There are many cold-blooded animals on Earth: cartilaginous, fish-like, bony and cartilaginous fish, tailed and tailless amphibians, turtles, crocodiles, snakes and lizards. Each class and order of vertebrates has its own champions, but there is an animal that is by far the largest among its cold-blooded counterparts.
Sizes of the cold-blooded
One of the largest individuals among cold-blooded bony fish is the moonfish, which is five and a half meters long. In 1908, a 426-foot specimen of such a fish caught was weighed and pulled 2 tons 235 kilograms. The weight of such cartilaginous fish as beluga can be up to 1,500 kilograms, while the parameters of cartilaginous marine life can reach from 5 to 34 tons with a length of 12 to 20 meters.
Among the snakes, the largest cold-blooded are the anacondas, which can weigh over 220 kilograms and grow to incredible sizes.
Komodo dragons are also among the largest cold-blooded animals - lizards, whose weight can reach 166 kilograms. However, there are turtles that weigh from 400 to 800 kilograms - for example, a land elephant turtle can weigh about 400 kilograms, and a sea leatherback turtle is 2 times heavier than an elephant. Among reptiles, crocodiles are also record holders, growing up to 7 meters in length and weighing about a ton.
The largest animal on earth - record holder
The largest and heaviest animals of the cold-blooded order today are whale sharks, which weigh 34 tons on average. Despite their origins, these sea giants are quite peaceful - scuba divers often take pictures with them and even ride them. However, it should be remembered that whale sharks have a very rough skin and an extremely powerful tail, which can kill a person or flood a boat.
Usually, the weight and length of a whale shark is 30 tons and 20 meters, however, in favorable conditions, they can grow even more.
The whale shark has no natural enemies, so it can swim freely in the seas and oceans. Previously, this species of shark was found exclusively in tropical seas, but today it can also be found in subtropical waters. Despite its enormous size, the whale shark has tiny teeth that make it a planktivorous creature. To feed it, it needs from 100 to 200 kilograms of plankton per day, but with its parameters, this amount of food is rather modest and is intended to support the vital functions of the shark's body.
The whale shark reproduces by laying eggs, which are attached to the seabed with strong chitinous strands. Shark offspring are fully adapted to independent life, so the female does not have to worry about him.
