What the largest alligator to ever exist on planet looked like
What is the largest animal still existing on Earth (Illustrative photo: pixabay.com)
In ancient times, many giant animals on Earth crawled, walked, flew, or swam. Most of them have ceased to exist over the millennia of the planet's history. However, some of them still impressed with their size.
IFL Science reveals what animal this is and in which waters it can be seen.
The largest was recognized as a massive alligator found in 1890 in Louisiana. It measured 5.85 meters in length. Just imagine, one of the tallest basketball players in the world, Shaquille O'Neal, stands at 2.16 meters, and this alligator was nearly three times bigger.
The history of this alligator is very mysterious, and its size was never verified, while the life of the animal ended tragically.
On Marsh Island, 17-year-old Edward "Ned" Avery McIlhenny was hunting ducks in the swamp when he spotted a giant creature. The boy thought the animal was dying from the cold and decided to end its suffering by shooting the alligator.
The next day, he returned to the alligator’s body with two friends because he wanted to pull the animal out of the water and skin it. However, they were unable to do so because the alligator was too large and heavy, and it was located in a swampy area - they couldn't pull it out.
To measure the animal, Edward used his rifle, knowing it was thirty inches long. According to his calculations, the alligator’s length was 19 feet and 2 inches (about 5.85 meters).
No one ever verified McIlhenny’s words. In his adulthood, he became not only a passionate naturalist but also a successful businessman - his family founded the company that makes Tabasco sauce. In 1935, Ted wrote a book about alligators, titled The Alligator's Life History.
Another giant alligator was found in Mississippi in 2023. It measured 4.3 meters in length, weighed 364 kilograms, and was caught in August during the alligator hunting season.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest crocodile is a saltwater crocodile named Cassius. It measures 5.48 meters.
The largest crocodile ever kept in captivity was a 6.17-meter-long saltwater crocodile named Lolong, which was captured in the Philippines in September 2011. He died in 2013.
Today, there are many animals hidden from human sight in various places around our planet, possessing incredible sizes. Perhaps one day, we will have the chance to encounter them.
Earlier, we shared that scientists discovered the smallest frog on the planet.
