What is the strongest animal on earth?
Animals of all shapes and sizes have different kinds of strengths. Deciding which animals are the strongest really depends on how you define strength. Do you define strength as the sheer power of an animal, how much they can carry pound-for-pound, or the strength of their bite? This list includes land mammals, marine animals, and insects, all of which are ridiculously strong, in one way or another.
Some animals can carry large amounts of weight, up to several times their own body mass, while others have really strong and ferocious bites. Do you think you know what the strongest animal is? You might be shocked to find out that the smallest animals are actually the strongest pound-for-pound.
Dung Beetle, The Most Powerfull Animal on Earth
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| Dung Beetle, Strongest Animal in the World |
The species - Onthophagus taurus - originated in the Mediterranean, but has been exported around the world. In Australia, for example, they were introduced to help clear up the alarming number of cow pats being ignored by local beetles.
Dr Rob Knell, one of the researchers from Queen Mary, University of London, said: 'Insects are well known for being able to perform amazing feats of strength, and it's all on account of their curious sex lives.
'Female beetles of this species dig tunnels under a dung pat, where males mate with them. 'If a male enters a tunnel that is already occupied by a rival, they fight by locking horns and try to push each other out.'
Dr Knell tested the strength of the insects by sticking threads to their backs with superglue and placing them in artificial tunnels.
He attached the end of the thread to a pot, hung it off a pulley and slowly dripped water into the pot until the beetle could withstand the weight no longer, he reported in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Dr Knell said he was 'pretty confident' that the dung beetle was the strongest animal in the world, adding: 'If anyone knows of one that is stronger, I'd like to hear from them.
