be up to 94 centimeters long including its tail, and the common brushtail possum from Australia, weighing up to 4.5 kilograms. The northern hairy-nosed wombat is the largest wombat today, reaching up to 102 centimeters in length and weighing as much as 40 kilograms.

Monotremes (Monotremata)

The largest living monotreme, which are mammals that lay eggs, is the western long-beaked echidna. It can weigh up to 16.5 kg (36 lb) and measure about 1 m (3.3 ft) long. There was also an extinct echidna species called Murrayglossus hacketti, found only in Western Australia, that was about the same size.

Odd-toed ungulates (Perissodactyla)

The largest living species in this group is the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). It can grow up to 4,500 kg (9,900 lb) in weight, 4.7 m (15 ft) long, and 1.85 m (6.1 ft) tall at the shoulder. It is a bit larger than the Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), which can weigh up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lb).

The biggest wild equids today are the Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi), weighing up to 450 kg (990 lb), standing 1.6 m (5.2 ft) tall, and being 2.75 m (9.0 ft) long. The largest tapir alive is the Malayan tapir (Acrocodia indica), measuring about 2.5 m (8.2 ft) long, 1.2 m (3.9 ft) tall, and weighing up to 540 kg (1,190 lb).

One of the biggest land mammals ever was Paraceratherium, which may have been over 7.4 m (24.3 ft) long and weighed about 17 tonnes.

Pangolins (Pholidota)

The largest pangolin is the giant pangolin (Manis gigantea). It can grow up to 1.7 meters, which is about 5.6 feet, and weigh at least 40 kilograms, or 88 pounds.

Anteaters and sloths (Pilosa)

The largest species in this group is the giant anteater. A big adult can weigh up to 65 kg and be more than half a meter tall at the shoulder, with a total length of about 2.4 meters.

The biggest sloths alive today are the Linnaeus's two-toed sloth and Hoffmann's two-toed sloths, which can weigh up to 10 kg and be nearly a meter long. Long ago, sloths were even bigger. One ancient sloth, called Megatherium, was as heavy as 4.5 tonnes and as tall as 5.1 meters—about the same size as an African bush elephant.

Primates (Primates)

The gorillas are the biggest primates alive today. The largest type is the eastern lowland gorilla, with males weighing between 140–200 kg and standing about 1 meter tall at the shoulder when on all fours. In the past, huge apes called Gigantopithecus lived in Asia. They might have been as tall as 3 meters and weighed up to 540 kg, but this is not certain.

Other large primates include the mandrill, one of the biggest Old World monkeys, and the southern muriqui, the largest New World monkey. The biggest lemur today is the indri, but an ancient lemur named Archaeoindris was as big as a gorilla. Humans can vary greatly in size due to health conditions, but even healthy humans are among the tallest primates.

Elephants and allies (Proboscidea)

The African bush elephant is the largest living member of the group called Proboscidea, with some weighing up to 10.4 tonnes. Even bigger than today's elephants were ancient giants like the steppe mammoth from Asia, the columbian mammoth from North America, and Paleoloxodon recki from Africa. The largest known land mammal ever might have been Palaeoloxodon namadicus, which could have reached a height of 5.2 meters and a weight of about 22 tonnes, though this size is still being studied.

Another big ancient mammal, Deinotherium "thraceiensis", stood 4.01 meters tall and weighed 13.2 tonnes, making it one of the largest in its family, Deinotheriidae.

Rodents (Rodentia)

The capybara is the largest living rodent. It lives in South America near water and can grow up to 1.5 meters long and weigh as much as 105 kilograms. Another large rodent is the North American beaver, which can weigh up to 50 kilograms in some cases.

Other large rodents include the hoary marmot, which can weigh up to 13.5 kilograms, and the Cape porcupine, weighing between 10 and 30 kilograms. There are also much larger extinct rodents, like Josephoartigasia monesi, which scientists believe was about 3 meters long and weighed between 1.5 and 2.5 tonnes.

Treeshrews (Scandentia)

The largest type of treeshrew is the common treeshrew. It can weigh up to 187 grams, which is about 6.6 ounces, and grow to be 40 centimeters long, or roughly 16 inches.

Dugongs and manatees (Sirenia)

The largest living species in the order Sirenia are the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), especially those found in Florida. The biggest recorded West Indian manatee weighed 1,655 kg (3,649 lb) and measured 4.6 m (15 ft) long.

There was also an extinct species called the Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), which was even larger. This animal, part of the dugong family, could grow up to at least 7.9 m (26 ft) long and weigh up to 11 tonnes.

Shrews and moles (Soricomorpha)

The largest animal in this group is the Hispaniolan solenodon, which can weigh up to 1 kg and measure about 32 cm long. Another big member is the Asian house shrew, usually one of the smallest mammals but can reach up to 16 cm in length and weigh about 100 g. The largest mole is the Russian desman, which lives in water and can grow up to 43 cm long and weigh around 520 g.

Aardvark (Tubulidentata)

The only species in this group is the aardvark (Orycteropus afer), found in sub-Saharan Africa. Aardvarks can be up to about 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) long and weigh up to 65 kilograms (143 pounds), with a shoulder height of up to 0.65 meters (2.1 feet). But some have been found to be as long as 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) and as heavy as 100 kilograms (220 pounds).

Other mammals

• An ancient relative of ungulates, Andrewsarchus, may have been the largest meat-eating land mammal ever, even though almost all living species eat plants. We only know about it from a skull found in Mongolia that is about twice the size of a modern brown bear skull. Scientists think this animal might have been as tall as 2 meters (6.6 feet) at the shoulder and as long as 4.5 meters (15 feet). Its weight might have been between 454 to 1,816 kilograms (1,000 to 4,000 pounds).
• The largest member of the extinct group Cimolesta was probably Coryphodon. It was about 1 meter (3.3 feet) tall at the shoulder and 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) long, and may have weighed up to 700 kilograms (1,500 pounds).
• The largest member of the extinct group Dinocerata (also called Uintatheres) was Eobasileus. It was about 4 meters (13 feet) long and stood 2.1 meters (6.9 feet) tall at the shoulder, with a weight up to 4,000 kilograms (8,818 pounds).
• The largest "creodont" was either Megistotherium or Sarkastodon. Both were thought to weigh around 800 kilograms (1,800 pounds), but newer studies suggest they were closer to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds). They were among the largest meat-eating mammals ever.
• The largest member of the extinct Notoungulata and the group Meridiungulata was Toxodon. It was about 2.7 meters (8 feet 10 inches) long and might have weighed up to 1,415 kilograms (3,120 pounds).
• Taeniolabis taoensis is the largest mammal that was not a therian known, with a weight possibly over 100 kilograms.
• Patagomaia chainko is the largest Mesozoic mammal known. Scientists estimate it weighed between 2.6 and 26 kilograms (5.7 and 57.3 pounds), with an average of about 14 kilograms (31 pounds).