Just when you thought that dinosaurs were gone for good, we go and introduce you to the Komodo dragon. No, this isn’t a dinosaur, but it’s easy to understand from looking at this thing how dinosaurs really did roam the earth once during prehistoric times. The species is millions of years old and is the largest living lizard. It’s the real-life dragon which is equivalent to our “Game of Thrones” favorites.
Although the Komodo dragon can’t spit fire or fly, it can easily take down prey as large as water buffalo. The dragon can grow to a length of 10 feet and up to a weight in the 300-pound range. The average Komodos are usually around 155 lbs. The largest Komodo dragon to ever be recorded was 366 pounds and reached a staggering 10.3 feet in length.
Goliath Frog
The Goliath frog may not be the largest amphibian on earth, but it is the largest living species of frogs in the world. They can reach a weight of seven pounds or grow up to 12.6 inches. They live in Africa, in Cameroon, and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea in rivers.
Goliath frogs feast on spiders, small snakes, crabs, turtles, smaller frogs, worms and other insects. They only eat small snakes as larger snakes eat Goliath frogs. While Goliath frogs can live for up to 15 years, they are currently regarded as an endangered species due to habitat loss and being collected for food and the pet trade.
These Mega-Horns Aren’t Photoshopped
While this steer is far from being the biggest cow, his giant horns look like they're straight out of a sci-fi movie. It looks like they’ve been CGI-ed for our wildest fantasies, but they’re completely real and not photo-shopped. This is Lurch, an African Watusi steer. He has the largest horn circumference of any steer in the world at 37.5 inches.
His horns ended up being his cause of death in 2010 when cancer spread from the base of his horns. The legend of Lurch will live on in our memories. He’s survived by his loving owner Janice Wolf, who lives in Gassville, Arkansas.
A Red Tibetan Mastiff Sold For $1.5 Million
The Tibetan Mastiff is a massive Tibetan dog breed that originates with the nomadic cultures of Tibet, China, Pakistan, India, Mongolia, and Nepal. Local Tibetan tribes use them to protect their sheep from wolves, leopards, bears, and tigers. Adult Tibetan Mastiffs can weigh up to 286 pounds. In 2011, this red Tibetan mastiff became the most expensive dog in the world after it was sold for 10 million Chinese yuan which is the equivalent of $1.5 million.
While in America, people show off wealth with big homes and expensive cars, in China, owning one of these dogs has become a status symbol. The color of these animals is red, which for the Chinese, symbolizes a lucky color. They are thought of as holy animals and believed to give their owners better health and security. You'll see another dog later on this list who was once the runt and grew to a staggering 245 pounds!
Sammy the Tortoise
Colin Kaepernick is known for being a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers. He is a talented player who plays smoothly and is a fierce ball of fire. His giant pet tortoise, Sammy, is quite the exact opposite of that. Sammy weighs around 115 pounds. His species is one of the third-largest species of tortoises in the world.
These turtles can live up to 150 years. Because a tortoise can outlive its owner, some owners are so dedicated to their pet turtles that they put them in their will. In 2013, when the San Francisco 49ers were going to the super bowl, Sammy the Tortoise had his own Twitter feed and had a great deal of opinions to share with the world.