# Animal Size Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-size-question/56232>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 28, 2001, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-size-question/56232 "2001-02-28T16:58:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2001, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-size-question/56232/1 "2001-02-28T16:58:08Z")

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Question for any biology types out there:

What is the largest animal that has a population greater than man?

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2001, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-size-question/56232/2 "2001-02-28T21:38:10Z")

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WAG:  
The Norway rat or Black rat species.

Next down, probably mosquitoes (widening range), then cockroaches, ants and termites.

What say the rest of you?

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**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2001, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-size-question/56232/3 "2001-02-28T21:46:48Z")

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I’ve heard a certain kind of shrimp is much more numerous than man. That would out-large all of those insects, but not the rats.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-size-question/56232/4 "2001-02-28T22:00:36Z")

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According to one Web site I just checked, the Guinness Book of World Records in 1989 listed domestic chickens as having a world population of 6.5 billion. If they are still more numerous than humans, they would outrank rats.

Among other birds, the Red-billed Quelea, a small African finch, is sometimes listed as having a world population of 10 billion, but usually only 1.5 billion.

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**Author:** ![Monocracy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monocracy/32/4493_2.png) [@Monocracy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monocracy)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2001, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-size-question/56232/5 "2001-02-28T23:42:20Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Ice Wolf \*  
> **Next down, probably mosquitoes (widening range), then cockroaches, ants and termites.**

Mosquitos are bigger than cockroaches? Remind me never to go to your cookouts.