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Giant Animals




Alternatively, a giant animal can mean simply an animal which is much larger than other members of its species. For example, a Guinea Pig which was 14 inches long would be a giant guinea pig.

The term 'giant' carries some ambiguitiy; a giant insect is still, compared to a human being, rather small. This article is concerned mainly with animals that are giant in relation to the other species in their family or order.


LIST OF GIANT ANIMALS



Living animals



Extinct Animals



Mythological animals

Some giant animals are legends, or are so rare, that they have been seen only by a few people. Still other giant animals are thought to be purely local folklore and myth.

Notable Cryptozoological "giants", whose existence remains unproven include:



EVOLUTION

Giant animals can evolve naturally over millions of years, when food sources are plentiful. When the Climate is warmer, Cold-blooded animals (like lizards), plants, and insects grow larger, while Warm-blooded animals (like mammals) shrink. When the climate is colder, such as in the Ice Age s, warm-blooded animals get larger, while cold-blooded animals evolve smaller. Many of the large animals that exist today are leftovers of the hot and cold periods of the earth. Some examples of leftover animals are the Crocodile (from the time of dinosaurs) and the Polar Bear , the world's largest bear today.


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