Black Giant Squirrel (Ratufa bicolor)

The Black Giant Squirrel has a striking black coat contrasted by cream to cinnamon hues on its underparts. Their body can grow up to 15 inches while their tails can be twice as long.

It's an arboreal animal found in Southeast Asia's mature forests that feeds on seeds, nuts, fruits, leaves, insects, bird eggs, and young birds.

Like oriental giant squirrels, this squirrel rarely ventures to the ground, preferring the trees' safety, where it communicates with its fellow squirrels through distinct calls.

Variable Squirrel (Callosciurus finlaysonii)

The Variable Squirrel, or Finlayson's Squirrel, stands out due to its diverse coloration. This varies from black and white to grays and even lively hues of orange and red. You can identify them by their medium size, bushy tails, and rounded ears.

You'll find Variable Squirrels predominantly in Southeast Asia. Their habitat spans from forests to urban parks. Adaptation is their stronghold, allowing them to thrive in a wide range of environments.

Their diet largely consists of seeds, fruits, and nuts. However, they also occasionally consume insects.

Layard's Palm Squirrel (Funambulus layardi)

The Layard's Palm Squirrel boasts a mix of grays and browns with an off-white underbelly. Noticeably, it has two thin and one thick stripes of orange along its body.

Found primarily in South Asia, these squirrels favor habitats with tropical weather. They are tree-dwellers, spending most of their time in rainforests, gardens, plantations, and woodland areas. Their choice of residence allows quick access to their preferred food sources.

Layard’s Palm Squirrels have a diverse omnivorous diet. They feast on various vegetation, including fruits, nuts, and flowers, but also consume insects and bird eggs when available. Their active daytime behavior involves foraging for food and agile tree-hopping.

The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)

Grizzly bears are known to break down car and house doors like there's nothing to it. They are one of the strongest land animals. Grizzly bears have massive bodies, can grow as tall as 8 feet, and weigh 900 pounds.

A grizzly bear preys on big animals like cattle, caribou, and black bears. It also feeds on fish, berries, fruits, nuts, and roots. Grizzly bears routinely lift huge rocks and logs out of their way in search of food. They are not good tree climbers, but they run fast, covering 35 miles in one hour.

In 2006, researchers at Montana State University experimented to test the strength of grizzly bears. They found that one grizzly bear had the strength of 2 to 5 humans. Sam the bear easily lifted a 700 pounds dumpster can and, with one paw, turned over a 675-pound stone.

African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana)

Elephants are the largest land animals in the world, and African elephants are bigger than Asian elephants. Two species of African elephants exist African forest elephants and African bush elephants. The bush elephant is the larger of the two.

Adult African bush elephants can weigh 18,000 pounds and stand at a shoulder height of 13 feet. They are considered the strongest land animal and strongest mammals in the world by pure strength. An African bush elephant can lift a 250 kg object with just its trunk.

Despite their enormous size, elephants are agile and can run as fast as 40 miles per hour. They can also walk long distances and cover 25 to 195 km per day in search of food and shelter. Read more about these amazing majestic animals in our elephant facts.

Horned dung beetle (Onthophagus Taurus)

Dung beetles feed on animal poop and use it to build their homes. With their powerful hind legs, a dung beetle pushes its dung balls, which can sometimes be as large as apples. Considering that the body size of a dung beetle varies from 0.2 to 1.2 inches, that is some heavyweight.

There are many species of dung beetles. In 2010, the Royal Society Journal B published a study that crowned the horned dung beetle5 as the world's strongest insect. 

The extraordinary strength of this dung beetle species comes from its ability to pull loads up to 1,141 times its own weight. That is like an average human lifting two 18-wheeler trucks.

For more reading, explore more dung beetle facts. And noting that these little creatures aren't exactly the prettiest, you might also like our compilation of the world's ugliest animals, which we love despite their appearances.

Rhinoceros beetle (Dynastinae)

The rhinoceros beetle is also called the elephant beetle, Atlas beetle, or Hercules beetle. Rhino beetles are among the largest species of beetles in the world. They can grow to about 6 inches. Rhinoceros beetles have two horns3, one on the head and the other just below the head.

The rhinoceros beetle can pull objects 30 times their body weight without slowing down. That's the same as an average human carrying a rhino, as if they picked up a piece of paper. 

Some rhino beetles have the strength to carry 850 times their body weight, which helps the rhinoceros beetle claim the title of the world’s second-strongest insect.

Tigers (Panthera tigris)

The tiger is the biggest member of the big cat family and one of the world's strongest animals. The Siberian tiger is the largest tiger subspecies; it measures about 13 feet in total length and weighs up to 660 pounds. A male Bengal tiger can weigh between 300 to 600 pounds and be as long as 7.2 feet–tail excluded.

Tigers typically prey on fairly large animals like deer but occasionally attack rhinos, buffaloes, and elephants. A tiger's bite force per square inch is over one thousand pounds2, much more than a lion's. Tigers have killed humans and other apex predators with just one paw swipe.

Harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja)

The harpy eagle (also featured in our list of animals that start with H) is the most powerful bird of prey in the world. The bald head eagle is its closest competition for the world's strongest bird. Harpy eagles are 3 to 3.5 feet long, with a wingspan of 6.5 feet. They weigh about 9 to 20 pounds.

Harpy eagles fly easily in their canopy habitat in pursuit of prey. They prey on snakes, monkeys, macaws, sloths, and other large tree-dwelling animals. The legs of the harpy eagle are as thick as a human, and its four-inch talons are the same size as that of a grizzly bear.

Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

Saltwater crocodiles are the largest reptiles on earth and one of the strongest animals in the world. These large reptiles can grow to 23 feet and weigh over 2,200 pounds. They are opportunistic feeders and will prey on large and small animals, from sharks to water buffaloes and birds. 

The bite force of a saltwater crocodile is 3,700 psi, much higher than the very strong bite of a tiger.  An adult saltwater crocodile has 66 teeth that can grow to about 5 inches long. Saltwater crocodiles combine their powerful bite with drowning to incapacitate their prey quickly6.

Black Giant Squirrel (Ratufa bicolor)

The Black Giant Squirrel has a striking black coat contrasted by cream to cinnamon hues on its underparts. Their body can grow up to 15 inches while their tails can be twice as long.

It's an arboreal animal found in Southeast Asia's mature forests that feeds on seeds, nuts, fruits, leaves, insects, bird eggs, and young birds.

Like oriental giant squirrels, this squirrel rarely ventures to the ground, preferring the trees' safety, where it communicates with its fellow squirrels through distinct calls.

Variable Squirrel (Callosciurus finlaysonii)

The Variable Squirrel, or Finlayson's Squirrel, stands out due to its diverse coloration. This varies from black and white to grays and even lively hues of orange and red. You can identify them by their medium size, bushy tails, and rounded ears.

You'll find Variable Squirrels predominantly in Southeast Asia. Their habitat spans from forests to urban parks. Adaptation is their stronghold, allowing them to thrive in a wide range of environments.

Their diet largely consists of seeds, fruits, and nuts. However, they also occasionally consume insects.

Layard's Palm Squirrel (Funambulus layardi)

The Layard's Palm Squirrel boasts a mix of grays and browns with an off-white underbelly. Noticeably, it has two thin and one thick stripes of orange along its body.

Found primarily in South Asia, these squirrels favor habitats with tropical weather. They are tree-dwellers, spending most of their time in rainforests, gardens, plantations, and woodland areas. Their choice of residence allows quick access to their preferred food sources.

Layard’s Palm Squirrels have a diverse omnivorous diet. They feast on various vegetation, including fruits, nuts, and flowers, but also consume insects and bird eggs when available. Their active daytime behavior involves foraging for food and agile tree-hopping.

The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)

Grizzly bears are known to break down car and house doors like there's nothing to it. They are one of the strongest land animals. Grizzly bears have massive bodies, can grow as tall as 8 feet, and weigh 900 pounds.

A grizzly bear preys on big animals like cattle, caribou, and black bears. It also feeds on fish, berries, fruits, nuts, and roots. Grizzly bears routinely lift huge rocks and logs out of their way in search of food. They are not good tree climbers, but they run fast, covering 35 miles in one hour.

In 2006, researchers at Montana State University experimented to test the strength of grizzly bears. They found that one grizzly bear had the strength of 2 to 5 humans. Sam the bear easily lifted a 700 pounds dumpster can and, with one paw, turned over a 675-pound stone.

African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana)

Elephants are the largest land animals in the world, and African elephants are bigger than Asian elephants. Two species of African elephants exist African forest elephants and African bush elephants. The bush elephant is the larger of the two.

Adult African bush elephants can weigh 18,000 pounds and stand at a shoulder height of 13 feet. They are considered the strongest land animal and strongest mammals in the world by pure strength. An African bush elephant can lift a 250 kg object with just its trunk.

Despite their enormous size, elephants are agile and can run as fast as 40 miles per hour. They can also walk long distances and cover 25 to 195 km per day in search of food and shelter. Read more about these amazing majestic animals in our elephant facts.

Horned dung beetle (Onthophagus Taurus)

Dung beetles feed on animal poop and use it to build their homes. With their powerful hind legs, a dung beetle pushes its dung balls, which can sometimes be as large as apples. Considering that the body size of a dung beetle varies from 0.2 to 1.2 inches, that is some heavyweight.

There are many species of dung beetles. In 2010, the Royal Society Journal B published a study that crowned the horned dung beetle5 as the world's strongest insect. 

The extraordinary strength of this dung beetle species comes from its ability to pull loads up to 1,141 times its own weight. That is like an average human lifting two 18-wheeler trucks.

For more reading, explore more dung beetle facts. And noting that these little creatures aren't exactly the prettiest, you might also like our compilation of the world's ugliest animals, which we love despite their appearances.

Rhinoceros beetle (Dynastinae)

The rhinoceros beetle is also called the elephant beetle, Atlas beetle, or Hercules beetle. Rhino beetles are among the largest species of beetles in the world. They can grow to about 6 inches. Rhinoceros beetles have two horns3, one on the head and the other just below the head.

The rhinoceros beetle can pull objects 30 times their body weight without slowing down. That's the same as an average human carrying a rhino, as if they picked up a piece of paper. 

Some rhino beetles have the strength to carry 850 times their body weight, which helps the rhinoceros beetle claim the title of the world’s second-strongest insect.

Tigers (Panthera tigris)

The tiger is the biggest member of the big cat family and one of the world's strongest animals. The Siberian tiger is the largest tiger subspecies; it measures about 13 feet in total length and weighs up to 660 pounds. A male Bengal tiger can weigh between 300 to 600 pounds and be as long as 7.2 feet–tail excluded.

Tigers typically prey on fairly large animals like deer but occasionally attack rhinos, buffaloes, and elephants. A tiger's bite force per square inch is over one thousand pounds2, much more than a lion's. Tigers have killed humans and other apex predators with just one paw swipe.

Harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja)

The harpy eagle (also featured in our list of animals that start with H) is the most powerful bird of prey in the world. The bald head eagle is its closest competition for the world's strongest bird. Harpy eagles are 3 to 3.5 feet long, with a wingspan of 6.5 feet. They weigh about 9 to 20 pounds.

Harpy eagles fly easily in their canopy habitat in pursuit of prey. They prey on snakes, monkeys, macaws, sloths, and other large tree-dwelling animals. The legs of the harpy eagle are as thick as a human, and its four-inch talons are the same size as that of a grizzly bear.

Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

Saltwater crocodiles are the largest reptiles on earth and one of the strongest animals in the world. These large reptiles can grow to 23 feet and weigh over 2,200 pounds. They are opportunistic feeders and will prey on large and small animals, from sharks to water buffaloes and birds. 

The bite force of a saltwater crocodile is 3,700 psi, much higher than the very strong bite of a tiger.  An adult saltwater crocodile has 66 teeth that can grow to about 5 inches long. Saltwater crocodiles combine their powerful bite with drowning to incapacitate their prey quickly6.