# Has the largest living animal ever been a carnivore rather than a herbivore? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190 "2010-06-23T00:52:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/1 "2010-06-23T00:52:16Z")
If so, when, and what was the animal in question? I mean, of course, the largest living carnivore or herbivore in a given epoch. I’m sure there were, for instance, meat-eating dinosaurs that were much larger than any elelphant, but they didn’t live at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/2 "2010-06-23T00:55:21Z")
The current winner, the Blue Whale, isn’t a herbivore. There has never been a larger animal. > **[Blue whale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_whale#Feeding)** > > The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal and a baleen whale. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of 29.9 meters (98 ft) and weighing up to 199 tonnes (196 long tons; 219 short tons), it is the largest animal known ever to have existed.\[a\] The blue whale's long and slender body can be of various shades of greyish-blue dorsally and somewhat lighter underneath. Four subspecies are recognized: B. m. musculus in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, B. m. intermedia in the South... ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/3 "2010-06-23T00:55:51Z")
The current largest living animal, the blue whale, is a carnivore, feeding mainly on krill. ([cite](http://www.blue-whale.info/Blue_Whale_Diet.html)) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/4 "2010-06-23T00:58:26Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > The current largest living animal, the blue whale, is a carnivore, feeding mainly on krill. ([cite](http://www.blue-whale.info/Blue_Whale_Diet.html)) Good point! I was coming back to specify that I meant _land_ carnivore versus land herbivore. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/5 "2010-06-23T00:59:15Z")
The Blue Whale is the largest animal currently alive, or ever known to have lived. It is a carnivore. It lives on a diet of krill (tiny shrimp.) The animals it eats may be tiny, but they still count as living creatures. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/6 "2010-06-23T01:00:16Z")
Damn, beaten to it. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/7 "2010-06-23T01:02:54Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Damn, beaten to it. You can still prove you are smarter than the average bear by finding a land carnivore that was larger than any herbivore with which it was contemporary. I believe in you! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/8 "2010-06-23T01:07:22Z")
Well, wikipedia says some sauropods were bigger, but none more massive than the blue whale. Hey, fun fact of the day, the _tallest_ primate is … humans. Huh. Cool. > [@](#): > > I was coming back to specify that I meant land carnivore versus land herbivore. Thing is, I never think about largest land carnivore, or heaviest dinosaur, because the blue whale always wins. It’s always going to be biggest. No predators. No need to support it’s own weight. It’s food just floats into it’s mouth. What animal can compete with that lifestyle. Except humans. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/9 "2010-06-23T01:09:31Z")
Yog-Sosoth was/is larger than any land herbivore. Judging by his/her large pointy teeth, all incarnations of Godzilla are carnivores. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/10 "2010-06-23T01:15:21Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Yog-Sosoth was/is larger than any land herbivore. Judging by his/her large pointy teeth, all incarnations of Godzilla are carnivores. This is what I get for de-mobbing the flying monkeys. > [@Arkcon](#): > > Well, wikipedia says some sauropods were bigger, but none more massive than the blue whale. Hey, fun fact of the day, the _tallest_ primate is … humans. Huh. Cool. > > Thing is, I never think about largest land carnivore, or heaviest dinosaur, because the blue whale always wins. It’s always going to be biggest. No predators. No need to support it’s own weight. It’s food just floats into it’s mouth. What animal can compete with that lifestyle. Except humans. You realize I meant animals that existed at roughly the time, no? And of course I earlier conceded that it was necessary to specify land, so as to leave out Big Blue. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/11 "2010-06-23T01:35:19Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Yog-Sosoth was/is larger than any land herbivore. Judging by his/her large pointy teeth, all incarnations of Godzilla are carnivores. **Yog Sosoth** is a contemporary Doper. Yog Sothoth was a Lovecraftian Great Old One, presumably with either a palatal deformity or an avid speaker of Castellaño. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/12 "2010-06-23T01:37:22Z")
> [@Arkcon](#): > > Thing is, I never think about largest land carnivore, or heaviest dinosaur, because the blue whale always wins. It’s always going to be biggest. No predators. No need to support it’s own weight. It’s food just floats into it’s mouth. What animal can compete with that lifestyle. Except humans. Yep, they must sit around and curse our opposable thumbs. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/13 "2010-06-23T01:51:34Z")
During the early Permian period, invertebrates may have been the largest land animals, and carnivorous. At some time in the Triassic period large crocodilians may have been the largest land animal and carnivorous. Immediatly following the K-T extinction, it’s not clear what animals survived, and the largest land animal could have been a carnivore. Those cases are speculative. Various theories suggest reasons why vegetarian prey animals tend to be larger than contemporary predators, but nothing that makes it a hard and fast rule. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/14 "2010-06-23T01:54:36Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Judging by his/her large pointy teeth, all incarnations of Godzilla are carnivores. Do you have a cite for this? None of the documentaries I’ve seen show Godzilla actually eating anything. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/15 "2010-06-23T02:29:16Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Do you have a cite for this? None of the documentaries I’ve seen show Godzilla actually eating anything. This is the sort of nit-picky shit that ruins General Questions. Of course none of the documentaries have shown Godzilla eating, that was why I had to infer from his/her/its teeth that Godzilla is a carnivore. Pay attention!!! > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > This is what I get for de-mobbing the flying monkeys. Well, you are the one that specified land animals. That kinda leaves you screwed on summoning your flying monkeys or radioactive bees, now doesn’t it? > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > You realize I meant animals that existed at roughly the time, no? And of course I earlier conceded that it was necessary to specify land, so as to leave out Big Blue. We all saw you move the goal post because the answer to the OP was so obvious that any fifth grader would be able to get it. The question was answered in one. > [@Polycarp](#): > > **Yog Sosoth** is a contemporary Doper. Yog Sothoth was a Lovecraftian Great Old One, presumably with either a palatal deformity or an avid speaker of Castellaño. _I_ was speaking of the contemporary Doper. The Great Old Ones are purely fictional. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/16 "2010-06-23T02:32:04Z")
This one is really borderline but intriguing. Late Triassic Period. Dinosaurs have replaced theropods for the most part. Biggest landliving animals are the herbivorous Prosauropods (a misnomer since they weren’t ancestral to the big sauropods of the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, but instead an earlier related radiation from a common ancestor). However, in the seas lives a giant primitive Ichthyosaur that is, like orcas on ice floes, able to hurl itself on land to prey on land animals near the shoreline (how they know this is that fossil specimens have been found with small land-living dinosaurs in their abdominal areas). It was significantly larger than even the plateosaurs and melanorosaurs that were the largest contemporary dinosaurs. Definitely not land-living, but predatory on land animals? You bet. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/17 "2010-06-23T02:53:05Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Do you have a cite for this? None of the documentaries I’ve seen show Godzilla actually eating anything. She eats lots of people in the Matthew Broderick flick. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/18 "2010-06-23T02:56:35Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Well, you are the one that specified land animals. That kinda leaves you screwed on summoning your flying monkeys or radioactive bees, now doesn’t it? I have specifically said on several recent occasions that I have neither flying monkeys nor radioactive bees. Please update your records. > [@](#): > > We all saw you move the goal post because the answer to the OP was so obvious that any fifth grader would be able to get it. The question was answered in one. What goal posts? I’m not issuing a challenge; I’m ASKING a QUESTION. I couldn’t think of a land carnivore that was larger than the larger contemporaneous land herbivore, but I was wondering if anyone else might know of one. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/19 "2010-06-23T02:58:38Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > This one is really borderline but intriguing. Late Triassic Period. Dinosaurs have replaced theropods for the most part. Biggest landliving animals are the herbivorous Prosauropods (a misnomer since they weren’t ancestral to the big sauropods of the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, but instead an earlier related radiation from a common ancestor). However, in the seas lives a giant primitive Ichthyosaur that is, like orcas on ice floes, able to hurl itself on land to prey on land animals near the shoreline (how they know this is that fossil specimens have been found with small land-living dinosaurs in their abdominal areas). It was significantly larger than even the plateosaurs and melanorosaurs that were the largest contemporary dinosaurs. Definitely not land-living, but predatory on land animals? You bet. I agree with both qualifications in your first sentence. Thanks! Anybody got a less borderline example? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190/20 "2010-06-23T02:59:52Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > What goal posts? I’m not issuing a challenge; I’m ASKING a QUESTION. I couldn’t think of a land carnivore that was larger than the larger contemporaneous land herbivore, but I was wondering if anyone else might know of one. I’m pretty sure there never was and never will be a land carnivore larger than a larger herbivore, on land or sea, contemporaneous or not. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-largest-living-animal-ever-been-a-carnivore-rather-than-a-herbivore/544190.md?page=2)