In 2023 it is estimated that there are over 8.7 million different species on planet earth, ranging from the smallest of insects to the largest of mammals.
The human race has always had a deep fascination with nature and is often mesmerised by the beautiful, and often brutal, circle of life.
One aspect of the animal kingdom that has always shocked and intrigued humans in equal measure is the sheer power of certain creatures.
Whether it be the grace and strength of a lion or the speed and power of a Great White, humans have always had a special fascination with powerful creatures.
However, it is not always the biggest animals that possess the greatest strength. Here is a list of some of the most powerful creatures on the planet.
Some of the candidates might just surprise you.
An Impressive Weight Lifter: The Rhinoceros Beetle
When you think of powerful creatures, a beetle might not be the first thing that pops into your head but the Rhinoceros Beetle is an incredibly strong insect.
There are over 300 different types of rhinoceros beetle, with the Hercules Beetle at the top of the pile when it comes to strength.
Imagine lifting 65 tons; now picture doing it at an inch tall. That's the Hercules Beetle for you.
Measuring around 6 inches in length, some hercules beetles have been known to lift up to 850 times their own body weight; that’s the equivalent of a human lifting a 65 ton object!
The Strongest of Birds: The Eagle
“If you want to soar like an eagle in life, you can’t be flocking with the turkeys.”
Warren Buffett
An eagle in full flight is one of the most impressive sights in nature.
The bird of prey is a supreme hunter and uses its incredible speed and sharp eyesight in order to catch its victim.
When an eagle takes flight, it's not just poetry in motion; it's a physics lesson in airborne strength.
As well as having incredibly sharp claws, the eagle also possesses impressive power in its wings in order to carry it in flight.
Eagles have been known to carry prey weighing 4 times their own weight, making them the most powerful birds on the planet.
The Tight Squeeze: The Anaconda
“The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
South America is home to one of the largest snakes in the world, the anaconda.
While many snakes get their fearsome reputations due to their poisonous venom, the anaconda is a little different.
Who needs venom when you have muscles that can hug you to death?
The reptile is actually non-venomous and kills its prey by wrapping its large body around them and literally squeezing them to death.
The anaconda can kill prey weighing up to its own impressive 250 kg body weight and their diet consists of wild pigs, birds, deer, turtles and even jaguars.
Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that, due to their jaws being attached by stretchy ligaments, anacondas can swallow their prey whole, regardless of size.
A Speed Demon: The Cheetah
“To me, fast food is when a cheetah eats an antelope.”
George Carlin
Power might not be the first word that comes to mind when looking at a cheetah, especially when compared in size to other ‘big cats’ such as lions and tigers.
What the cheetah loses out by in the weight department though, it more than makes up for in speed.
Their quick reflexes enable them to change direction abruptly, making them formidable hunters.
The cheetah’s powerful legs allow it to accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 3 seconds, that’s faster than most sports cars!
The cheetah is not only the fastest land mammal on earth but its quick reflexes and svelte body allow it to make sharp and sudden turns when chasing down its prey.
Crushing Impact: The Great White Shark
The great white shark is the ultimate predator of the sea and is often at the top of a lot of people’s ‘most feared creatures’ list.
Although the reputation of the great white as a mindless killing machine is very unfair, it is easy to see why the creature commands so much respect.
Great whites usually grow up to around 4.5m in length but there have been giants as big as 6m in length and 2,200kg in weight spotted.
If Olympic swimming had a predator category, the great white would be on the podium—probably alone because no one would dare to compete.
Great whites are also armed with an incredible sense of smell and jaws that are lined with rows of up to 300 triangular serrated teeth.
They often attack their prey from below and can reach speeds of up to 15 mph.
The size, speed and weight of a great white shark means that their prey has almost no hope of surviving an impact attack
Jaws of Steel: The Hippopotamus
The hippo is a very deceptive creature and can often look docile and friendly while bathing in water (which it manages for up to 16 hours per day).
If a hippo feels threatened though, things can quickly change.
Hippos often charge for water if they become uneasy on land and, when you consider the average hippo weighs around 3,000kg, anything in their way is totally flattened.
The hippo's mouth is a bone-crushing marvel; one wrong move, and you’re a statistic in the human-hippo conflict.
More humans are actually killed by charging hippos than shark attacks each year.
Hippos also possess the most powerful jaws of all mammals and can crush any potential predator that gets too close
The Death Roll: The Crocodile
The crocodile is one of nature’s most feared creatures and it is easy to see why.
With armour-like skin and razor sharp teeth, few prey are able to escape death once they are in the vice-like grip of a crocodile’s jaw.
Crocodiles usually finish their prey off by pulling them into deep water and performing a ‘death roll,’ which often tears the prey apart.
Crocs don't just eat dinner; they perform a deadly ballet, twirling their hapless prey in a lethal water dance.
The Nile crocodile is the world’s largest crocodilian, with some creatures reaching 6 metres in length and weighing up to 730kg.
It is estimated that Nile crocs are responsible for around 200 human deaths each year.
The Powerful Vegetarian: The Gorilla
“Certain gorillas are more evolved than certain human beings I know.”
Sir Richard Preston
The gorilla might be on the endangered species list but it is still one of the most powerful creatures on the planet.
While their diet consists mostly of plants and fruit, the gorilla still has huge upper body strength and is capable of lifting 10 times its body weight.
Gentle giants they may be, but provoke a gorilla, and you're in for a UFC match you can't tap out of.
Male gorillas, known as silverbacks, can grow as tall as 6ft in height and weigh over 230kg.
Gorillas are mostly known as shy and gentle creatures but when dominant males challenge each other, the result is usually a fight to the death.
Brute Force: The Elephant
“Nature’s great masterpiece, an elephant; the only harmless great thing.”
John Donne
The elephant is the largest land animal on earth and can reach over 4 metres in height and over 6,000kg in weight.
Although elephants are usually non-violent, if they feel threatened they will often stampede in a herd and, due to their immense size and weight, can cause huge damage to whatever gets in their path.
They say an elephant never forgets, but you'll never forget the aftermath if one of these titans goes on a rampage.
Elephants have been known to stampede through villages, destroying houses and killing humans.
In terms of brute strength, the African elephant is the strongest mammal on earth and is capable of carrying up to 9,000kg in weight.
The Most Powerful Creature on Earth: The Dung Beetle
It may not have the weight of an elephant or the speed of a cheetah but in terms of strength to body weight, the dung beetle is actually the most powerful creature on the planet.
If dung beetles had self-help seminars, they'd be about how to turn the crap life gives you into unparalleled feats of greatness.
It is capable of pulling 1,141 times its own body weight; that is equivalent to a human pulling 80 tons! It may be one of the smallest creatures on this list but that doesn’t stop it from being the most powerful.
Nature’s athletes outlift us all
The next time you are flexing in the gym mirror, remember that a dung beetle is out there pulling the equivalent of 80 tons and not even breaking a sweat—or whatever the insect equivalent of sweat is.
From the sky-dominating eagles to the water-wielding crocs, these creatures remind us that Mother Nature has her own version of the Olympics, and spoiler alert: we’re not even close to qualifying.
So, put down those dumbbells and give a nod to the real heavy lifters of the world.