Like all the inhabitants of Earth, animals are classified into groups according to their similarities and differences. Reptile have scales, birds have feathers, mammals are the only ones that have fur and so on. Animals are classified according to a wide range of characteristics, including genetic makeup, internal anatomy and patterns of development. Not only does this provide a reliable guide to where different animals belong in the world, but shows how certain species are related through evolution. The animal kingdom is divided into approximately 30 groups, each called a phylum. LEARN MORE

Biggest Animal
Blue Whale (Balaeonptera musculus) is the biggest animal on Earth. The largest specimen ever recorded weighed in at 187 tons.

Biggest Land Mammal
African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) is the biggest of the land mammals. The largest specimen on record had an estimated standing height of 13' and is thought to have weighed 12 tons.

Tallest Mammal
Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), found in the dry savannah and open woodland areas of sub-Saharan Africa, is the world's tallest mammal. A Massai bull (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) named George, who arrived at Chester Zoo, UK, from Kenya in Jan. 1959 is the tallest giraffe on record. Standing 19' tall, his horns almost grazed the roof of the 20' giraffe house by the time he was nine years old.

Smallest Mammal
Bumblebee or Kitti's Hog-nosed Bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai)is the smallest mammal in the world, living in Karichanaburi Province, Thailand. Its body is no bigger than a large bumblebee, with a head-and-body length of 1.1-1.3" and a wingspan of 5.1-5.7" It weighs 0.06-0.07 oz.

Slowest Mammal
Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus tridactylus) of tropical South America has an average ground speed of 6-8' per minute or 0.06-0.1 mph. In the trees it can accelerate to a blazing 15' per minute or 0.17 mph.

Fastest Land Mammal
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Over short distances up to 1,800 feet, the fastest land mammal is the Cheetah which has a possible maximum speed of 62 mph. In Feb 1999 the Cheetah Nyana-Spier, kept at Cheetah Outreach, Cape Town, South Africa, was officially timed running 109 yards in a record-breaking 6.08 sec with an acceleration of 0 to 50 mph in 3.6 sec and an average speed of 37mph.

Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra americana) Inhabiting the western United States, southwestern Canada, and parts of northern Mexico. This antelope can sustain speeds of 35 mph for 4 miles, 42 mph for 1 mile and 55 mph for 0.5 mile.

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