Giant armadillo (Priodontes
maximus)
You think you'd notice something the
size of a large pig, covered in scales with
20cm (8") front claws like scimitar
blades. But the giant armadillo does such
a good job of hiding, scientists have had
to install secret cameras to find out more
about it.
"Very few people have seen a giant
armadillo in the wild," says Arnaud
Desbiez, who runs the Giant Armadillo
Project in Brazil. "In our field site the
owner of the ranch, who was born and
raised here, had never seen a giant
armadillo before we started the project."
Weighing up to 50kg (110 lb) and
reaching 1.5m (5 ft) in length, it is the
largest species of armadillo.
At nearly twice the size of other species,
its girth makes it unable to roll into the
family's distinctive ball-shape for
defence. Instead, it digs underground
burrows with its impressive front claws.
It only ventures outside under cover of
darkness.
The giant armadillo is considered a
vulnerable species due to habitat loss
and hunting, but local people are said to
regard sightings of them as bad omens.
The rare camera trap photographs may
help to highlight its situation.
Giant squid (Architeuthis)
Possibly the most infamous of giant
animals lurks beneath the waves. The
giant squid earns its name from a body
size of up to 5m (16.5 ft) and a pair of
elongated tentacles that can bring it to an
overall length of 13m (42.5 ft).
It is a predator, known for its huge flesh-
ripping beak and eyes the size of
footballs. But as a denizen of the deep
ocean, living as far down as 1000m
(3,280 ft), it is a species that very few
people have seen alive.
Salty sea tales claim that monstrously
large animals have destroyed ships, but
documented encounters are rare. Most
take place on the water's surface, when
the squid is injured or dying.
The first footage of a giant squid in its
natural deep-water environment was
filmed in 2012.
The project was organised by a team of
international scientists who launched a
submersible vehicle off the coast of
Japan. With a bit of bait and a lot of luck,
an animal appeared in front of their
cameras.
Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)
While it lacks elephants, tropical South
America is still a land of giant animals.
The continent is home to the biggest
members of the armadillo and anteater
families, as well as the capybara, the
world's largest rodent.
In the rivers east of the Andes lives the
giant otter. Twice the size of the next
biggest member of its family, the giant
otter can reach 2m (6.5 ft) in length.
It lives in open habitats in large family
groups, and is consequently quite easy to
spot.
While giant otters can deal with natural
predators such as caiman and jaguars,
they have fallen victim to man. They are
described as sociable and curious, and
this gregarious character has made them
a target for hunters.
The thick pelt was once highly sought
after, with devastating consequences. The
trade was banned in 1975 but now the
remaining animals are threatened by
increasing human settlement in their
Amazonian habitat.
Conflict arises with fishermen, and
mismanaged tourism is also having an
impact, according to the International
Union for the Conservation of
Nature . Populations in the protected
Pantanal wetland are thought to have
recovered, but it remains to be seen how
the otters will cope with the rising
human population.
Giant huntsman
spider (Heteropoda maxima)
If you measure spider size by leg span,
the largest reaches 30cm (1 ft) across and
goes by the worrying name "giant
huntsman spider". Fortunately, it
confines its predatory activities to
insects.
You're unlikely to see one scurrying
across your carpet, unless you've set up
home in a cave in Laos. Even there it
would now be a rare sight.
Heteropoda maxima made headlines
among arachnophobes and -philes alike
when it was discovered in 2001 by Dr
Peter Jaegar of Johannes Gutenberg-
University in Mainz, Germany.
Jaegar says the resulting attention has
been bad news for the spider, due to
unregulated demand by the pet trade. He
suggests that for every 100 spiders
imported as pets, 1000 more may have
perished when removed from their
homes.
"In 2009, my PhD student and I could
observe the impact in easily-accessible
caves, where no adults could be found,"
says Jaegar. He says the spiders survive
for little more than a year outside of the
controlled climate of their caves.
Jaegar says their short-lived nature may
ultimately reduce demand.
Giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne)
Looking very much like an enormous sea
serpent, the giant oarfish is extremely
flat and undulates through the water like
a wide silver ribbon.
Its long pelvic fins look like oars and it
has a distinctive red crest. But the most
remarkable thing about the oarfish is its
extreme length. Measured at up to 17m
(56 ft), it is the world's longest bony fish.
Despite its massive size, the giant oarfish
remains quite mysterious. It lives in the
deep ocean alongside other giant species.
It's not clear why deep-dwelling species
are often so big: low temperatures, high
pressure, a lack of currents or a scarcity
of food have all been put forward as
explanations.
Because of its deep-dwelling habits, the
giant oarfish is a rare sight. In recent
years, unmanned submersibles have
managed to film it in its natural
environment, but very few people have
seen a healthy one in the flesh.
Giant oarfish only appear at the surface
when dead or injured. Where one washes
in to shore, it is usually photographed
being held aloft by large groups of people
to show its relative size.
In June 2015, Santa Catalina Island off
the coast of California hosted its third
giant oarfish in as many years when a
5.2m (17 ft) specimen washed ashore.
Goliath frog (Conraua goliath)
The world's largest frog can weigh as
much as a newborn baby, tipping the
scales at 3.2kg (7lbs).
The goliath frog might be huge, but like
many of its amphibian cousins it does its
best to conceal itself. Mottled green
camouflage helps it to hide among the
moss-covered rocks.
It lives in or near fast-flowing rivers in
the coastal rainforests of west Africa.
You might think it would have an
impressive croak to match its bulk, but
you'd be wrong. Unlike most other frogs,
the goliath frog does not possess a vocal
sac, so it whistles to attract mates
instead.
Despite its stealthy adaptations, the
goliath frog is an endangered species.
Its population has reportedly declined by
50% in the last three generations.
The frogs are widely hunted as a delicacy
and for the international pet trade,
notably for frog-jumping competitions in
the US.
While some frogs have been exported for
captive breeding programmes, these have
so far proven unsuccessful. Instead
conservationists are concentrating on
local communities, in a bid to kerb
unsustainable hunting.
Chan's megastick (Phobaeticus
chani)
While most insects can fit in the palm of
your hand, there are a few giants out
there. The longest in the world is a stick
insect that lives in Borneo. It was named
after its discoverer as Chan's megastick
in 2008.
The largest known example is over 0.5m
(22") long with legs outstretched and is
kept at the Natural History Museum
in London, UK.
Very little is known about the insect
because in the wild it is exceptionally
difficult to see. Males are brown and
females mottled green, and both are long
and spindly, so they are perfectly
camouflaged in their rainforest home.
To further mimic the plants around
them, the eggs of the insect resemble
seeds and have wing-like extensions,
which are thought to help them to
disperse on the wind.
Experts believe Chan's megastick lives in
the forest canopy, making it even more
challenging to find. Only a handful of
specimens are currently known to
science.
Queen Alexandra's birdwing
(Ornithoptera alexandrae)
In Papua New Guinea, there is a butterfly
so large it earns comparison with a bird.
The Queen Alexandra's birdwing lives in
a small area of rainforest near the north
coast.
Males are spectacular, with blue-green
iridescent streaks on velvet black wings
and a bright yellow abdomen, while the
females are slightly more reserved with
cream accents. However females are a
third larger than males, with a record-
breaking wingspan of up to 30cm (1 ft).
Following its initial discovery in 1906,
the insect was highly prized by collectors
and as a result it was severely over-
harvested. It flies fast through the
rainforest canopy and proved difficult to
capture, so hunters used shotguns loaded
with salt to bring it down.
A law was introduced in 1966 to protect
the butterfly, but continued illegal
collection and habitat destruction for
logging and palm oil has dramatically
decreased its population.
Few outside of Oro province have seen
the endangered Queen Alexandra's
birdwing in flight and even there
sightings are dwindling. Local tribes and
conservationists are now fighting for its
future.
Giant isopod (Bathynomus
giganteus)
Imagine a woodlouse that can grow
longer than a cat, 76cm (2.5 ft) long – and
weigh 1.7kg (3.75 lb). Well, it exists and
it's called the giant isopod.
It is a crustacean, distantly related to
shrimp and crabs. It lives far beneath the
waves where growing to relatively giant
proportions is not uncommon.
This oversized roly-poly shares its
terrestrial cousins' rigid exoskeleton and
ability to roll into a ball for defence. It
has seven pairs of legs, two sets of
sensitive antennae and large compound
eyes. It is a pale lilac colour.
In cold waters off the US coast it inhabits
the sea bed, feasting on the corpses of
whales, fish and squid. Food is a rare
resource when you live as far down as
2000m (6560 ft) below sea level so when
this scavenger finds a meal it attacks.
Its targets can include fishermen's trawl
nets, and most encounters with the
creature occur when it is dragged to the
surface as bycatch. In 2010, a huge
specimen was found latched onto a
remotely-operated vehicle being used in
sea surveys.
Such wild encounters with the animal are
rare, but several are held in aquarium
collections around the world, and they
are particular favourites in Japan.
Blakiston's fish owl (Bubo
blakistoni)
There is some debate over which owl
gets to lift the title of world's largest, but
the Blakiston's fish owl is a heavyweight
contender. It reaches up to 4.6kg (10 lb)
in weight with a wingspan nearing 2m
(6.5 ft).
It was discovered by naturalist Thomas
Blakiston in 1883. As its name suggests,
the massive owl feeds primarily on fish.
Living in riverside forest in Siberia,
northeast China, North Korea and
northern Japan, it cuts a bulky figure
among the tree tops.
But this is now a rare sight. Under
increasing pressure from logging,
overfishing and persecution by hunters,
Blakiston's fish owl is now officially
considered an endangered species.
In Hokkaido, Japan, the owl was
traditionally considered a spirit that
protected the villages of the indigenous
Ainu people. Now, roles are reversed and
conservationists watch over the owls
with the help of nest box cameras.
Thanks to these huge artificial homes,
the decline of owls has been halted. But
without the mature forests they depend
on, their future is unclear.
maximus)
You think you'd notice something the
size of a large pig, covered in scales with
20cm (8") front claws like scimitar
blades. But the giant armadillo does such
a good job of hiding, scientists have had
to install secret cameras to find out more
about it.
"Very few people have seen a giant
armadillo in the wild," says Arnaud
Desbiez, who runs the Giant Armadillo
Project in Brazil. "In our field site the
owner of the ranch, who was born and
raised here, had never seen a giant
armadillo before we started the project."
Weighing up to 50kg (110 lb) and
reaching 1.5m (5 ft) in length, it is the
largest species of armadillo.
At nearly twice the size of other species,
its girth makes it unable to roll into the
family's distinctive ball-shape for
defence. Instead, it digs underground
burrows with its impressive front claws.
It only ventures outside under cover of
darkness.
The giant armadillo is considered a
vulnerable species due to habitat loss
and hunting, but local people are said to
regard sightings of them as bad omens.
The rare camera trap photographs may
help to highlight its situation.
Giant squid (Architeuthis)
Possibly the most infamous of giant
animals lurks beneath the waves. The
giant squid earns its name from a body
size of up to 5m (16.5 ft) and a pair of
elongated tentacles that can bring it to an
overall length of 13m (42.5 ft).
It is a predator, known for its huge flesh-
ripping beak and eyes the size of
footballs. But as a denizen of the deep
ocean, living as far down as 1000m
(3,280 ft), it is a species that very few
people have seen alive.
Salty sea tales claim that monstrously
large animals have destroyed ships, but
documented encounters are rare. Most
take place on the water's surface, when
the squid is injured or dying.
The first footage of a giant squid in its
natural deep-water environment was
filmed in 2012.
The project was organised by a team of
international scientists who launched a
submersible vehicle off the coast of
Japan. With a bit of bait and a lot of luck,
an animal appeared in front of their
cameras.
Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)
While it lacks elephants, tropical South
America is still a land of giant animals.
The continent is home to the biggest
members of the armadillo and anteater
families, as well as the capybara, the
world's largest rodent.
In the rivers east of the Andes lives the
giant otter. Twice the size of the next
biggest member of its family, the giant
otter can reach 2m (6.5 ft) in length.
It lives in open habitats in large family
groups, and is consequently quite easy to
spot.
While giant otters can deal with natural
predators such as caiman and jaguars,
they have fallen victim to man. They are
described as sociable and curious, and
this gregarious character has made them
a target for hunters.
The thick pelt was once highly sought
after, with devastating consequences. The
trade was banned in 1975 but now the
remaining animals are threatened by
increasing human settlement in their
Amazonian habitat.
Conflict arises with fishermen, and
mismanaged tourism is also having an
impact, according to the International
Union for the Conservation of
Nature . Populations in the protected
Pantanal wetland are thought to have
recovered, but it remains to be seen how
the otters will cope with the rising
human population.
Giant huntsman
spider (Heteropoda maxima)
If you measure spider size by leg span,
the largest reaches 30cm (1 ft) across and
goes by the worrying name "giant
huntsman spider". Fortunately, it
confines its predatory activities to
insects.
You're unlikely to see one scurrying
across your carpet, unless you've set up
home in a cave in Laos. Even there it
would now be a rare sight.
Heteropoda maxima made headlines
among arachnophobes and -philes alike
when it was discovered in 2001 by Dr
Peter Jaegar of Johannes Gutenberg-
University in Mainz, Germany.
Jaegar says the resulting attention has
been bad news for the spider, due to
unregulated demand by the pet trade. He
suggests that for every 100 spiders
imported as pets, 1000 more may have
perished when removed from their
homes.
"In 2009, my PhD student and I could
observe the impact in easily-accessible
caves, where no adults could be found,"
says Jaegar. He says the spiders survive
for little more than a year outside of the
controlled climate of their caves.
Jaegar says their short-lived nature may
ultimately reduce demand.
Giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne)
Looking very much like an enormous sea
serpent, the giant oarfish is extremely
flat and undulates through the water like
a wide silver ribbon.
Its long pelvic fins look like oars and it
has a distinctive red crest. But the most
remarkable thing about the oarfish is its
extreme length. Measured at up to 17m
(56 ft), it is the world's longest bony fish.
Despite its massive size, the giant oarfish
remains quite mysterious. It lives in the
deep ocean alongside other giant species.
It's not clear why deep-dwelling species
are often so big: low temperatures, high
pressure, a lack of currents or a scarcity
of food have all been put forward as
explanations.
Because of its deep-dwelling habits, the
giant oarfish is a rare sight. In recent
years, unmanned submersibles have
managed to film it in its natural
environment, but very few people have
seen a healthy one in the flesh.
Giant oarfish only appear at the surface
when dead or injured. Where one washes
in to shore, it is usually photographed
being held aloft by large groups of people
to show its relative size.
In June 2015, Santa Catalina Island off
the coast of California hosted its third
giant oarfish in as many years when a
5.2m (17 ft) specimen washed ashore.
Goliath frog (Conraua goliath)
The world's largest frog can weigh as
much as a newborn baby, tipping the
scales at 3.2kg (7lbs).
The goliath frog might be huge, but like
many of its amphibian cousins it does its
best to conceal itself. Mottled green
camouflage helps it to hide among the
moss-covered rocks.
It lives in or near fast-flowing rivers in
the coastal rainforests of west Africa.
You might think it would have an
impressive croak to match its bulk, but
you'd be wrong. Unlike most other frogs,
the goliath frog does not possess a vocal
sac, so it whistles to attract mates
instead.
Despite its stealthy adaptations, the
goliath frog is an endangered species.
Its population has reportedly declined by
50% in the last three generations.
The frogs are widely hunted as a delicacy
and for the international pet trade,
notably for frog-jumping competitions in
the US.
While some frogs have been exported for
captive breeding programmes, these have
so far proven unsuccessful. Instead
conservationists are concentrating on
local communities, in a bid to kerb
unsustainable hunting.
Chan's megastick (Phobaeticus
chani)
While most insects can fit in the palm of
your hand, there are a few giants out
there. The longest in the world is a stick
insect that lives in Borneo. It was named
after its discoverer as Chan's megastick
in 2008.
The largest known example is over 0.5m
(22") long with legs outstretched and is
kept at the Natural History Museum
in London, UK.
Very little is known about the insect
because in the wild it is exceptionally
difficult to see. Males are brown and
females mottled green, and both are long
and spindly, so they are perfectly
camouflaged in their rainforest home.
To further mimic the plants around
them, the eggs of the insect resemble
seeds and have wing-like extensions,
which are thought to help them to
disperse on the wind.
Experts believe Chan's megastick lives in
the forest canopy, making it even more
challenging to find. Only a handful of
specimens are currently known to
science.
Queen Alexandra's birdwing
(Ornithoptera alexandrae)
In Papua New Guinea, there is a butterfly
so large it earns comparison with a bird.
The Queen Alexandra's birdwing lives in
a small area of rainforest near the north
coast.
Males are spectacular, with blue-green
iridescent streaks on velvet black wings
and a bright yellow abdomen, while the
females are slightly more reserved with
cream accents. However females are a
third larger than males, with a record-
breaking wingspan of up to 30cm (1 ft).
Following its initial discovery in 1906,
the insect was highly prized by collectors
and as a result it was severely over-
harvested. It flies fast through the
rainforest canopy and proved difficult to
capture, so hunters used shotguns loaded
with salt to bring it down.
A law was introduced in 1966 to protect
the butterfly, but continued illegal
collection and habitat destruction for
logging and palm oil has dramatically
decreased its population.
Few outside of Oro province have seen
the endangered Queen Alexandra's
birdwing in flight and even there
sightings are dwindling. Local tribes and
conservationists are now fighting for its
future.
Giant isopod (Bathynomus
giganteus)
Imagine a woodlouse that can grow
longer than a cat, 76cm (2.5 ft) long – and
weigh 1.7kg (3.75 lb). Well, it exists and
it's called the giant isopod.
It is a crustacean, distantly related to
shrimp and crabs. It lives far beneath the
waves where growing to relatively giant
proportions is not uncommon.
This oversized roly-poly shares its
terrestrial cousins' rigid exoskeleton and
ability to roll into a ball for defence. It
has seven pairs of legs, two sets of
sensitive antennae and large compound
eyes. It is a pale lilac colour.
In cold waters off the US coast it inhabits
the sea bed, feasting on the corpses of
whales, fish and squid. Food is a rare
resource when you live as far down as
2000m (6560 ft) below sea level so when
this scavenger finds a meal it attacks.
Its targets can include fishermen's trawl
nets, and most encounters with the
creature occur when it is dragged to the
surface as bycatch. In 2010, a huge
specimen was found latched onto a
remotely-operated vehicle being used in
sea surveys.
Such wild encounters with the animal are
rare, but several are held in aquarium
collections around the world, and they
are particular favourites in Japan.
Blakiston's fish owl (Bubo
blakistoni)
There is some debate over which owl
gets to lift the title of world's largest, but
the Blakiston's fish owl is a heavyweight
contender. It reaches up to 4.6kg (10 lb)
in weight with a wingspan nearing 2m
(6.5 ft).
It was discovered by naturalist Thomas
Blakiston in 1883. As its name suggests,
the massive owl feeds primarily on fish.
Living in riverside forest in Siberia,
northeast China, North Korea and
northern Japan, it cuts a bulky figure
among the tree tops.
But this is now a rare sight. Under
increasing pressure from logging,
overfishing and persecution by hunters,
Blakiston's fish owl is now officially
considered an endangered species.
In Hokkaido, Japan, the owl was
traditionally considered a spirit that
protected the villages of the indigenous
Ainu people. Now, roles are reversed and
conservationists watch over the owls
with the help of nest box cameras.
Thanks to these huge artificial homes,
the decline of owls has been halted. But
without the mature forests they depend
on, their future is unclear.
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