Guinness World Records: Wild Things takes you on a superlative safari around the globe, revealing the best of the beasts! Meet the natural world's largest, smallest, fastest, deadliest – and just plain oddest – creatures and find out what records they hold. Also meet some of the man who gets strung on purpose and the youngsters who help animals on the daily basis. Get ready, as things are about to get wild…
Dinosaur remains discovered in 1994 in Oklahoma, USA belong to what is believed to be the largest creature to have ever walked the earth. The Sauroposeidon stood at 18 m (60 ft) tall and weighted 60 tonnes (132,277 lb). The length of its neck is about a third larger that that of the Brachiosaurus, its nearest competitor. It lived about 110 million years ago, during the mid-Cretaceous period
The most venomous scorpions are the fat-tailed scorpions belonging to the genus Androctonus. Several of these species rival each other in terms of the strength of their venom. The Tunisian fat-tailed scorpion (A. australis), for instance, has an intravenous LD50 of 260 µg/kg (a fatal dose of 18.2 mg for a 70-kg adult), and is responsible for 80% of stings and 90% of deaths from scorpion stings in North Africa. It has a body length of 10 cm (3.9 in), weighs around 15 g (0.5 oz) and has a life span of four years; it was discovered in 1758. In addition, an IV LD50 of 230 µg/kg (a fatal dose of 16.1 mg for a 70-kg adult) has been recorded for a close relative, A. mauretanicus
The largest bear alive today is the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), native to Greenland, Svalbard, Arctic Russia, Arctic Canada and Arctic USA. Adult males typically weigh 400–600 kg (880–1,320 lb), and have a nose-to-tail length of 2.4–2.6 m (7 ft 10 in–8 ft 6 in)
Sphenodon Punctatus, a type of reptile known as a tuatara, is evolving at a rate almost 10 times that of the average for all animals. In a report published in March 2008, it was revealed that this species is making about 1.37 substitutions per base per every million years, compared to the average of just 0.2
How well do you know your wild animals? Take our Wild Things quiz and see how well you get on!
Take quiz
The elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi) from south-western USA and Mexico is usually quoted as the smallest owl averaging 12–14 cm (4.75–5.5 in) in length and weighing less than 50 g (1.75 oz)
The world’s rarest big cat is the Amur, or Manchurian, leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), of which only 65–69 individuals are estimated to exist, according to the most recent census data from 2015. Native to the mountainous forests on the border of north-eastern China and the Russian Far East, it is currently classed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN
The fastest land snake is the aggressive black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) of southeastern, tropical Africa. The snake can reach speeds of 16–19 km/h (10–12 mph) in short bursts over level ground
The common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius of sub-Saharan Africa including South Africa and eastern Africa has the widest gape of any mammal, as it is able to open its jaws to a remarkable 150°. This is more than 100° greater than the gape that a human can achieve (45°). The common hippo's mouth can yield this huge gape due to its jaws being hinged far back in its skull
Want to have a go at making your own parrot? Find out how from the man behind the Largest balloon zoo.
Apply now