"Wolverine The wolverine () (also spelled wolverene), ""Gulo gulo"" (""Gulo"" is Latin for ""glutton""), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids. A solitary animal, it has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size, with the documented ability to kill prey many times larger than itself. The wolverine is found primarily in remote reaches of the Northern boreal forests and subarctic and alpine tundra of the Northern"
"Western capercaillie The western capercaillie (""Tetrao urogallus""), also known as the wood grouse, heather cock, or just capercaillie , is the largest member of the grouse family. The largest known specimen, recorded in captivity, had a weight of . The species shows extreme sexual dimorphism, with the male twice the size of the female. Found across Eurasia, this ground-living forest bird is renowned for its mating display. The worldwide population is categorised as ""Least concern"" by the IUCN. The species was first described by Linnaeus in his ""Systema naturae"" in 1758 under its current binomial name. Its closest relative is"
"well-hidden grass-lined scrape. Vulturine guineafowl The vulturine guineafowl (""Acryllium vulturinum"") is the largest extant species of guineafowl. Systematically, it is only distantly related to other guineafowl genera. Its closest living relative, the white breasted guineafowl, ""Agelastes meleagrides"" inhabit primary forests in Central Africa. It is a member of the bird family Numididae, and is the only member of the genus ""Acryllium"". It is a resident breeder in northeast Africa, from southern Ethiopia through Kenya and just into northern Tanzania. The vulturine guineafowl is a large (61–71 cm) bird with a round body and small head. It has a longer wings,"
"Elk The elk or wapiti (""Cervus canadensis"") is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, in the world, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in North America and Northeast Asia. This animal should not be confused with the still larger moose (""Alces alces"") to which the name ""elk"" applies in British English and in reference to populations in Eurasia. Elk range in forest and forest-edge habitat, feeding on grasses, plants, leaves, and bark. Male elk have large antlers which are shed each year. Males also engage in ritualized mating behaviors during the rut, including posturing, antler"
"Vulturine guineafowl The vulturine guineafowl (""Acryllium vulturinum"") is the largest extant species of guineafowl. Systematically, it is only distantly related to other guineafowl genera. Its closest living relative, the white breasted guineafowl, ""Agelastes meleagrides"" inhabit primary forests in Central Africa. It is a member of the bird family Numididae, and is the only member of the genus ""Acryllium"". It is a resident breeder in northeast Africa, from southern Ethiopia through Kenya and just into northern Tanzania. The vulturine guineafowl is a large (61–71 cm) bird with a round body and small head. It has a longer wings, neck, legs and"
"by collecting the antlers which are shed each winter. The antlers are then auctioned with 80% of the proceeds returned to the refuge. In 2010, of antlers were auctioned, bringing in over $46,000. Elk The elk or wapiti (""Cervus canadensis"") is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, in the world, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in North America and Northeast Asia. This animal should not be confused with the still larger moose (""Alces alces"") to which the name ""elk"" applies in British English and in reference to populations in Eurasia. Elk range in forest"
"Weasel A weasel is a mammal of the genus Mustela of the family Mustelidae. The genus ""Mustela"" includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and minks. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bodies and short legs. The family Mustelidae (which also includes badgers, otters, and wolverines) is often referred to as the ""weasel family"". In the UK, the term ""weasel"" usually refers to the smallest species, the least weasel (""M. nivalis""). Weasels vary in length from , females being smaller than the males, and usually have red or brown upper coats and white bellies;"
"Gaur The gaur (, ""Bos gaurus""), also called the Indian bison, is the largest extant bovine. This species is native to South and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. Population decline in parts of its range is likely to be more than 70% during the last three generations. However, population trends are stable in well-protected areas, and are rebuilding in a few areas which previously had been neglected. The gaur is the tallest of wild cattle species. The Malayan gaur is called ""seladang"", and the Burmese gaur is called ""pyoung"" ."
"higher above the ground than other species in the genus. Great woodswallows are cooperative breeders, with most young adults remaining for a number of years with their parents to raise young. Great woodswallow The great woodswallow (""Artamus maximus""), also known as the greater woodswallow, giant woodswallow or New Guinea woodswallow is a species of bird in the family Artamidae. As its name implies, it is the largest member of the genus ""Artamus"", averaging in length and in mass. In appearance the great woodswallow is very similar to the more widespread white-breasted woodswallow but can be distinguished by its darker black"
"of the diet. Everything in this diverse family from least weasels (""Mustela nivalis""), the smallest mammalian carnivore, to wolverines (""Gulo gulo""), the largest terrestrial mustelid, have turned up as prey in golden eagle nests. The members of this family which are most regularly hunted are probably the martens, such as the American marten (""Martes americanus""), pine marten (""Martes martes"") and beech marten. The young of larger species are also occasionally hunted in Scotland and Ireland, including Eurasian otters (""Lutra lutra"") and Eurasian badgers (""Meles meles""). Similarly, amongst wolverines, “young and inexperienced” specimens are usually targeted as prey by golden eagles."
"the base. Gaurs are among the largest living land animals. Only elephants, rhinos, the hippopotamus (""Hippopotamus amphibius"") and the giraffe (""Giraffa camelopardalis"") consistently grow heavier. Two species that naturally co-exist with the gaur are heavier: the Asian elephant (""Elephas maximus"") and Indian rhinoceros (""Rhinoceros unicornis""). By most standards of measurements, gaur is the largest wild bovid alive today. However, the shorter-legged, bulkier wild water buffalo (""Bubalus arnee"") is similar in average body mass, if not maximum weight. Gaur historically occurred throughout mainland South and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China and Nepal."
"large animals on the planet. The New Zealand sea lion (""Phocarctos hookeri""), one of the rarest and most localised pinnipeds, breeds almost exclusively on the subantarctic Auckland Islands, although historically it had a wider range. Out of all permanent mammalian residents, the Weddell seals live the furthest south. There are 10 cetacean species found in the Southern Ocean; six baleen whales, and four toothed whales. The largest of these, the blue whale (""Balaenoptera musculus""), grows to long weighing 84 tonnes. Many of these species are migratory, and travel to tropical waters during the Antarctic winter. Orcas, which do not migrate,"
"known land gastropod is the African giant snail ""Achatina achatina"", the largest recorded specimen of which measured from snout to tail when fully extended, with a shell length of in December 1978. It weighed exactly 900 g (2 lb). Named Gee Geronimo, this snail was owned by Christopher Hudson (1955–79) of Hove, East Sussex, UK, and was collected in Sierra Leone in June 1976. Gastropods that lack a conspicuous shell are commonly called slugs rather than snails. Some species of slug have a red shell, some have only an internal vestige that serves mainly as a calcium repository, and others"
"Giant petrel Giant petrels form a genus, Macronectes, from the family Procellariidae, which consists of two species. They are the largest birds of this family. Both species are restricted to the Southern Hemisphere, and though their distributions overlap significantly, with both species breeding on the Prince Edward Islands, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Macquarie Island, and South Georgia, many southern giant petrels nest farther south, with colonies as far south as Antarctica. Giant petrels are very aggressive predators and scavengers, inspiring another common name, the stinker. South Sea whalers used to call them gluttons. The giant petrels are two large seabirds"
"Goliathus The Goliath beetles (named after the biblical giant Goliath) are any of the five species in the genus Goliathus. Goliath beetles are among the largest insects on Earth, if measured in terms of size, bulk and weight. They are members of subfamily Cetoniinae, within the family Scarabaeidae. Goliath beetles can be found in many of Africa's tropical forests, where they feed primarily on tree sap and fruit. Little appears to be known of the larval cycle in the wild, but in captivity, ""Goliathus"" beetles have been successfully reared from egg to adult using protein-rich foods such as commercial cat"
"is adapted to a wide range of habitats, including areas of intense human development. Like the wolf, it is distributed throughout the majority of the Holarctic, but it has avoided extirpation. The wolverine (""Gulo gulo"") is a large member of the weasel family found primarily in the arctic and in boreal forests, ranging south in mountainous regions. It is distributed in such areas throughout Eurasia and North America. The moose (""Alces alces"") is the largest member of the deer family. It is found throughout most of the boreal forest through continental Eurasia into Scandinavia, eastern North America, and boreal and"
"Mustelidae The Mustelidae (; from Latin ""mustela"", weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, martens, mink, and wolverines, among others. Mustelids are diverse and the largest family in the order Carnivora, suborder caniform. The internal classification is still disputed, with rival proposals containing between two and eight subfamilies. One study, published in 2008, questions the long-accepted Mustelinae subfamily, and suggests that the Mustelidae consist of four major clades and three much smaller lineages. Mustelids vary greatly in size and behaviour. The least weasel can be under a foot in length, while the giant otter can measure"
"Geoduck The Pacific geoduck (), scientific name ""Panopea generosa"", is a species of very large, edible saltwater clam in the family Hiatellidae. The common name is derived from a Lushootseed (Nisqually) word ""gʷídəq"". The geoduck is native to the coastal waters of western Canada and the northwest United States. The shell of the clam ranges from to over in length, but the extremely long siphons make the clam itself much longer than this: the ""neck"" or siphons alone can be in length. The geoduck is the largest burrowing clam in the world. It is also one of the longest-living animals"
"Least weasel The least weasel (""Mustela nivalis""), common weasel, or simply weasel in the UK and much of the world, is the smallest member of the genus ""Mustela,"" family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Malta, Crete, Bermuda, Madeira Island, the Azores, the Canary Islands, São Tomé, the Falkland Islands, Argentina and Chile. It is classified as least concern by the IUCN, due to its wide distribution and large population throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Least weasels from various parts of its range vary greatly"
"Great woodswallow The great woodswallow (""Artamus maximus""), also known as the greater woodswallow, giant woodswallow or New Guinea woodswallow is a species of bird in the family Artamidae. As its name implies, it is the largest member of the genus ""Artamus"", averaging in length and in mass. In appearance the great woodswallow is very similar to the more widespread white-breasted woodswallow but can be distinguished by its darker black upper side plumage and by the presence of a semi-oval black patch below the throat. The great woodswallow occurs naturally in tropical moist montane forest, usually amongst clearings with dead trees,"
"protecting the nests and checking their eggs' temperature, although it might be that none of the eggs are fertile. Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 lists ""D. coriacea"" as vulnerable, while Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992 lists it as endangered. Leatherback sea turtle The leatherback sea turtle (""Dermochelys coriacea""), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and is the fourth-heaviest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys and family Dermochelyidae. It can easily be differentiated from other modern"
"Hieraaetus The genus Hieraaetus, sometimes known as hawk-eagles, denotes a group of smallish eagles usually placed in the Buteoninae or Aquilinae subfamilies of accipitrids. They are medium-sized birds of prey inhabiting Europe, Asia, Africa, New Guinea and Australia. A recently-extinct species, the New Zealand Haasts eagle, was the largest eagle ever known, weighing up to , with a wingspan. Some authorities retain Bonelli's eagle and the African hawk-eagle in ""Hieraaetus"". Also, some retain Wahlberg's eagle in ""Aquila"", whilst still recognizing ""Hieraaetus"" as a separate genus. Molecular genetic research has found ""Hieraaetus"" to be polyphyletic with ""Aquila"". The British Ornithological Union"
"Ground beetle Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe. It is one of the ten largest animal families, as of 2015. Although their body shapes and coloring vary somewhat, most are shiny black or metallic and have ridged wing covers (elytra). The elytra are fused in some species, particularly large Carabinae, rendering the beetles unable to fly. The genus ""Mormolyce"" is known as violin beetles due to their peculiarly shaped elytra. All carabids except the quite primitive flanged"
"of the little eagle, it has been reclassified from ""Harpagornis moorei"" to the ""Hieraeetus"" genus. Hieraaetus The genus Hieraaetus, sometimes known as hawk-eagles, denotes a group of smallish eagles usually placed in the Buteoninae or Aquilinae subfamilies of accipitrids. They are medium-sized birds of prey inhabiting Europe, Asia, Africa, New Guinea and Australia. A recently-extinct species, the New Zealand Haasts eagle, was the largest eagle ever known, weighing up to , with a wingspan. Some authorities retain Bonelli's eagle and the African hawk-eagle in ""Hieraaetus"". Also, some retain Wahlberg's eagle in ""Aquila"", whilst still recognizing ""Hieraaetus"" as a separate genus."
"Achatina achatina Achatina achatina, common name the African giant snail, also known as the giant tiger land snail and gigantocochlea, is a species of very large, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinidae. The name ""Achatina"" is from ""achates"", Greek for agate. The species is believed to be native to West Africa, within 160 to 300 kilometres of the coasts of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria. ""Achatina achatina"" is routinely confiscated by quarantine authorities at United States airports, especially Baltimore, Dulles, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and"
"Leatherback sea turtle The leatherback sea turtle (""Dermochelys coriacea""), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and is the fourth-heaviest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys and family Dermochelyidae. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell, hence the name. Instead, its carapace is covered by skin and oily flesh. ""Dermochelys"" is the only extant genus of the family Dermochelyidae. ""Dermochelys coriacea"" is the only species in genus ""Dermochelys"". The"
"and the wood bison (""B. b. athabascae"")—the larger of the two and having a taller, square hump. Furthermore, the plains bison has been suggested to consist of a northern plains (""B. b. montanae"") and a southern plains (""B. b. bison"") subspecies, bringing the total to three. However, this is generally not supported. The wood bison is one of the largest wild species of bovid in the world, surpassed by only the Asian gaur and wild water buffalo. It is the largest extant land animal in the Americas. The American bison is the national mammal of the United States. The term"
"one of the largest and oldest clonal colonies on Earth. Among animals, the largest species are all marine mammals, specifically whales. The blue whale is believed to be the largest animal to have ever lived. The largest land animal classification is also dominated by mammals, with the African bush elephant being the most massive of these. The largest single-stem tree by wood volume and mass is the giant sequoia (""Sequoiadendron giganteum""), native to Sierra Nevada and California; it typically grows to a height of and in diameter. Multiple-stem trees such as banyan can be enormous. Thimmamma Marrimanu in India spreads"
"a valorous task, he would generally change himself into a least weasel. According to Matthew Hopkins, a witch hunter general during the English Civil War, least weasels were the familiars of witches. Least weasel The least weasel (""Mustela nivalis""), common weasel, or simply weasel in the UK and much of the world, is the smallest member of the genus ""Mustela,"" family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Malta, Crete, Bermuda, Madeira Island, the Azores, the Canary Islands, São Tomé, the Falkland Islands, Argentina and"
"Greater sage-grouse The greater sage-grouse (""Centrocercus urophasianus"") is the largest grouse (a bird species) in North America. Its range is sagebrush country in the western United States and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. It was known as simply the sage grouse until the Gunnison sage-grouse was recognized as a separate species in 2000. The Mono Basin population of sage grouse may also be distinct. The greater sage-grouse is a permanent resident in its breeding grounds but may move short distances to lower elevations during winter. It makes use of a complex lek system in mating and nests on the ground"
"the world and heavier than a sparrow. This is, however, abnormal, as this individual was unmated and retained an abnormal number of eggs. The largest species of giant weta is the Little Barrier Island giant weta, also known as the wetapunga. One example reported in 2011 weighed 71 g. Giant weta tend to be less social and more passive than other weta. Their genus name, ""Deinacrida"", means ""terrible grasshopper"", from the Greek word δεινός (""deinos"", meaning ""terrible"", ""potent"", or ""fearfully great""), in the same way ""dinosaur"" means ""terrible lizard"". They are found primarily on New Zealand offshore islands, having been"
"a valid taxon, being a junior synonym of ""B. b. bison"". References to ""Woods Bison"" or ""Wood Bison"" from the eastern United States confusingly refer to this subspecies, not ""B. b. athabascae"", which was not found in the region. The European bison, ""B. bonasus"", or ""wisent"", is found in Europe and the Caucasus, reintroduced after being extinct in the wild. While all bison species are classified in their own genus, they are sometimes bred with domestic cattle (genus ""Bos"") and produce fertile offspring called beefalo or zubron. The American bison and the European bison (wisent) are the largest surviving terrestrial"
"Great egret The great egret (""Ardea alba""), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret, with four subspecies found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water. Like all egrets, it is a member of the heron family, Ardeidae. Traditionally classified with the storks in the Ciconiiformes, the Ardeidae are closer relatives of pelicans and belong in the Pelecaniformes, instead."