Our beautiful world is full of beautiful animals both on land and sea. Most of us haven’t seen even just 4% of animal species in the world. In this post, we will see some animals in land that you must know if you didn’t. They are some of the worlds best animals living on land.
Traditionally referring to creatures and species that can’t be domesticated, wildlife incorporates a vast number of species. Over time, more and more study has been carried out in order to understand the wildlife around us better. Posted below is some knowledge about the top 15 wild animals in the world.
Nobody can really deny that the world is full of magnificent animals. It may be the ferociousness of the tiger or the beauty of a deer, in one or another, animals are completely amazing. There are millions of distinct species of animals in the world, and while narrowing it down to the top 15 is exceptionally challenging. However, based on the apparent facts and the nature of the animals, I have listed down the top 20 best land animals.
BEST LAND ANIMALS
1. TIGER
Being the biggest wild cats to ever walk the earth and one of the strongest animals in the world, the tigers are in a league of their own. Tigers are solitary hunters and fancy to stay alone. There are five distinct subspecies of tiger, particularly: Bengal, Siberian, South China, Sumatran, and Indochinese. These powerful beasts are the largest cats in the world, one of the most dangerous predators and the most skillful as well. No wonder it tops our list here, right?
Belonging to the animal species-genus Panthera, tigers are a division of the family Felidae. They make the largest of all amongst the animals in its class. It is an apex predator that normally preys on ungulates such as deer and bovids. The animal is territorial and isolated in nature but is additionally very much a social kind of predator. It inhabits in extensive contiguous areas as it sustains both its predatory lifestyle as well as works as a good place for rearing its little cubs. The most recognizable characteristic of a tiger is its fur coat which has dark vertical lines on a reddish-orange type of background with a thinner underside to it. Besides the lions, tigers are similarly one of the most fearsome among all wild animals.
2. LION
Lions have our second spot on this list. Though frequently called as the ‘king of the jungle,’ they are really not found in jungles, and they also prefer a vast stretch of brown grasslands and long plains. Its powerful roar can be heard even if you are 6 miles away! Not only that, the lions can run up to 82kmph for a given extent of land and can further leap as far as 35 to 40 feet.
3. POLAR BEAR
Found in the iced wilds of the Arctic region, Canada, Greenland, Russia and Norway, the polar bears are the largest and longest varieties of the bear. They are completely brutal, and furthermore, they do not even have that numerous natural predators. The Adult polar bears can stand about 6 ft tall and can weigh up to a total of 700 kg! But undeterred by its massive size, polar bears can float and swim for about 100 km at a constant speed of almost 10 km/h. Oh, and when these creatures aren’t on their usual hunt, they rest for around 20 hours a day.
The animal varieties are omnivores; that is, it can consume both plants and animals. They don’t like hibernating like other bears and are active throughout the entire year. It additionally takes good care of their cleanliness and spends about 15-20 minutes in grooming themselves following a good meal. The mating season of the polar bears is around April and May where the females give birth to about 1-3 cubs in November or December months, and the mother takes care of the little cub in a special “maternity dens” for about three months.
4. MANED WOLF
Maned wolves are usually found in central South America region, mostly in the grasslands of the south and the southeastern Brazil regions. Before you get confused here, maned wolves are not the regular wolves… nor are they foxes. In fact, these wolves have more likeness to dogs. They are solitary hunters just like tigers, and you would be astonished to know that half their diet consists of green plants. Yes, apart from hunting little rabbits and armadillos, their menu is also based on consuming fruits, plant roots, and bulbs. So, they play the function of an important omnivore in nature.
5. LYNX
Lynx is one of the most fashionable animals that could ever possibly walk the Earth. They have a beautiful, thick fur covering them and the color of the fur variations with respect to the current season. They have a distinctive vision and a keen touch of smell, and they can easily sense their prey from about 250 feet away. There are 4 different species of Lynx. The Eurasian Lynx species is the most diverse and the most widespread of them all. They are most often located in Canada, North America region and some parts of Northern Mexico.
The size of the lynx depends on its species, and the Eurasian lynx is more extensive than American species, nevertheless, on an average, it can grow to about 32 to 40 inches in length and up to 4 to 8 inches in weight. The species are carnivores where they will favor hunting small mammals such as mice, snowshoe hare, and squirrels, and birds but the larger species of lynx more often hunt bigger animals such as a deer.
6. Ostrich
Ostrich is a species of a large flightless bird which is native to certain large regions of Africa. It is one of two living species of ostriches, the only living cousins of the genus Struthio in the ratite order of birds. The other living species is the Somali ostrich.
The natural ostrich’s diet consists largely of plant matter, though it further eats invertebrates. It stays in nomadic groups of about 5 to 50 birds. When threatened, the ostrich bird will either hide itself by lying low against the ground or even run away. If cornered, it can strike with a kick of its powerful legs. Mating patterns vary by geographical region, but the territorial males usually fight for a harem of two to seven females.
7. DOG
It would be silly to not include man’s best companion in our top ten list. These delightful animals can be taught and can be your best partner. There have been instances where dogs have actually saved human lives on more than one scenario. Every dog requires a daily walk, and this will help make you fit, healthy, and more active. They make the most suitable companion for your kids as well. Moreover, if that is not enough for them, it is scientifically proven that dogs can easily recognize when you are really sad or in agony and will assist you to ease your pain and in cheering you up.
8. Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate animal, the tallest living terrestrial animal on earth and the largest ruminant ever known. It is traditionally regarded to be one species, Giraffa camelopardalis, with a total of nine subspecies.
The giraffe’s main distinguishing characteristics are its remarkably long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its characteristic coat patterns. It is categorized under the animal family Giraffidae, along with its nearest extant relative, the okapi. Its widespread range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa plains in the south, and also from Niger in the west to Somalia plains in the east.
9. CHEETAH
As we all know, the Cheetah is the fastest animal in the world. They can reach a top speed of about 120 km/h and can reach from 0 to 60 miles an hour in only under three seconds! Cheetahs were widespread all over the African and Asian regions, but now they are endemic essentially to the open grasslands of Sub-Saharan desert. The cheetah does not have numerous predators but due to fast loss of their natural habitat, competition for resources by humans and illegal hunting there has been a fast decrease in their number, and at the moment, about 12,000 live in Africa.
10. PENGUIN
While they are known to be ‘flightless birds,’ they spend all of their time on dry land, and therefore they are considered for our top ten list of land animals. There are 17 distinct species of penguins, and all are completely endemic to the Southern region. Interestingly, the penguins in Antarctica have zero natural predators. The popular emperor penguin is the tallest of all the penguin varieties, and they can also stay for up to 20 continuous minutes underwater at a time!
11. ELEPHANT
The elephant is the largest existing land animals today. They are mammals of the animal family Elephantidae. Three species are currently identified: the African forest elephant, the African bush elephant, and the Asian elephant.
The family of Elephantidae further contains numerous now-extinct groups, including the former mammoths and the straight-tusked elephants. The African elephants have bigger ears and concave backs, whereas the Asian elephants have smaller ears, and are convex or level backs.
12. LIGER
One of the largest cats in the world, Liger is a crossbreed between a female tiger and a male lion. The liger has a rapid growth pace and grows 1 kg every other day when fed well. Ligers are excellent swimmers, unlike lions, and they can also run faster than lions, so it appears like an upgrade! However, being a hybrid variety, they are more inclined to various diseases and hence have a relatively shorter lifespan. It is one of the best land animals in the world that we know of.
13. DEER
Deer is the only land animal in the world that shed their antlers each year. They are a symbol of beauty. Deers similarly have a way better-listening ability than us humans, and they can sense even the rupture of a single straw several meters away. They are very friendly animals and travel in groups known as herds.
14. BUFFALO
The African buffalo species is not an ancestor of the domestic cattle and is only distantly linked to other larger bovines. Its inconstant temperament means that the African buffalo wildlife has never been domesticated, unlike its Asian buffalo counterpart, the water buffalo which is even used for farming. African Cape buffaloes species have few predators apart from lions and the large crocodiles. As a member of the big five wildlife, the Cape buffalo is a sought-after trophy in hunting sprees.
15. BROWN BEAR
The brown bear (Scientific name Ursus arctos) is a bear that is discovered across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It is one of the largest living land terrestrial members of the order Carnivora, competed in size only by its nearest relative, the polar bear we discussed above, which is much less variable in size and somewhat larger on average.
The brown bear’s principal graze range includes some parts of Russia, the United States, Central Asia, China, Canada, Scandinavia region and the Carpathian area, particularly Romania, Anatolia, and the Caucasus. The brown bear is appreciated as a national and state animal in several European countries.
16. Goliath Beetle
Hiding in the undergrowth of the vast African tropical forests, the Goliath Beetles take the top place as the heaviest insect in the world! Adults weigh up to 3.5 ounces (that is 100 g), grow to a length of about 4.5 inches (that is 11.5 cm) and are brown/black/white in colour.
17. CHINESE SALAMANDER
The Chinese Giant Salamander species is the biggest living amphibian today, weighing for up to 140 lbs (that is 64 kg) and growing to a long length of 6 ft ( that is1.8 m) long. Having transformed little from their ancestors, they are identified as living fossils, but despite their interesting nature, they are endangered and very rare in the wild.
18. Rhinoceros
A rhinoceros meaning the ‘nose-horned,’ from rhis, indicating ‘nose,’ and Keras, meaning a ‘horn’), generally abbreviated to rhino, is one of the five extant species of the odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae, as well as one of the various extinct species therein. Two of the extant varieties are native to Africa and three to the Southern Asia region.
Also Read: Top 20 Cutest Animals In The World
Rhinoceros are sometimes killed by some human poachers for their horns, which are purchased and sold on the black market in some countries, and used by some cultures for expensive ornaments or traditional medication. East Asia, particularly Vietnam, is the biggest market for rhino horns. By weight, the rhino horns cost as much as gold on the black market.
19. COW
This is a domestic animal and is bred in most parts of the world including the United States. They are mainly kept for milk and meat. In some countries like India, cows are treated as special animals and they flock the streets without being disturbed.
20. CAMEL
A camel is an even-toed ungulate animal in the genus Camelus that has distinctive fatty deposits called “humps” on its back. Camels have for long been tamed and, as livestock, they give food (that is milk and meat) and textiles (the fiber and felt from hair). As working animals, camels—which are uniquely adapted to their desert environments—are an important means of transport for travelers and cargo. There are three surviving varieties of the camel. The one-humped dromedary species make up 94% of the world’s camel population, and then the two-humped Bactrian camel species make up the rest. The Wild Bactrian camel species is a separate camel species and is now critically endangered animal.
Is there any other Best Land Animals that you want us to highlight? Let us know and we will be glad to do so. Remember, always be kind to animals and also be careful while around wild animals.
