Toughness means the capability to survive harsh conditions and can withstand difficult situations. It is not necessary that animals get food and shelter every time everywhere. Here is a list of the 10 toughest animals in the world,
Toughest Animals in the World
1. Giraffe
Giraffes are found in the dry savannah of Africa where they can freely roam on plains and woodlands. They can be easily identified with their long necks and so are the tallest living known forest animals. They can grow about 5.5 meters tall and helps to keep an eye on predators.
Giraffes are herbivores and nourish on leaves, buds, and trees. Giraffes prefer living in groups called towers having about 15 members each. They can run at a speed of 35 miles per hour. This social and beautiful animal has a life expectancy of 25 to 40 years. Giraffes’ kick is so powerful that they can kick anyone far away.
2. Mountain Goat
Mountain Goat is about 47 to 70 inches long and weighs about 99 to 309 lb with a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years. It has wooly white double coats of skin and the outer layer is covered with long hair. It is found in the mountains of the Western region of America. It can be recognized by its pointed horns having yearly growth rings. It moves at a speed of 10 to 15 mph and usually nourishes grass, herbs, shrubs, leaves, and other vegetation. It is very aggressive and uses its sharp horns in its defense.
Image source: Cloudtail the Snow Leopard
3. Snow Loris
Snow Loris is about 20 to 23 cm long and weighs 420 grams with a life expectancy of around 20 years. It is reddish-brown and is one of the species of lemur. It lives in evergreen and tropical rainforests east of the Mekong River. It is a very small animal having large eyes on a small head. It nourishes fruits, leaves, branches, and plants. It is a quite poisonous animal and has the capability to kill humans. It is considered endangered by IUCN because of habitat loss and destruction.
Image Source: Wikimedia
4. Dung Beetle
Dung Beetle is around 0.2 to 1 inch long and weighs about 99 grams. It is found worldwide in deserts, grasslands, and forests except in Antarctica. It is having a life expectancy of about 3 years. It is divided into 3 groups namely rollers, tunnelers, and dwellers. It feeds on the dung of bigger animals and as soon as the dung falls, they eat it away. They are enormously strong and can carry more than 1100 times their body weight.
5. Tardigrade
Tardigrade is also known as a water bear or Moss piglet and is about 0.5 mm long having 8 legs. It has the capacity to survive in both extremely high and extremely low temperatures. It nourishes bacteria, plants, and other Tardigrades. Tardigrade is thought to be almost immortal as they can survive for decades without food and water.
It curls itself up and enters into a death-like state. It is the first known animal to be found in outer space. It is a quite small animal and can be found anywhere on Himalayan peaks, in rainforests, and in the bottom of lakes and oceans. All these features make it one of the toughest animals on the earth.
Image source: Rebekah Smith
6. Honey Badger
Honey Badger is about 56 to 96 inches long and weighs about 6 to 13 Kg having a life expectancy of 7 to 8 years. it is found in burrows, holes, tree roots, and rocks all over Asia and Africa. It appears like an overgrown skunk. Its distinguishing feature is its long and strong claws which it adapts for digging. Honey Badger can eat each and everything which includes birds, fruits, reptiles, rodents, roots, plants, eggs, and even larvae of bees. This animal is so tough that it can survive snake venom and a bee sting due to its thick coat.
Image Source: Wikipedia
7. African Buffalo
African Buffalo is about 100 to 170 cm long and weighs 300 to 1000 Kg with a life expectancy of 20 to 23 years. It is almost black and found in savannahs and grasslands of Central East and West Africa. It is considered one of the most aggressive and dangerous animals in Africa and kills around 200 people every year. It uses its massive horns to attack its prey. It is a herbivore and nourishes completely on grass, plants, leaves, and other vegetation. It is commonly known as Black Death and is one of the toughest animals found on earth.
Image Source: Wikipedia
8. Jaguar
Jaguar is a wild cat species that is about 60 to 72 inches long and weighs 45 to 113 Kg. it is yellow and tanned with black spots found in wetlands and tropical rainforests of South America. It has a long muscular body completely covered with a fur coat. Jaguars can cover the speed as high as 103 Km per hour. It is the carnivore’s animal feeding on deer, monkeys, tortoises, fishes, birds, and other small animals. Jaguar is one of the toughest animals in the world as its powerful bite can break thick body coats of animals and can even break skulls.
9. Black Mamba
Black Mamba is about 200 to 300 cm long weighing around 1.6 Kg. it is olive, yellowish-brown having scales. It is found in lowland forests and rocky outcrops of sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of the deadliest snakes in the world and an extremely venomous snake that is a complete carnivore feeding on birds, chicks, rodents, bats, and other small land animals. It is one of the deadliest snakes that kill its victim by ejecting venom in it. In no time, the prey gets paralyzed and ultimately killed.
10. Gorilla
Gorilla is about 4 to 6 feet tall weighing 300 to 485 pounds with a life expectancy of 30 to 60 years. It is black silver found in mountain rain forests of sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest living primate and is critically endangered. It prefers t live in groups of 35 to 40 members called harems. It is having thick chest, muscular arms, and large nostrils. It is a herbivore animal feeding on bamboo, leaves, roots, plants, shrubs, and flowers.
These are the 10 toughest animals in the world. Kindly share and do post your comments.
