Animals can be extremely large, teeny tiny, or anything in between — and that’s fine. But what happens when the creatures that we’re accustomed to being small are freakishly big?
Piotr Naskrecki, an entomologist and photographer at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, recently came across a South American Goliath Birdeater, the world’s largest spider. How big is it, you ask? Oh, you know, about the size of a puppy.
I’m not typically scared of spiders, but I certainly would never ever want to encounter one of those critters.
Check out the Goliath Birdeater and more in our gallery of freakishly large animals [that really aren't supposed to be].
South American Goliath Birdeater
Where is it from?: South America (First discovered in Venezuela in April 1965).
How big can it get?: Its leg span can reach up to a foot with a body the size of a large fist. It can weigh more than 6 oz., which is about the size of a young puppy.
The Grey German Giant Rabbit
Where is it from?: Germany
How big can it get?: These bunnies are about the size of a dog. In 2006, the prize for the largest rabbit went to a bunny that weighed about 23 pounds. When on its hind legs, this same bunny was about the size of a 5-year-old child.
Echizen Kurage (also known as Nomura’s Jellyfish)
Where is it from?: Lives in the waters off the coast of Japan
How big can it get?: Its width is slightly larger than the height of a fully grown man. It can grow up to about 6 feet 5 inches and weigh about 450 pounds. It is the biggest jellyfish in the world.
Giant Freshwater Stingray
Where is it from?: Found in several rivers in Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
How big can it get?: One stingray found in the Mekong River in northern Cambodia was 14 feet long. There are unverified rumors of these stingrays growing to 1,000 pounds.
Mega-Goldfish
Where is it from?: The mega-goldfish was recently found in Lake Tahoe, Utah.
How big can it get?: The goldfish found in Lake Tahoe in 2013 was the largest on record at 14.2 inches and a little more than 4 pounds.
Trigger the Cow
Where is it from?: Trigger lives as a family pet in the U.K.
How big is it?: Trigger, a black and white Canadian Holstein Friesian, is around 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 1.1 tons. And he’s still growing.
Colossal Squid
Where is it from?: The world’s first intact adult male colossal squid was found in Antarctica’s Ross Sea in 2007.
How big is it?: That squid weighed an estimated 990 pounds and was 43 feet long.
Goliath Frog
Where is it from?: The Goliath Frog lives in the rivers of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
How big is it?: The largest known specimens can grow up to 12.5 inches and weigh about 7.2 pounds.