Animals can broadly be divided into vertebrates and invertebrates. They can be classified according to their shape and sizes, body structures, characteristics, species and sub-species. They can also be classified as groups using a hierarchical system. Their behavior or relationships based on the principle of evolution also help to classify them. Widely, the study of animals is called Zoology. There are many families in the animal kingdom that are distinguished according to their sizes and color. In this article we are going to discuss about the muscular strength and characteristics of some interesting animals.
African elephants are known to be the largest mammal walking on earth. A genetic study, in 2010, concluded that the African forest elephant and the bush elephant are two distinct species. The African bush elephant being the larger one than the forest elephant. The bush elephant is the heaviest being because of its muscles. Its trunk alone consists over 100,000 muscles and tendons, which has the strength to carry weight of about 19000 lbs which is over a hundred people weighed together.
The male African bush elephants weigh about 6 tons, and on an average are about 10.5 feet tall at the shoulders. The females are lesser in height than the males, weighing 3 tons and is about 8.5 feet tall at the shoulders. Half of the muscular strength of these elephants are in their trunk which is extremely flexible. It can expand, contract and enables the animal to move in different directions as it likes. It is so powerful and has such force that it can tear down a hundred trees and can defend themselves by blowing over almost anything that threaten their lives.
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The kangaroos are the largest species of marsupials belonging to the Macropodidae family. They are largely found in Australia. The largest male kangaroos can be 6 feet 7 inches tall and weigh over 90 kilograms. The tail of the kangaroo is the most muscular part of their physique and it is also considered to be its 'fifth leg' as the tail itself is very strong to support the entire weight of the kangaroo. They use their tail to propel themselves while walking, transforming their tail into a 'fifth leg'. A study done by Biology Letters has concluded that until now, no other land animal is known to use their tail in this style. Their hind legs are known to have large elastic tendons, which stores energy enabling to spring in action and hop more efficiently. This effect is more prominent in kangaroos because their muscles are connected to their skeletons via the elastic tendons.
Therefore, they can hop at the speed of 20 kilometers per hour. One single hop can cover 7 meters. Their shoulder muscles make them adept swimmers too. They can use their fore-paws to drown predators underwater. Kangaroos can be very aggressive. Both sexes may combat for drinking or grazing spot. "Boxing" is like a ritual among the males. Before combating they stand high in posture and tantalize by pawing at each other's heads, chests, and shoulders. A sight we may also see among humans. They can lock their forearms and kick each other's abdomen. Their muscular strength enables them to wrestle, push and also maintain balance while combating. Many times they get fatally injured.
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They are known to be powerful omnivores and belong to a large sub-species of brown bear. They are found in North America and are more aggressive than the black bears. They generally weigh over 360 kilograms. Adult female grizzlies weigh about 180 kilograms. An inland male grizzly may weigh about 272 kilograms and an average coastal male grizzly weighs around 408 kilograms. They are known to be long living animals. Their great muscular strength enables them to even take down sturdy animals like a moose. With one forceful blow of their clawed paws an animal may die. They are strong enough to toss objects weighing 700lbs. The force of their bite is what one should be afraid of.
It has been measured to be more than 8 megapascals, enough force to crush down a heavy iron ball or a bowling ball. Usually, grizzlies avoid human contact. The females are highly aggressive and attacking when they have to defend their cubs or themselves. If needed they may tear your guts out. About 70 percent of humans get slaughtered by grizzly bears. They cannot climb trees like the black bears and so they stand their ground and confront their potential attackers.
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They are known to be the largest living primates, 'knuckle-walking' on this planet. They are the closest relatives to us humans, after bonobos and chimpanzees. Though predominantly herbivorous they are robust and can outweigh the most professional human fighters. Till now the heaviest recorded silverback gorilla was found in Ambam, Cameroon. It weighed 266 kilograms and was 6 feet tall. Male gorillas weigh about 195 kilograms and females are about 70 to 115 kilograms. Though they do not show off their muscular strength which is 15 times more than a professional human wrestler. They can lift and toss over 2000 kilograms equivalent to 30 humans weighed together.
They do get into fights with each other that may result to death. Female gorillas have lesser friendly interactions and may often get aggressive towards each other. Constant scavenging for food and climbing trees do make gorillas much more muscular and robust which acts like a protective shield and increases their endurance level. There sharp canines are largely to look out for. One bite of a gorilla is far more dangerous than that of a shark.
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The popular saying "someone as strong as the ox", is the very characteristic that indicates towards this animals muscular strength. Ox is also known as a bullock in India and Australia. For thousands of years they have acted as our primitive tractors and cart riders. Oxen are farmers best employee, for plowing the agricultural fields, for pulling carts or hauling wagons, for threshing and grinding grains etc. They are like heavy built muscular orthopedics with no intelligence.
Nonetheless, there strength have always served our needs. A single ox can pull and carry loads as heavy as 900 kilograms, even over rugged terrains and roads. They can do so for a longer span compared to a horse. The American Ox weighs a 2000 pounds. That is a lot of power packed muscle.
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It is breed of beef cattle found in Belgium. It is known to have a hyper-sculpted and ultra-muscular physique. It is a heritable condition called "double muscling", in which the number of muscle fibers increases instead of the normal muscle fibers that enlarge individually.
A Belgian blue new born has a weight much greater than that of a normal calf. On an average the Belgian blue yields 20 percent more muscle than a normal cattle. Therefore, this breed requires a diet containing higher protein to cope and compensate for its altered physiological growth. The presence of large number of smaller muscle fibers makes its meat tender.
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