Wild Photos That Show The True Scale Of Things
Earth is a crazy place, full of strange and wonderful creatures and habitats that we don't really know the magnitude of until we compare it next to "the norm". You might know what an elephant is, maybe even their size, but what does that mean in comparison to a person's height? Or think about the width of a skinny rock ledge in relation to human feet.
Take a minute to size up some of these crazy comparisons.
You Caught a Pokemon
We're fairly certain this hickory horned devil is really the Pokemon Caterpie. How is it possible for a caterpillar to grow up to 5-inches long? I would hate to see one of those crawling up a tree during the summer. Good news is that I don't live in North America's deep south where this species is considered to be common.
They don't stay this big forever, and at the end of their caterpillar stage, these big boys transform into regal moths
The Mountain and His Lady
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, or The Mountain from Game of Thrones, is a professional strongman. Hitting an impressive 6-feet 9-inches and weighing an incredible 440 pounds, this beast of a human shrinks anyone who stands next to him. That includes his wife, Kelsey Henson and the random guy walking behind them in this photo (even if he is a few feet in the background).
Hopefully, Björnsson learned early on how to hug his other half without crushing her!
That's a whole lot of nope
Imagine a peaceful day. You're out fishing with a buddy and drinking a few beers. Then THAT swims up next to, what you thought was a decently sized boat. You're not rocking beer goggles, a Blue Whale three-times the size of the little vessel is right next to you.
A fully grown male can grow up to 29.9-meters long and weigh up to 330,000 pounds. These marine mammals are the largest known species on record. Long story short, everyone stays on the boat!
Coconut Crabs vs. Doggo
Also known as the robber crab or palm thief, these crabs, funnily enough, are a species of the terrestrial hermit crab. Ironic considering hermit crabs can fit in the palm of your hand. Coconut crabs, on the other hand, weight up to 9 pounds and can grow to be a little over three feet from leg to leg. That's as big as your math teacher's yardstick!
The good news is that these creatures are sparse in heavily human-populated areas.
A Fox With Wings or Bat?
Bram Stoker called, he'd like his Dracula bat back. Although, if you take the 5-foot wings away, the giant golden-crowned flying fox does resemble a fox more than a bat. They even have the pretty golden-brown fur of a fox, along with a pointed snout and ears.
I guess the scientists who named this species knew what they were doing! Sadly, these flying giants are endangered due to poachers and competition with humans for their main source of food: fruit.
Peter Cottontail Has Been Eating His Wheaties
Who needs a dog when you can have a huge, domesticated Flemish Giant rabbit hopping around the house? Those paws look to be as big as a medium-sized Border Collie! Even though this specific rabbit looks a bit annoyed with the photo-op, these creatures are docile and patient beings that are commonly kept as pets.
At 15-pounds and 4-feet long, they're a perfect size. Raise your hand if you wouldn't mind this big boy hopping into your lap for a movie night!
Just a Baby Ghost Crab to Brighten Your Day
It's so tiny! I don't want to think about how many of these creatures I've stepped on at the beach. Especially considering they're able to change color to match their environment depending on the time of day.
Ghost crabs are common shore crabs, meaning they like to live and hunt on the sand instead of in the ocean. Although I'm not entirely sure how much food this guy would actually fit into its mouth. Eating probably takes hours!
King Of The Trees
If this tree falls in the forest while no one is around, does it make a sound? I would think so! These massive trees grow 379-feet tall and 29-feet in diameter, making for one loud forest-floor "BOOM!"
Redwood trees are some of the oldest tree species on Earth, living up to more than 1,800 years. If I lived that long I'd probably turn into a tree. These beautiful trees can be found mostly along the coast of northern California and Oregon.
A Clean Anchor Makes For A Happy Ocean
Here's to hoping this gigantic anchor doesn't hit anything on the head on its way down to the seafloor. Not only can anchors weight up to 30 tons, but the links of its chain can weigh up to 500-pounds each. Talk about a broken noggin if you get caught under that weight.
With the different speeds of surface and underwater currents, it's no wonder ships need to have anchors of this magnitude. No need to drift off to sea!
Who Knew Something Could Be Dwarfed By A Grain Of Rice
Yea, this tiny computer is in a picture, and I already feel myself losing it. That's because this microscopic gizmo is scaled next to a grain of rice. To put it more mathematically, a single grain of rice can range from 5 to 7-millimeters long, while the computer measures a whopping 0.33-millimeters on each side.
How does one ever keep track of that gadget? I would bet money that even the most responsible person would misplace it!
This Lion's Mane Stings
I wonder if Marlin would be as used to these jellyfish stings as he is with the normal-sized jellies in Finding Nemo. Lion's mane jellyfish are the largest of their species, getting to be as long as 120-feet.
I'm a water person, but if I ever saw those long tentacles and huge bell swimming under me I would be sprinting towards the shoreline. Somehow, these giant sea creatures are not toxic to humans. Yay for that small mercy!
Anaconda Don't Want None...
Nope. All of South America needs to be evacuated from any and all places anaconda's reside. These snakes can grow upwards to 25-feet in length with 550 pounds of muscle. That's large enough to overpower a fully grown crocodile. Have I said nope already?
Even though these creatures are more agile in the water, I still think that worker is standing way too close to its head for the sole reason of getting a picture for Instagram.
Surf's up dude!
Even though they're not harmful to humans, I would be lying if I said I wouldn't freak out if I saw this leatherback turtle swimming under me. I mean, they can grow upwards to 7-feet and weigh1,540 pounds. That's just too much creature for comfort.
Not exactly the cute, green, hardshell sea turtle one would typically picture. Albeit terrifying, seeing this leathery guy in the wild would surely be quite the experience!
Planning Your Attack On Your Food
Now this baby turtle is more my speed, and it's not just because he is staring at that raspberry exactly as I stare at chocolate lava cake. Okay, maybe the like-mindedness makes me feel for the little guy. It can't be easy being a small turtle in this big world. Way too many predators to be wary of -- Killer whales anyone?
As long as he keeps staring intently at that little berry, we'll make sure he stays safe!
Just a Normal Beach Day In Ireland
I've found busted-up frisbees, abandoned pens, and every form of plastic imaginable, but never have I stumbled across something as memorizing as this gigantic piece of driftwood. As Instagram-worthy as this driftwood is, it makes you wonder where it could have possibly come from.
There are trees on a mountain in the background of the photo. Perhaps it fell off the top ages ago and just now made its way back to shore? Oh, the questions that keep me up at night.
Time to start praying
Excuse me while I go faint. Having to sneeze would be such a predicament on this rock face. I'm not sure if the name, Thank God Ledge, is appropriate or just downright ironic. I'd have named it "Oh, God" because that is the only thing that would be coming out of my mouth. Well, besides the distinct sound of my impending hyperventilation.
I hope all of the adrenaline junkies know what they're doing free-climbing this zero-barrier, 5-12-inch wide ledge.
Tibetan Mastiffs Can Weigh Up To 160 lbs
Standing on its own, this dog looks big, but you really see just how big it is when this woman is beside them! This dog is a Tibetan Mastiff, an ancient flock guardian dog breed that can be found around China, Tibet, Nepal and Central Asia.
They have gorgeous, fluffy coats and can reach a height of 33 inches! Generally they weigh between 100-160 lbs. They're protective of their owners so if you want a big fluffy guard dog, a Tibetan Mastiff might be for you!
A Mama Hippo And Her Baby
Hippopotamus are large animals! On average, adult males weigh 3,310 lbs and females weigh 2,870 lbs. Even though they're big creatures, they're able to run an impressive 30 mph. However when they're young, hippos can be pretty small!
Take a look at this baby with her mama. When hippos are about to give birth, they retreat to be alone, and return after 10-14 days. Baby hippos are born underwater and weight between 55 and 110 lbs at birth.
A Giant Wild Boar Looking For A Snack
Take a look at this wild boar! This big boar and their offspring were spotted going through a dumpster in Hong Kong. Not just any dumpster, but one alongside an elementary school! Hopefully whoever took this photo warned the school that there was a big hungry boar outside.
Wild boars are so strong, they can lift 40-50 lb rocks with their snouts. Males average 165-220 lbs in weight with canine teeth as long as 4.7 inches.
Giant Squids Are Seriously Giant...Like, Seriously Big
As if the ocean isn't already a scary enough place, giant squids are here to remind us when they occasionally wash ashore like this one did. They can grow to huge sizes as big at 43feet for a male and 33feet for a female!
Giant squids have long been a part of ancient lore and in the 1800s many scientists reported "strandings" of giant squids but it wasn't until 2004 that a giant squid was photographed in its natural habitat.
That Glass Better Keep Her Safe
Well, we sure hope there aren't people out there trying to hunt for one of these beasts! Whoever is the predator to crocodiles this big scare us even more!
We know that the woman inside that glass tank isn't afraid, or else she wouldn't have done it, but we're scared for her. If anything were to happen it's almost a sure thing that she would become this croc's lunch. Hopefully, you don't ever have to encounter anything like this.
Giant Wombat
The wombat this woman has in her possession is larger than life. It's just about as big as her, and that's for sure. We wonder if it easily intimidates any of the other animals it encounters.
This thing almost looks like it could be a Pokemon. All it needs is some special attacks and a cool name. Coming into contact with one of these would likely send us into shock for a couple of seconds.
That's The Heart Of A...
What you see here is the heart of a blue whale. This creature is massive so it makes sense that the heart would be three times the size of a full-grown human being.
In fact, this is the size of a Ford Fiesta! A heart that's as big as a car is mind-boggling. To get all the blood going through their bodies, this is the only size heart that would be acceptable to have for a blue whale.
Money Never Looked Smaller
What we have here is the same amount in $100 and $1 bills. The big stack is what you figure the money-makers take with them to the explicit clubs, and the small stack is what you take home after a good night at the casino.
They're both the same amount so it doesn't matter either way. The only difference is you'd have to do a whole lot more counting if you're dealing with the $1 bills opposed to the $100.
The Sun Is Large
Think about how long it takes for a flight from one coast to the other coast. It takes a while and we start to think that the Earth is this vast sphere.
The truth is, the Earth is smaller than many other planets and the sun. What you're looking at is the number of Earth's that would be able to fit inside our solar system's sun! That's insane, isn't it? That's why we get so hot in the summer.
Would You Look At That!
Some people despise birds. Others think they aren't real. Well, just be lucky that you weren't alive whenever the largest flying creature to live was around, regardless of how you feel about winged creatures.
This guy is at least four times taller than the man standing next to it. With one gulp, it can swallow that person and maybe even three extra. Imagine if this thing was still out there somewhere. How would we be able to live with it?
One Giant Statue
Pieces of art from the Renaissance to the Romanticism era were all intriguing. It's not like artwork these days isn't, but artists back then had a different outlook on life and less technology.
One of the greats of all-time, Michelangelo, created this David. We don't know what scale he used, but what if David was really this big? He's towering over the construction worker to the point that she needs assistance trying to do anything with the beast.
Des griffes énormes
It's a warm summer day and you're taking a stroll through the park, minding your business. You hear the birds chirping, you see the squirrels climbing, then out of nowhere you see the winged creature.
It's an eagle and it looks hungry. The eagle swoops down and scoops up a mouse with its large talons! You don't ever have to wonder again how they're able to pick up small dogs after seeing this. They're probably capable of picking up toddlers as well.
Watch Out For The Traffic Light!
Okay, we always drive past these things that hang in the air, but since they're so high up, we have no way of telling how large they are. With this image, now we do.
We had no clue that these things were so massive! The infrastructure that holds them up need to be secure or else the traffic light can come crashing down. If one of these lands on your car, your car is toast.
Would You Eat This One?
Grab your salt, ladies and gentlemen, we've found you the ultimate snail. We're so used to seeing tiny snails crawl across the dew-filled grass, if we came across one of these, we wouldn't know what to do!
This lady seems to be fine holding it up with one hand. We wonder if the size of it makes it faster or did it get slower? Hopefully, it became faster so it can get away from anyone in the mood for snail.
That's A Huge Ring
Fans of The Lord of the Rings will appreciate this one. No, this isn't a ring that some guy presents to his significant other after he royally messes up.
What you see here is one of the prop rings from Lord of the Rings. It's nearly a foot wide and two hands barely can hold it. This goes to show how invested movie producers are when it comes to getting even the tiny details correct.
What Is This Thing Dumping?
If you're unaware how big a regular school bus is, know that it's longer and wider than about five mini vans combined. Now that yo have a bit of a scale, what exactly is this dump truck dumping?
This is a massive dump truck in front of a school bus, with the largest wheels probably ever. Are they excavating for dinosaur bones? There's no telling what's going on or where they're headed but we know this machine is large.
Wow, Look Out For This!
Thanks to cartoon characters, people generally think that a moose is harmless. We bet you'd reconsider after seeing this image. Look how large this moose is and the antlers on the head.
This is in Canada and the moose is larger than all the cars that are nearby. One false move and you could be moose food or roadkill. We feel sorry for whatever makes this thing mad and doesn't have the power to fight back.
No Wonder Horses Are So Fast
Well, this explains a ton. The lungs that are inside of horses are monumentally large. It almost doesn't make any sense! Now, you don't have wonder how they sprint so fast for so long.
A horse's ability to run long distances at such a fast speed is fascinating, but their massive lungs explain a lot. Imagine if soccer players had lungs this large, they'd be able to play back-to-backs without needing a substitution during the game!
The Ancient Egyptians Were Busy
Exactly how the ancient Egyptians managed to build any of the pyramids still remains a mystery. If you were unaware how large they are, take a look at this and be amazed.
You can see the four humans sitting at the bottom, and one of them isn't even the size of one block! What type of science did they have access to back then for them to be able to pull something of this magnitude off?
Bolt's Speed Scaled
On a world stage with everyone watching, Usain Bolt danced his way to victory in what was the biggest race of his life thus far. Meanwhile, you have others still sprinting, emptying their reserves just to cross the finish.
Look at how far ahead bolt is, not in running form. He just celebrating before he crossed the line. This just shows how fast Bolt was in his prime and how there may never be another like him.
Massive Player Next To Small Player
Unlike basketball, baseball isn't a sport that puts too much emphasis on height. If you can play, then your chances of making the league are the same as anyone else.
Ask Jose Altuve. He's the little guy in the orange next to Aaron Judge. The second baseman may be small, but he can play the game of baseball. We wouldn't be mad at Judge if he chuckled a little after Altuve walked by him in the diamond.
Both Are Running Backs
Wow, this image is frightening for opposing teams. This is Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis, both play the running back position in the NFL. Generally, backs are around the size of Lewis (left) but a little bit bigger.
Henry, the monster on the right, dwarfs Lewis and pretty much every other back in the NFL. Defensive players have their hands full attempting to tackle this man. It has to be a unit that does it, not just one player.
Two NBA Players
Manute Bol is a former NBA player who stood 7'7" tall. He was very close to the rim and dunked without jumping. It would of been like a cheat code had he been able to do more things.
Then you have Muggsy Bogues. He stood 5'3" tall and still managed to play in the NBA. Height didn't stop him on his quest to the league. If Bol was under the rim when Bogues drove to the basket, he'd for sure stop him.
Wow, Africa Is Huge
Once again, if you thought America was big, think about that again. While it may be large to those who live in the country, Africa makes it look so tiny.
Africa is so large, it can fit four America's in it, easy. Imagine how large one America is and multiply that by four and you have the size of Africa. That means it takes even longer to get from one end of Africa to the other than it takes to travel from America to another country!
The Alpha Boat
Not all boats are made equal are here's the proof. This massive beast of a boat is docked and long enough to take up nearly the entire slip. The boat next to it, which we're guessing is some kind of maintenance vessel, has been absolutely dwarfed in size.
Of course, we wish we could tell you what kind of boat the big one is. It doesn't look like a cruise ship, so maybe it's a freight carrier. Either way, the size is not something we would have expected!
Not Quite Twins
Here we have two cats. Well, one grown cat and one kitten. This photo perfectly shows just how much a cat grows from just being born to becoming an adult.
From the looks of the identical poses, we'd say this is a momma cat and her baby. As the young one grows, its color should get brighter. And someday it will be as big as its momma, too! That doesn't matter though, this baby is beautiful regardless!
Lining Up In Size Order
Have you ever wondered just how big prehistoric animals were compared to modern counterparts? Or even humans? If curiosity has always gotten the better of you, here is the amazingly oversized answer.
Lined up in order of size from left to right we have a triceratops bone, a human female, and an elephant bone. Seeing just how big a small part of the triceratops was, makes watching a moving like Jurassic Park that much more incredible.
Excavator-ception
An excavator is a piece of heavy construction equipment that holds a boom, dipper, and bucket. It can be used for many things, and in this photo is see one being used to pick up a smaller version of itself.
We're not honestly sure what the point of all of this is, but then again, maybe that is the point. It's likely the small excavator needed to be moved to an area it would not be able to reach while being manually operated, and this was the best solution.
Sharks Come In All Sizes
The size of a shark can be determined by the size of its jaws. That means one of the sharks in this photo was epically large when it was alive. The other one - not so much.
Of course, if you came across either sized shark while diving, you would still swim away with haste. It doesn't matter what size the shark is when it's heading straight for you and there's no fish around to distract it.
Husband And Wife
This size comparison is perfect for anyone who has ever been married. The person who posted this snapshot online wrote that this is the difference in finger size between them and their husband.
So maybe the wife's ring will fit on the husband's pinky? It's interesting that looking at their hands, they probably don't notice the size difference, but once the rings come off, it becomes apparent just how much larger one set of fingers is than the other.
A Tale Of Two Busses
Ask us what the smaller bus is used for in this picture and we won't have an answer for you. It is cool to see the small bus lined up next to the larger, normal bus, but only one serves a functional purpose.
Surprisingly, it does look like there is a driver in the smaller bus, so maybe someone customized their regular car because they really wanted to be a bus driver growing up.
Which Plane Do You Choose?
The aircraft quite literally towering above the other crafts in the photo is one of the largest planes in the world. The rest are normal passenger planes. Just think how many more seats could fit on the large one!
Of course, chances are the large plane is used for the transportation of goods and not humans. Plus, who would want to be cramped on a plane in the sky with more people than you are already used to dealing with?
Which Burger Would You Choose?
It's no secret that Americans prefer large portions, but this depiction is taking it to a whole new level. Both hamburgers here contain the same elements - bun, beef, bacon, and onions, but one is more heart-stopping than the other.
Maybe this is just how the restaurant does business. If you really don't want fries with your hamburger you can order a side of... another hamburger. Sign us up!
The Tiniest Little Bird Feather
Can you believe that is an actual bird's feather in this photo? Whoever was lucky enough to find it couldn't believe it either and had to do a size comparison.
The feather is barely larger than the tip of this pencil. We can only imagine how tiny the bird it fell off of was. Maybe a hummingbird? Maybe something smaller. It's hard to tell from the pattern on the feather.
