Animals come in all shapes and sizes, and some have particularly large heads. From land mammals to marine creatures, these animals have evolved to have larger heads for various reasons, such as to accommodate powerful jaws or to support sensory organs.
In this article, we will discover the top 10 animals in the world with the largest heads, ranging from the second largest land animal on Earth to the largest animal ever to have lived on Earth.
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Top 10 Animals in the World with the Largest Heads
Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni)
The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) is a deep-water species that lives in the waters surrounding Antarctica, primarily south of 40°S. It is the largest squid species in terms of mass and is considered the largest species of living squid.
The colossal squid can reach a maximum size of around 12 to 14 meters (39 to 46 feet) . It is sometimes called the Antarctic squid or giant cranch squid.
The colossal squid is a very large deep-sea predator that feeds on small and large fishes, including the Patagonian toothfish, and other squids. Its tentacles are covered with suckers that are equipped with strong, sharp hooks, used in both capturing prey and fighting off predation.
The biology of colossal squid remains poorly known, and only nine specimens above juvenile size have been reported since 1925.
Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is a megaherbivore and is exceeded in size among land animals only by elephants and some rhinoceros species.
The mean adult weight is around 1,480 kg (3,260 lb) for bulls and 1,365 kg (3,009 lb) for cows, with exceptionally large males recorded reaching 2,660 kg (5,860 lb). Male hippos appear to continue growing throughout their lives, while females reach maximum weight at around age 25.
Hippos measure 2.90 to 5.05 m (9.5 to 16.6 ft) long, including a tail of about 35 to 56 cm (1.15 to 1.84 ft) in length and 1.30 to 1.65 m (4.3 to 5.4 ft) tall at the shoulder, with males and females ranging 1.40 to 1.65 m (4.6 to 5.4 ft) and 1.30 to 1.45 m (4.3 to 4.8 ft) tall at the shoulder respectively.
The species has a typical head-body length of 3.3–3.45 m (10.8–11.3 ft) and an average standing height of 1.4 m (4.6 ft) at the shoulder. Hippos have barrel-shaped bodies with short tails and legs, and an hourglass-shaped skull with a long snout.
White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
White rhino, Ceratotherium simum, Royal Hlane national park, Swaziland, Africa
The white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is the largest extant species of rhinoceros and the second largest land mammal after the elephant.
The southern white rhinoceros, which is the most common and widespread subspecies of rhinoceros, has an immense body and large head, a short neck, and broad chest. Females weigh around 1,700 kg (3,750 lb) and males around 2,300 kg (5,070 lb).
The white rhinoceros has a wide mouth used for grazing and is the most social of all rhino species. Compared to black rhinos, white rhinos have a longer skull, a less sharply defined forehead, and a more pronounced shoulder hump. They have almost no hair and two horns, with the front horn averaging 60 cm, but occasionally reaching 150 cm in length.
The white rhinoceros is also known as the square-lipped rhinoceros due to their square (not pointed) upper lip.
Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)
The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a large marine mammal that belongs to the family Odobenidae and is the third largest pinniped species after the two elephant seals.
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Walruses have a rounded head, small eyes, and no external ears, and their muzzle is short and broad with a conspicuous mustache of stiff, quill-like whiskers called vibrissae.
The species is subdivided into two subspecies: the Atlantic walrus (O. r. rosmarus), which lives in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens), which lives in the Pacific Ocean. Depending on the subspecies and sex, a walrus can weigh up to 4400 pounds.
Walruses maintain such a high body weight because of the blubber stored underneath their skin, which keeps them warm and provides energy. As a secondary sexual characteristic, males also acquire significant nodules, called “bosses,” particularly around the neck and shoulders.
The walrus has an air sac under its throat which acts like a flotation bubble and allows it to bob vertically in the water and sleep.
African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are the largest land animals in the world today. The African bush elephant, which is the most common subspecies of African elephant, is the largest terrestrial animal, with bulls reaching a shoulder height of up to 3.96 m (13 ft) and a body mass of up to 10.4 t (11.5 short tons).
Female elephants, or “cows,” are smaller, with a shoulder height of 2.2–2.6 m (7.2–8.5 ft) and a weight of 2,160–3,232 kg (4,762–7,125 lb). Male elephants, or “bulls,” are significantly larger, ranging from 4,500 to 6,100 kg in mass and standing 3.2 to 4 m at shoulder height.
The average African elephant will grow to between 8.2 to 13 feet (2.5 to 4 m) tall, measured from shoulder to toe. African elephants have a large head, a long trunk, and two ivory tusks that can reach up to 350 cm in length.
The head of the African elephant is not as large as that of the walrus, hippopotamus, or white rhinoceros, but it is still an impressive feature of this magnificent animal.
Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)
The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the largest living reptile and has one of the largest heads of any animal. The largest skull of a saltwater crocodile that could be scientifically verified was of a specimen in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, collected in Cambodia.
Its skull was 76 cm (30 in) long and 48 cm (19 in) wide near its base, with 98.3 cm (38.7 in) long mandibles. The length of this specimen is not known, but based on skull-to-total-length ratios for very large saltwater crocodiles, its length was presumably somewhere in the 7 m (23 ft) range.
The largest confirmed saltwater crocodile on record drowned in a fishing net in Papua New Guinea, in 1979. Its dried skin plus head measured 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) in length and it was estimated to have been 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in) when accounting for shrinkage and a missing tail tip. Projected from their skull lengths, multiple specimens from Singapore were estimated to belong in life to male crocodiles measuring more than 6 m (19 ft 8 in).
A giant crocodile skull from Can Tho, named “Dau Sau”, represents the largest known saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) ever reported from Vietnam.
The largest crocodilian species alive today, this saltwater crocodile is estimated to have been 21.5 feet long and 1400 pounds based on the 32-inch skull.
Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)
Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) have large heads, with a face that is distinctly concave in appearance. They have a dish-shaped face, short round ears, and a short tail.
Grizzlies have a large muscular hump on the upper back and are stocky in build. They have massive skulls and strong jaw muscles that enable them to eat a varied diet. Grizzly bears are some of the largest subspecies of Brown Bear, only being beaten by the Kamchatka brown bears and the Kodiak bears.
Grizzly bears vary in size depending on timing and populations, with the largest populations being the coastal grizzlies in the Alaskan peninsula, with males weighing 389 kilograms (858 lb) and females.
Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have one of the largest heads of any animal. They are the largest extant bear species and the largest extant land carnivore.
The male polar bear is much larger than the female, weighing between 410 to 720 kg (900 to 1,600 pounds) and growing to about 1.6 meters (5.3 feet) tall at the shoulder and 2.2–2.5 meters in length. The female polar bear weighs between 150–290 kg (330–650 lb), but when pregnant, females can weigh as much as 500 kg (1,100 lb).
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The largest polar bear on record, reportedly weighing 1,002 kg (2,209 lb), was a male shot at Kotzebue Sound in northwestern Alaska in 1960. This specimen, when mounted, stood 3.39 m (11 ft 1 in) tall on its hindlegs.
Polar bears have a long neck, relatively small head, short, rounded ears, and a short tail. The neck is long and very thick, and the head is wider than the neck. The tail is 3-5 inches long.
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) has one of the largest heads of any animal. It is the largest animal known ever to have existed, reaching a maximum confirmed length of 29.9 meters (98 ft) and weighing up to 199 tonnes (196 long tons; 219 short tons).
The blue whale’s head is broad and U-shaped, with a small dorsal fin located near the fluke and 80–100 long grooves running lengthwise down the throat and chest. The upper jaw is lined with 70–395 black baleen plates, and the throat region has 60–88 grooves that allow the skin to expand during feeding.
The blue whale’s mouth contains up to 90 throat pleats that expand when the whale feeds, allowing it to take in huge amounts of water and food.
The blue whale’s skull is about 18 feet (5.5 m) long, which makes up less than a quarter of its body, but it is the scaffolding for the largest known animal head on the planet.
Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) have one of the largest heads of any animal. The sperm whale’s distinctive shape comes from its very large, block-shaped head, which can be one-quarter to one-third of the animal’s length.
The male’s head is typically about one third its total body length, with the largest recorded specimen being 24 meters (79 ft) long. In 1853, one sperm whale was reported at 62 feet (19 m) in length, with a head measuring 20 feet (6.1 m).
The sperm whale’s head contains the largest brain of any animal in the world, weighing as much as six times that of a human’s brain. The lower jaw is usually equipped with 36 to 50 large conical teeth, and the upper jaw holds a variable number of vestigial teeth that do not erupt.
The head constitutes one-third of the total body length and, it is estimated, greater than a third of the body weight. The skin just behind the head is often wrinkled, and the lower jaw is narrow and the portion of the jaw closest to the teeth is white.
FAQS
1. Which animal has the largest head in the world?
The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) has the largest head of any animal, making it the largest animal known to have ever existed.
2. Which animal has the largest head relative to its body size?
The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) has one of the largest heads relative to its body size, with its head accounting for about one-quarter to one-third of its total length.
3. What is the size of a blue whale’s head?
The blue whale’s head is broad and U-shaped, with a length of about 18 feet (5.5 m).
4. How big is a sperm whale’s head?
The size of a sperm whale’s head can vary, but it is typically about one-third of its total body length, with the largest recorded specimen having a head measuring 20 feet (6.1 m).
5. What is the purpose of a blue whale’s head?
The blue whale’s head is used for feeding, as it contains a large mouth lined with baleen plates that allow it to filter out tiny shrimplike animals called krill, which make up its diet.
6. What is the purpose of a sperm whale’s head?
The sperm whale’s head is primarily used for echolocation, as it contains a large spermaceti organ that helps produce the powerful clicks and whistles the whale uses to navigate and communicate.
7. How much does a blue whale’s head weigh?
The weight of a blue whale’s head is not specifically mentioned in the search results, but given its massive size, it is likely to be several tons.
8. How much does a sperm whale’s head weigh?
The weight of a sperm whale’s head is not specifically mentioned in the search results, but given its large size, it is likely to be several tons.
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Category: Animals
