Traditionally referring to animals and species that cannot be domesticated, wildlife covers a vast number of species. With the passage of time, more and more research has been carried out in order to know the wildlife around us better. Listed below is some information about the top ten wild animals on this planet.
Nobody can deny that the world is full of spectacular animals. It might be the ferociousness of the tiger or the elegance of a deer, in one or the other way, animals are amazing. There are millions of different species of animals in the world, and narrowing it down to the top ten is extremely challenging. But based on the obvious facts and the nature of the animals, we have listed down the top ten best land animals.
Best Land Animals
1. TIGER
Being the largest wild cats and one of the strongest animals in the world, tigers are in a league of their own. They are solitary hunters and prefer to stay alone. There are 5 different subspecies of tiger namely: Bengal, South China, Sumatran, Siberian and Indochinese. These masculine beasts are the biggest cats in the world, one of the deadliest predators and the most skilled as well. No wonder it tops our list right?
Belonging to the genus Panthera, tigers are a member of the family Felidae. Tigers are the largest of all among the animals in its family. It is an apex predator that usually preys on ungulates like deer and bovids. It is territorial and solitary in nature but is also very much a social predator. It inhabits in large contiguous areas as it supports both its predatory lifestyle as well as serves as a good place for rearing its cubs. The most recognizable feature of a tiger is its fur coat which has dark vertical stripes on a reddish-orange kind of background with a lighter underside to it. Besides lions, tigers are also one of the most ferocious among all wild animals.
Also Read: Top 10 Endangered Animals In The World
2. LION
Lions secure second spot on our list. Though often called as the ‘king of the jungle’, they are actually not found in jungles and they prefer a vast stretch of grasslands and plains. Its mighty roar can be heard even if you are 5 miles away! Not only that, lions can run up to 81kmph for a given stretch of land and can also leap as far as 35 to 40 feet.
3. POLAR BEAR
Found in the frozen wilds of the Arctic region, Greenland, Canada, Russia and Norway, polar bears are the largest and longest species of bear. They are absolutely brutal and moreover, they do not even have that many natural predators. Adult polar bears can stand 6 ft. tall and can weigh up to 700 kg! But undeterred by its gigantic size, polar bears can swim for around 100 km at a constant speed of around 10 km/h. Oh, and when these animals aren’t on their usual hunt, they sleep for around 20 hours a day.
The animal species are omnivores that is it can eat both plants and animals. They dont hibernate like other bears and are active throughout the whole year. It also takes good care of their hygiene and spends 15-20 minutes in grooming themselves after a good meal. The mating season of polar bears is from April and May where females give birth to 1-3 cubs in November or December and the mother takes care of the cub in a special “maternity dens” for three months.
4. MANED WOLF
Maned wolves are often found in central South America, mainly in the grasslands of the south and southeastern Brazil. Before you get confused, maned wolves are not actually wolves… nor foxes. In fact, they have more resemblance to dogs. They are solitary hunters and you would be surprised to know that half their diet consists of plants. Yes, apart from hunting rabbits and armadillos, their diet is also based on eating fruits, roots and bulbs. So, they play the role of an important omnivore in nature.
5. LYNX
Lynx is one of the coolest animals that could ever possibly grace Earth. They have a splendid, thick fur covering them and the colour of the fur changes with respect to the season. They have sharp vision and a keen sense of smell and they can sense their prey from around 250 feet away. There are 4 species of Lynx. The Eurasian Lynx is the most numerous and the most widespread as well. They are most often found in Canada, North America and some parts of Northern Mexico.
The size of lynx depends on the species and the Eurasian lynx is larger than American species, however, on an average, it can reach 32 to 40 inches in length and 4 to 8 inches in weight. The species is carnivores where they will prefer hunting small mammals such as snowshoe hare, mice and squirrels, and birds but the larger species of lynx often hunt bigger animals such as deer.
6. DOG
It would be absurd to not include man’s best friend in our top ten list. These lovely animals can be trained and can be your best companion. There have been cases where dogs have saved human lives on more than one instance. Every dog needs a daily walk and this will help keep you fit, healthy and active. They make the best companion for your babies as well. And if that is not enough, it is scientifically proven that dogs can recognize when you are sad or in agony and will help you ease your pain and in cheering you up. Also, read about largest dog breeds in the world.
7. CHEETAH
Cheetah is the fastest animal in the world. It can reach a top speed of around 120 km/h and can reach 0 to 60 miles an hour in just three seconds! Cheetahs were widespread throughout the African and Asian continents but now they are endemic mostly to the open grasslands of Sub-Saharan desert. It does not have many predators but due to rapid loss of habitat, competition for resources and illegal hunting there has been a swift decrease in their number and currently, around 12,000 live in Africa.
Related: 10 Interesting Facts About Cheetah
8. PENGUIN
While they are ‘flightless birds’, they spent all of their time on land and hence they are considered for our top ten list. There are 17 different species of penguins and all are exclusively endemic to the Southern hemisphere. Interestingly, penguins in Antarctica have zero natural predators. The emperor penguin is the tallest of all penguin species and they can also stay for up to 20 minutes underwater at a time!
9. LIGER
one of the biggest cats in the world, Liger is a hybrid between a female tiger and a male lion. They have a rapid growth rate and grow 1 kg every other day. Ligers are very good swimmers unlike lions and they can run faster than lions too, so it seems like an upgrade! But being a hybrid species, they are more prone to numerous diseases and hence have a comparatively shorter lifespan. It is one of the best land animals in the world.
Image Source: Wikimedia
10. DEER
Deer is the only animal in the world that shed their antlers every year. They are a symbol of elegance. Deers also have a way better-listening ability than humans and they can sense even the breaking of a single straw several metres away. They are very social animals and travel in groups called herds.
So, these are the best land animals in the world.
