Reddit | throughmethroughyou

16+ Surprising Animals Who Astounded Us With Their Unusual Size

Updated September 1, 2021

Whether the old adage of "bigger is better" holds true kind of depends on what we're talking about, but it's certainly true that bigger is more fascinating.

For instance, there are probably some benefits and drawbacks to having a particularly large animal as a pet. On one hand, there's definitely more of them to love, but there's probably also a lot more of their poop to clean up.

But whether the people who encountered these creatures saw them as big, cuddly friends, or enemies that only got creepier with size, they would likely all admit to being at least a little impressed with their size.

Deer can grow up to be fairly large, but I don't think we're used to seeing them this big.

Reddit | EastBoundAndDwn

It's hard to tell whether the one on the right is smaller than usual, though. Or maybe I'm just suspicious that the deer on the left is eating both of their lunches.

It looks like this was taken in a vet's office, and they probably had their hands full.

Reddit | Abundantly-Brilliant

This big boy seems friendly enough, but I imagine figuring out the right dosages for it would be a little challenging.

This probably won't come as comforting information, but this is how big a fly can really get.

Reddit | glassocket

Specifically, we're looking at a Mydas fly and it's actually found in some of the warmer parts of the eastern United States.

So yeah, it's closer to home than you might have hoped. Sorry.

This is a hyacinth macaw, which is one of the world's largest species of parrots.

Reddit | DrHexagon_

If you find a larger one, it's not likely to be able to fly. As you can see here, the bird's size doesn't make it any less cuddly, but it's also known to play a little rough.

It would be pretty hard not to notice the oceanic manta ray and its 29-foot wingspan during a deep dive.

Reddit | lalbrigh4

Not to worry, though. If you don't bother this big ol' pancake, it's not likely to bother you.

It's hard to even recognize, but this animal is actually a rat.

Reddit | getrektlolkek

Specifically, it's a Bosavi woolly rat and we didn't even know they existed until one was discovered near a volcano in Papua New Guinea back in 2009.

Here we can see a weta, which is likely the largest insect in the world.

Reddit | Jhenning04

And if you don't like it, I'm sorry to say that this picture of it chowing down on a carrot probably shows it in the cutest light possible.

It's hard to even imagine a snail getting this big, but this proves that it's definitely possible.

Reddit | Import

This is a giant West African snail and it's hard to imagine how much slime this big fella leaves trailing behind it.

I suppose this plaque makes the unusual size of this halibut official.

Reddit | demonic_plague

I also can't believe that one had to be this big before I noticed that both of its eyes are on the same side of its head.

And what better way to catch a record-breaking fish than with a staggeringly massive worm.

Reddit | Rubyink

Unfortunately, I suppose that record-breaking fish would have to be somewhere in the Amazon region because that's the only place you're likely to find this monster.

Considering how big manatees already are, how can we even tell when one is larger than usual.

Reddit | [deleted]

Well, finding one with a face that's about as big as this entire man ought to do it. That is, unless he's farther away than he seems here.

I can only imagine how frightening it would be for one of these to suddenly land on you.

Reddit | _popBonsai

It's especially eerie when you consider that if this thing landed on your hand, it would probably be large enough to cover most of it.

Here we see some coconut crabs alongside a dog who helpfully turned up to give us a sense of their scale.

Reddit | Iangator

That dog is also a lot more comfortable about these things scurrying around than a lot of humans would probably be.

Penguins vary in size, but this one seems like a particularly big fella with even that in mind.

Reddit | nick_1976

I'm no penguin expert, but I'd be pretty surprised if this one starved over the winter. I'd be less surprised if something caught up with it, though.

Once many people see this, they declare it the largest caterpillar they've ever seen.

Reddit | 5Head4

In reality, however, it's a tomato hornworm. And it's called that because any tomato plant it comes across is probably not going to last very long.

If a Galapagos Tortoise takes your parking space, there isn't much you can do about it.

Reddit | Lowcrbnaman

Riding on the back of one of these is a bad idea for a lot of reasons, but the fact remains that it's large enough for us to fit.

It's hard to get a sense of how big this dog is without knowing the size of the man next to it.

Reddit | BoerboelDad

Fortunately, he was nice enough to inform us that he's 6'2'' and 230 pounds and that the dog weighs in at 180 pounds.

It seems to all muscle, too.

This dog obviously isn't as large as the last one, but it's still big enough to make this rabbit seem mind-boggling.

Reddit | throughmethroughyou

This is astronomically huge as most rabbits go, but it's probably a fairly normal size among other Flemish giant rabbits.

Yeah, they apparently have some big rabbits in Belgium.

If you're uncomfortable around moths, this one will probably seem particularly startling.

Reddit | brokenbonessociety

This is known as an Attacus Atlas and if it could talk, it could confidently claim to be the largest kind of moth in the world.

Big Jake of Ostego, Michigan is officially the world's largest horse.

Reddit | Import

At the very least, he's the tallest as his 82.75-inch height actually earned him a Guinness World Record.

It's unlikely that any other horse would be likely to compete with Jake's 2,600-pound frame, though.

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