Nature’s 10 Strongest Animals

When you think of the world’s strongest animals, what comes to mind? Elephants towing cars? Or bodybuilding kangaroos? What about leaf-carrying ants? Not so much? Well, keep an open mind.

For our list, being the strongest isn’t just about how much you can lift, it’s more about how much you can lift relative to your weight. With that being said, let’s take a look at nature’s 10 strongest animals, and see which ones surprise you the most!

10. The Eagle:

There’s a reason these high-flying creatures are a symbol of power. They have powerful feet and sharp talons that allow them to snatch up prey that weigh four times as much as they do.

Their diet includes animals much larger than themselves; such as foxes, deer, and wildcats. How do these birds keep such a slim figure?

9. Green Anaconda:

These snakes can grow to almost 10 m (30 feet) long, and weigh up to 227 kg (500 lbs) , and if they ever ask to hug you, you might want to pass.
Anacondas coil their heavy body around their prey and squeeze their victims to death with a force of 1kg per square cm, and then they swallow them whole.

8. Grizzly Bears:

See that big hump on their backs? Yeah, that’s all muscle, and it provides them with tremendous strength for digging, moving rocks and trees, and mauling their prey.

They’re extremely protective, so don’t ever go near their cubs. They can be up to 5 times stronger than humans, and their bite is so strong that it could crush a bowling ball!

7. The Ox:

Oxen are working animals that can carry one and a half times their weight. Their ability to bear heavy loads for extended periods of time has made them the perfect candidate for plowing fields and pulling carts.

6. Tiger:

Tigers are the strongest members of the cat family: they can carry double their body weight, and one swipe of their paw is powerful enough to smash a cow’s skull. On top of that, they have mighty jaws with long teeth designed for tearing flesh. So as beautiful as they may be, your best bet is to keep your distance.

5. The Gorilla:

Gorillas don’t need to hit the gym, they build up their muscles naturally through climbing and knuckle-walking. And that workout seems to pay off more than any crazy routine we can come up with. An adult male gorilla is 15-20 times stronger than a human and can lift up to ten times their own body weight.

4. African Bush Elephant:

The largest living land animals on Earth, these guys can carry up to 9,000 kg (2,000 lbs,) which is the equivalent of 130 adult human beings.
Containing up to 40,000 muscles, their trunk alone can lift up to 200 kg (440 lbs,) and can rip trees right out of the ground.

3. The Leafcutter Ant:

You knew we’d get back to these insects eventually. At just 2.1 cm (0.8 inches) long, they’re able to carry up to 50 times their body weight!
Their immensely strong jaws allow them to carry leaves across long distances back to their nests, where they use the foliage as a sort of fertilizer.

2. Rhinoceros Beetle:

Without us even saying anything, you can just tell these creatures are tough. They can carry objects that are 850 times their weight, that’s like a human being able to pull six double-decker buses!

Scientists believe they use this strength to push through heavy junk on the jungle floor and dig their way to safety.

1.Dung Beetle:

Remember how your parents told you to eat your vegetables if you wanted to grow up big and strong? Well, these little critters have been eating poop their whole lives, and they’re doing just fine!

Ranging between 1 mm and 4 cm (up to 1.6 inches) in length, they can lift objects that are 1,141 times heavier than their body weight.
These beetles use their horns to battle for potential mates, and it’s believed that the constant competition is what builds up their strength.