Top 5 Largest Whales

                TOP 5 LARGEST WHALES

5Bowhead Whale (59 feet / 18 meters)

flickr/Day Donaldson

The bowhead whale is an unusual species for a number of reasons, including the fact that it doesn’t have a dorsal fin and it has the largest mouth of any whale. Bowhead whales reside in the cold waters of the Arctic and Subarctic, and they can grow to a mammoth 59 feet (18 metes) in length. Their weight, however, is even more impressive, with some males weighing in at nearly 100 tons.

4Right Whale (60 feet / 18.3 meters)

flickr/Oregon State University

The right whale is actually a collection of three very similar whale species: The North Atlantic right whale, the Southern right whale and the North Pacific right whale. Each of these whales is characterized by their round bodies, blowholes in the shape of a V and very dark skin. They got their name because they were specifically pointed out by whalers as the “right” whale to harvest plenty of meat and blubber. An average right whale can grow to 60 feet (18 meters) in length and weigh up to, or even slightly over, 100 tons.

3Sperm Whale (67 feet / 20.5 meters)

flickr/lakpura

The largest of the toothed whales is the sperm whale, one of the few whale species that can live in a range of environments and is therefore found in oceans across the world. Females travel and live in groups, while male sperm whales are solitary animals except for mating. Sperm whales grow to an average of 67 feet (20.5 meters) in length, with the males weighing up to 56 tons. However, it should be noted that whaling may have reduced the overall size of these whales, as the largest were targeted by whale hunters in decades past.

2Fin Whale (90 feet / 27.5 meters)

wikipedia/Aqqa Rosing-Asvid

Also known as the razorback whale or the common rorqual, the fin whale is the second-largest whale species in the world. The fin whale tends to be long and slender, with a dark brown body and a white underside. The fin whale can live anywhere from the Arctic to the Pacific, although it tends to mate in temperate waters. Fin whales are able to dive up to 1,500 feet below sea level with a single breath. These whales can grow to become nearly 90 feet (27.5 meters) long, although their slimmer shape means they weigh a maximum of 72 tons.

1Blue Whale (98 feet / 30 meters)

flickr/noaaphotolib

The blue whale is not just the largest whale species, it is also the largest known animal in the world. Blue whales can grow to be 98 feet (30 meters) in length, but they have been known to weigh upwards of 173 tons. Like the name suggests, blue whales are a dark blue color with a paler underside. Commercial whaling brought down the number of blue whales drastically, but today these animals live in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and in parts of the Southern Hemisphere.

Top 5 Biggest Sharks

                       TOP 5 BIGGEST SHARKS

5.Great Hammerhead Shark - 20 Feet

Possibly one of the most known sharks around, the Great hammerhead sharks obtains its name from the flat, T-shaped snout that makes it stand out. Its eyes are wide-set to enhance its visual range. In addition, its head is covered by ampullae of lorenzini to improve its preying ability.

The great hammerhead shark can grow up to 5.5 meters long and weigh 450 kilograms. Its coloration can range from grey-brown to green on the dorsal fins, and cream-white on its ventral sides. Its teeth are jagged and triangular. The Great Hammerhead Shark is carnivorous, feeding on crabs, squids, other sharks, herrings, sardines, jacks, guitar fish, sting rays and eagle rays. They hunt twice a day around dawn and dusk.

Great Hammerhead Sharks can be spotted near the shoreline as well as in the deep seas. They prefer tropical or temperate seas but can also survive in sandy plains, estuaries, coral and rocky reefs, open ocean, polar seas as well as in intertidal waters. They have also been spotted in fresh waters. 

4. Tiger Shark - 24.3 Feet

Also known as sea tiger, the tiger shark is the only living species of the genus Galeocerdo. Its complete scientific name is Galeocerdo cuvier. One of the largest sharks in the world, an adult tiger shark can measure up to 7.5 meters long and weigh over 600 kilograms. Tiger shark obtains its name from the bands of dark stripes on it skin that are similar to those of a tiger. However, these bands fade with age. Its fusiform body has blunt nose at the tip of a narrow snout. The tail’s upper lobe is larger than the lower lobe. Its mandible has serrated teeth that are crucial for breaking hard shells.

The tigers shark inhabits tropical and subtropical oceans, mostly in latitudes between 45 degrees north and 32 degrees south. It is fond of the waters of North Americas east coast all the way to the coast of Brazil as well as the Gulf Coast.

The tiger shark is carnivorous, feeding mainly on mollusks, other fish, sea turtles, crustaceans, seabirds as well as dugong. It also scavenges on dead whales. Thanks to their enormous appetite, tiger sharks eat pretty much everything on their path.

3. Great White Shark - 26. 2 Feet

The legendary great white as it is commonly known is one of the fiercest ocean predators. A member of the Chondrichthyes class, the great white shark has earned its reputation as a “man-eater.” Its robust and fusiform body can measure up to 7 meters in length and weigh 3,500 kilograms in adulthood. Scientifically known as Carcharodon carcharias, the great white has a pointed narrow snout, two pectoral fins, a crescent-shaped caudal fin and a triangular dorsal fin. Its mouth can open up to 1.2 meters wide and has several rows of sharp, serrated teeth.

The great white has a very extended habitat area, ranging from latitudes 60 degrees north to 60 degrees south. It inhabits both temperate as well as tropical coastal waters. It commonly dwells in the coast of North America, from Newfoundland to southern Mexico. It also inhabits the waters of South Africa.

The great white is a carnivorous shark, largely feeding on smaller marine animals such as rays, squids and other fish. Adult sharks also feed on seals, other sharks, dolphins, sea lions as well as whale carcasses. Males attain sexual maturity at nine years while females become sexually mature between 13 and 15 years.

2. Basking Shark - 40.4 Feet

The second largest shark in the world, the basking shark, belongs the order Lamniformes. Like the whale shark, the basking shark is also a planktivorous shark. Scientifically referred to as Cetorhinus maximus, the most noticeable feature of this shark is its mouth which can open up to be one meter wide. Its conical body is covered by a mucus layer with a brown or grey skin on the back and a white belly. Its pectoral and dorsal fins are quite large as they can stretch up to two meters wide. The shark’s squalene rich liver is about one-quarter of its body weight and is crucial in helping the shark to float. An adult basking shark can weigh up to 6,000 kilograms and measure 8.8 meters.

While the basking shark inhabits all the oceans of world, it is predominant in the temperate sub-polar waters and the continental shelf. Its habitat is largely influenced by availability of food. During summer, it migrates to coastal areas to feed on copepods. However, as soon as winter sets in, it moves back to cold temperate waters.

1. Whale Shark - 41.5 Feet

Growing up to 20 meters long and weighing 12,500 kilograms, the whale shark is without a doubt the largest shark in the world. Its fusiform body is broad in the mid-section and narrows in the head and tail. The head is wide and flat with tiny eyes on the front. The mouth is located at the tip of the snout. With 300-350 rows of teeth and ten pairs of pads for filtering food, whale shark’s mouth can open about 1.5 meters. Like most pelagic sharks, whale shark has one pair of pectoral fins, one pair of dorsal fins and a caudal fin. It has a blue-grey colored back and a white belly.

Whale shark’s extensive distribution covers all the tropical and temperate seas of the world, except for the Mediterranean Sea. They dominate waters in the latitudes between 35 degrees south and 30 degrees north in countries such as Australia, South Africa, Ecuador, Mexico, the Philippines and Belize.

Reaching sexual maturity at around 25 years, whale sharks mainly feed on plankton, although they occasionally prey on small creatures like jellyfishes, krill, squids, anchovies, crabs and sardines. They mainly feed by suction and filtration.

Top 5 Dangerous Sharks

                Top 5 Dangerous Sharks

5. Shortfin Mako

This shark has been recorded at up to 46 mph and some scientists suggest he can go much faster. With this speed, the mako shark can make incredible leaps out of the water. One problem is that this often lands him in the middle of a fishing boat and he has been known to inflict severe injuries out of the water.

This lean eating machine has 10 unprovoked attacks on record, with 3 fatalities.

4. Oceanic Whitetip

The Oceanic Whitetip is a capable killer with powerful jaws, bold nature, and often large size – the biggest specimen recorded was 13 feet. He is known to engage in feeding frenzy behavior and his attitude is to take whatever is available.

He has 10 attacks on record with a number of fatalities.

3. Tiger Shark

The striped tiger shark is aggressive and has attacked humans a recorded 111 times. He’s also completely indiscriminate when it comes to food, even eating garbage.

The Tiger is the fourth largest of all sharks with specimens reaching well over 16ft and weighing over a ton.

He is, without a doubt, the most dangerous shark in the tropics and accounts for the majority of attacks in Australia and Hawaii.

2. Bull Shark

The aggressive Bull Shark is responsible for over 100 attacks on humans. His willingness to eat anything and unique ability to enter fresh water systems don’t help his bad reputation.

This highly territorial, aggressive shark will attack other species that it feels threaten his territory and that includes humans. It is reported that 1/3 of Bull Shark attacks end with a fatality.

1. Great White Shark

Number one on any list of sharks, well perhaps not on the 10 nicest sharks, the Great White Shark is, without a doubt, the most dangerous of all sharks and the statistics back this up. The Great White actually has no interest in eating humans and it seems most attacks are mistaken identity or the shark just being inquisitive. However, a three-ton shark giving an inquisitive nibble can involve the loss of an arm or a leg or a life.

Top 5 Dangerous Spiders

                    Top 5 Dangerous Spiders
More than 43,000 different species of spiders are found in the world. Of these, only a small number are said to be dangerous, and less than 30 (less than one-tenth of one percent) have been responsible for human deaths.

5.Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus mactans)

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Patrick O'Neill Riley

The black widow is responsible for more than 2,500 visits to poison control centers every year in the U.S. It is one species that can be found from the United States and parts of Canada through Latin America and the West Indies. The most common member of Latrodectus in North America, it makes its home in a variety of settings, such as woodpiles, burrows, or among plants that serve as supports for its web.
The female is shiny black and usually has a reddish to yellow hourglass design on the underside of the spherical abdomen. Sometimes two small triangles, instead of a complete hourglass, are present. The body is about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long. The male, seldom seen because it is often killed and eaten by the female after mating (hence the spider’s name), is about one-fourth the size of the female. In addition to the hourglass design, the male often has pairs of red and white stripes on the sides of the abdomen.
Its bite, which may feel like a pinprick on the skin, often produces severe muscle pain and cramping, nausea, and mild paralysis of the diaphragm, which makes breathing difficult. Most victims recover without serious complications. Although the bite is thought to be fatal to very small children and the elderly, no deaths have been attributed to bites by widow spiders in the United States.

• 4.Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus)

  

  Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

  The brown widow is thought to have evolved in Africa, but the first specimen described came from South America. It is classified as an invasive species elsewhere around the world. Brown widow populations have appeared in southern California, the Caribbean, the U.S. states of the Gulf Coast, as well as in Japan, South Africa and Madagascar, Australia, and Cyprus. The species makes its home in buildings, inside old tires, and under automobiles, as well as among shrubs and other vegetation.
  The spider has a brownish appearance that ranges from tan to almost black. The abdomens of some specimens have ornate dark-brown, black, white, yellow, or orange markings. Unlike other members of the genus, the hourglass marking on the underside of the brown widow is orange.
  Brown widow venom is considered to be twice as powerful as that of the black widow; however, the species is not aggressive and only injects a tiny amount of venom when it bites. Still, brown widow bites were associated with the deaths of two people in Madagascar in the early 1990s. (These victims they were in poor health and they were not treated with antivenin.)

• 3..Red Widow Spider (Latrodectus bishopi)

  

  Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

  The third widow spider on this list is the red widow, or red-legged widow. The spider’s appearance is distinguished from other widow spiders by its reddish cephalothorax and legs and its reddish-brown to black colored abdomen. Many red widows have a red mark on the underside of the abdomen, which may be either hourglass-shaped, triangle-shaped, or indistinct. The top of the abdomen is spotted red or orange, with each spot surrounded by a yellow or white outline. The legspan of an adult female is 1.5-2 inches, whereas the male is only about one-third of that size.
  Currently, red widow spiders inhabit palmetto-dominated scrublands in central and southern Florida; however, some experts believe that this range may be expanding. The spider feeds on insects, and it is not considered to be aggressive toward people. However, it has been known to bite when it is protecting its eggs or when it is trapped against a person’s skin by clothes or footwear. The bite of the red widow is similar to that of the black widow, and identical symptoms (pain, cramping, nausea, etc.) typically result. Likewise, death from a red widow bite is rare, since the spider injects such a small amount of venom. Very young children, the elderly, and people with health problems are most vulnerable to red widow spider bites.

• 2.Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti)

  

  Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

  The redback is another cousin of the black widow L. mactans; however, this species is not as widespread. It is native to Australia, but it has spread to New Zealand, Belgium, and Japan through grape exports. (The spider often builds nests and webs on grape leaves and inside bunches.) The species is widespread throughout Australia, living in all of the continent’s varied environments, except for its hottest deserts and frigid mountaintops. The species is also found in urban areas, frequently making nests in human dwellings. The redback is identified by its prominent red stripe or hourglass-shaped mark on its black-colored back. This mark is more noticeable on female redbacks than on males.
  Redback spiders are not aggressive and are more likely to play dead when disturbed, but a female spider defending her eggs is very likely to bite. Bites also occur when the spider climbs into shoes or clothing and becomes trapped against the victim’s skin when he or she is dressing. Both male and female redbacks are venomous, but most envenomations primarily result from female bites. Only 10-20% of all victims bitten are envenomed. The venom is a mix neurotoxins called alpha-latrotoxins, which produces pain, sweating, rapid heartbeats, and swollen lymph nodes. The spider can moderate the amount of venom it injects, and the severity of these symptoms often depend on how much venom is delivered. More than 250 redback bites are treated each year in Australia, many with antivenin. Researchers and physicians are split on the effectiveness of redback antivenin, with some studies indicating that it was not effective in treating symptoms or relieving pain. Nevertheless, the last human death attributed to redback envenomation occurred in 1956.

• 1.Funnel-web Spiders (family Dipluridae)

  

  Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

  This family of spiders in the order Araneida are named for their funnel-shaped webs, which open wide at the mouth of the tube. The spider sits in the narrow funnel waiting for prey to contact the web. When this happens, the spider rushes out and captures the insect prey at the funnel’s mouth. The most important genera are Evagrus, Brachythele, and Microhexura in North America, Trechona in South America, and the poisonous members of the Atrax genus in Australia.
  The species Atrax robustus and A. formidabilis are large, brown bulky spiders that are much feared in southern and eastern Australia because of their venomous bites. Several human deaths from the bites of these aggressive spiders have been recorded in the Sydney area since the 1920s. An antidote to the main toxin in their venom has been developed which is effective if administered to victims soon after they have been bitten.

Top 5 Dangerous Snakes

                           TOP 5 DANGEROUS SNAKES

5. Eastern Brown Snake

This type of snake is among the few which are actually aggressive. It is commonly found in Australia, and may be found in populated areas like cities, not just remote locations. If it perceives someone as a threat, it will actually chase that person out of its territory. If the snake is not confident of its safety, it may decide to bite. If it does so, it may bite many times during a single attack.

Less than half contain venom, but those that do can cause paralysis or death. Because of its proximity to population centers and its aggression, you could argue the Eastern Brown Snake is the most dangerous snake in the world.

Did You Know?
Just like all other Australian snake species, the Eastern Brown is protected by law, so killing or capturing is prohibited.

4. Inland Taipan

While it’s difficult to be as impressed by the Inland Taipan after learning about the concentration of venom in a Belcher’s Sea Snake bite, it’d be foolish to discount the Taipan just because its bite can only kill as many as 100 people! Taipans usually avoid human contact, however, and you are unlikely to ever encounter one.

Did You Know?
Inland taipan has excellent eyesight and sense of smell which are used for detection of the prey. Its diet consists of rodents, small mammals and birds.

3. Death Adder

You know that famous legend about Cleopatra using a snake to kill herself? The type of snake she supposedly used was a death adder. You can find these snakes throughout Australia, New Guinea, and other regions. A bite can result in paralysis, respiratory arrest, and death inside of only six hours. With fast treatment, a patient is unlikely to die, but without treatment, about 50% of bites are lethal. Death adders also prey on other snakes.

2. Rattlesnake

When most people think of poisonous snakes, the rattlesnake springs to mind pretty quickly. These snakes are found throughout the Americas and are actually a type of viper. Their name comes of course from the rattle which is found at the end of the tail and which creates a distinctive noise. Eastern Diamondbacks are the most poisonous of all rattlesnakes.

Thankfully, only about 4% of bites result in fatalities with prompt treatment, but untreated, any rattlesnake bite has the potential to kill. The venom can also cause permanent damage to organs and may even lead to the loss of a limb.

Did You Know?
The largest rattlesnake species is the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus), reaching up to 2.4 meters (8 feet) in length and weight 1.8 to 4.5 kilograms (4 to 10 pounds).

1. Belcher’s Sea Snake

When most people think of poisonous snakes, the rattlesnake springs to mind pretty quickly. These snakes are found throughout the Americas and are actually a type of viper. Their name comes of course from the rattle which is found at the end of the tail and which creates a distinctive noise. Eastern Diamondbacks are the most poisonous of all rattlesnakes. 

Thankfully, only about 4% of bites result in fatalities with prompt treatment, but untreated, any rattlesnake bite has the potential to kill. The venom can also cause permanent damage to organs and may even lead to the loss of a limb.

Did You Know?
Most Belcher’s Sea Snakes are actually quite harmless thanks to a docile personality and a lack of venom.