In the beginning, billions of years ago, all animals used to live in water. It was not until around 425 million years ago that the first creature colonized land. Many diverse animals inhabit Earth today, from sprawling savannahs to dense forests and arid deserts. Over time, they have developed the perfect adaptations to survive there, including specialized sensory organs, lungs for breathing air, and sturdy limbs for moving around. From the towering giraffes to the tiny ants, here is everything you need to know about land animals.
What Are Animals That Live on Land Called?
Land animals are also called terrestrial animals. The word terrestrial comes from the Latin words “terrestris” (earthly) and –alis (of). When combined, they loosely translate to “of the earth.” Any terrestrial animal spends its life cycle on land.
What Was The First Land Animal?
While it’s not easy to pinpoint the earliest land animal, scientists believe arthropods, including millipedes, spiders, and centipedes, were the first to colonize Earth around 425 million years ago. This claim is backed by the fact that the oldest millipede-like fossil, Kampecaris obanensis, was found on the Scottish island of Kerrera.
It’s also not clear why they left the waters for land. However, scientists believe the animals wanted to feed on decaying plant materials. Vertebrates like the Tiktaalik, a fish with limb-like fins, transitioned into land animals about 375 million years ago. This marked the beginning of the tetrapod evolution.
Land Animal with the Most Legs
The Eumillipes, a millipede genus, is the land animal with the most legs. Commonly found in Western Australia, this millipede can have as many as 1300 legs. It was the first millipede discovered (and recently so) to have more than 1000 legs.
Fastest Land Animal
The cheetah is the fastest land animal. It can reach up to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h) in short bursts. Cheetahs also have incredible acceleration; they can go from 0 to 60 mph (97km/h) in a few seconds, making them faster than most sports cars.
Long legs, flexible spine, large nasal passages, and lightweight body contribute to a cheetah’s speed. They mostly come out on top in their duels with prey like antelopes and gazelles. Other land animals like pronghorns, quarter horses, and springboks are also remarkably swift.
Largest Land Animal
Commonly found in sub-Saharan Africa, the African bush elephant is undoubtedly the largest land animal. To put this into perspective, adult males can reach as high as 13 feet (4 meters) at the shoulder and weigh about 14,000 pounds (6,350 kilograms). Despite their massive sizes, the African bush elephants aren’t aggressive unless provoked. They have immense strength, intriguing social structures, and unbelievable intelligence.
Tallest Land Animal
Giraffes hold the record for the tallest land animal. Adults can reach towering heights of up to 18 feet (5.5 meters), with their long necks covering about 6 feet (1.8 meters). The animals can comfortably feed on high vegetation, including acacia trees, which other herbivores can’t easily access. Giraffes are graceful, beautiful creatures that most people like to spot while on safari.
Smallest Land Animal
Telling the largest land animal is easy because we can see and tell how massive African elephants are. The struggle comes in identifying the smallest land animal. With that in mind, scientists and researchers agree that a frog species called Paedophryne amanuensis probably holds this record.
Native to Papua New Guinea, this amphibian averages 7.7 millimeters (0.3 inches) in length and is about the size of a housefly. It is the world’s smallest known vertebrate.
Smartest Land Animal
Besides humans, conflicting evidence and arguments make it hard to tell the smartest land animal. Most people believe chimpanzees and orangutans are the most intelligent, partly because they are the closest relatives to humans. However, we can also make a case for elephants who have displayed incredible brilliance in the past. The gentle giants can recall migration routes, find water and food, and differentiate between different groups of predators.
Dumbest Land Animal
The battle between koalas and giant pandas regarding who is the world’s dumbest animal is usually close. Most people view these creatures as dumb because of their limited cognitive abilities and highly specialized diet of eucalyptus leaves, which are low in nutrients and mildly toxic.
Slowest Land Animal
The three-toed sloth is perhaps the slowest land animal, averaging 0.15 miles per hour (0.24 km/h). Even in trees, where they spend most of their time, the creatures only move slightly faster and are still astonishingly sluggish. Scientists attribute the three-toed sloth’s slow pace to an adaptation that sees it conserve the little energy from its diet.
Mammalian Land Animals
Mammals make up the biggest chunk of land animals. They include:
- Tiger
- Lion
- Wolf
- Elephant
- Kangaroo
- Zebra
- Bear
- Deer
- Gorilla
- Cheetah
- Bison
- Rhino
- Anteater
- Skunk
- Raccoon
- Camel
- Hedgehog
- Armadillo
- Fox
Reptilian Land Animals
Examples of reptiles that live on land include:
- Tortoises
- Komodo dragon
- Chameleon
- Monitor lizard
- Gila monster
- Skink
- Anole
- Iguana
- Gecko
- Snakes
- Bearded dragon
- Frilled-neck lizard
- Armadillo girdled lizard
- Tuatara
- Horned lizard
Birds That Live on Land
Here is a list of birds that spend the majority of their time on land:
- Emu
- Kiwi
- Roadrunner
- Rhea
- Ostrich
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Pheasant
- Peacock
- Cassowary
Invertebrate Land Animals
Some invertebrates, too, spend time on land. They include:
- Cockroach
- Termite
- Scorpion
- Millipede
- Ant
- Earthworm
- Spider
- Snail
Conclusion
Land or terrestrial animals spend the better part of their life cycles on land. They have different adaptations, including complex respiratory systems, limbs, and sensory organs, allowing them to thrive in their habitats. Additionally, various species have varying mannerisms. For instance, some are incredibly fast, while others are painfully slow.
