Think you've seen big animals? Wait till you meet the ancient giants that make today's creatures look tiny! From mega-sloths to colossal dragonflies and snakes bigger than buses, this video explores nature's forgotten titans. Dive in for wild facts and prehistoric surprises! Subscribe for more awesome content and drop a comment on which giant blew your mind! #animals #prehistoric #nature #history #funfacts
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@noelpolotv
0:00 - Introduction to Ancient Giants
0:57 - Arthropleura: Giant Millipede
2:32 - Titanoboa: The Giant Snake
4:08 - Megalodon: Ocean's Apex Predator
5:32 - Paraceratherium: Largest Land Mammal
6:29 - Sarcosuchus: Monster Crocodile
7:58 - Other Giant Prehistoric Creatures
10:39 - Sloths, Armadillos, and Conclusion
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@noelpolotv
0:00 - Introduction to Ancient Giants
0:57 - Arthropleura: Giant Millipede
2:32 - Titanoboa: The Giant Snake
4:08 - Megalodon: Ocean's Apex Predator
5:32 - Paraceratherium: Largest Land Mammal
6:29 - Sarcosuchus: Monster Crocodile
7:58 - Other Giant Prehistoric Creatures
10:39 - Sloths, Armadillos, and Conclusion
Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00If you think you've seen big animals before, chances are you haven't met the giants that
00:05lived in ancient times. Back then, even elephants looked small. Before we had cute armadillos and
00:12tiny scorpions, the world was home to sloths as big as buses and dragonflies you could mistake
00:18for small helicopters. In this video, we'll introduce you to the truly forgotten giants
00:24that once roamed the very land we walk on today. And we won't be talking about dinosaurs,
00:29because, let's be honest, it's easy to find big scary animals if they're millions of years old
00:35and have no living relatives today. But what if I told you that Earth was once home to gigantic
00:41creatures that are actually relatives of animals still alive today? In this video, we'll take a
00:46look at animals that are more intriguing or even scarier, because their smaller versions still
00:52exist with us in the world today. 10. Arthropleura
01:03Imagine those small centipedes in the garden that are hardly scary. Now, multiply that by 100 and put
01:10it in your living room. Congratulations, you've just made an Arthropleura. This titan of the arthropods
01:17lived about 300 million years ago. In the Carboniferous period, a time when the Earth's
01:21oxygen levels were so high that even small creatures suddenly became giants. And that creature did that
01:28exceptionally well. It reached up to 2.5 meters in length, like the mother of all centipedes in history.
01:35But despite its appearance, these creatures were vegetarians. It wasn't a predator. It preferred
01:41fallen leaves, decaying wood, and a healthy diet from the ancient forests. And even though it didn't
01:46have fangs, it didn't need them because its sheer size was already terrifying. Its segmented body had
01:53a shell resembling a steampunk nightmare, making it look like a walking fortress. It grew this big because
01:59of oxygen, since during that time, the oxygen level was so high that giant insects were possible.
02:05That's something that's almost impossible today, which is actually a good thing. And since it had almost
02:10no predators, it was the king of the forest. So next time you see small centipedes crawling on the
02:16sidewalk, remember, they're harmless now. But back in the day, it had a distant relative that could
02:21actually go head to head with you. And maybe that's exactly where people's fear of large crawling
02:27creatures came from. Number 9, Titanoboa.
02:37If you're already creeped out by ordinary snakes, get ready because this is the real nightmare of the
02:43tropical jungle. With a length of 13 meters as long as a school bus and weighing over a ton, the
02:49Titanoboa is
02:50undoubtedly the queen of all snakes. If you think today's python is big next to this monster, it looks
02:56like a toy, just like a rope for children's games. The Titanoboa lived about 60 million years ago after
03:02the dinosaurs disappeared. And the world entered a calmer era. But that wasn't true for the animals
03:08that lived in the ancient swamps of South America. Because of that, this giant snake silently waited for
03:15any creature big enough to satisfy its hunger. Like crocodiles, alligators, giant turtles,
03:20and maybe even ancient animals that were unlucky enough to pass by its spot. What's even more unusual
03:26is that it's not venomous. It doesn't rely on poison, but on pure strength. It crushes its prey with a
03:32pressure that reaches almost 400 kilograms per square centimeter. That's enough force to crush bones
03:38like snapping a cracker. It grew this way because of the extremely hot and wet climate back then.
03:44And these were perfect conditions for cold-blooded animals to grow without limitations. During that
03:49time, the world was like a playground for giants. So, the next time you see an anaconda or a python,
03:55be thankful for our current climate because they don't grow beyond 10 meters. Because if the
04:01Titanoboa were still alive, they'd just look like pet snakes next to it.
04:098. Megalodon
04:13If the great white shark today is enough to make you think twice about swimming,
04:17just imagine facing its ancestor that was 18 meters long and had teeth as big as your whole hand.
04:24This prehistoric shark was the fiercest predator to ever swim the oceans. It was the king of the sea and
04:30could intimidate even the most ferocious great white shark. Meg, as those who know him call him,
04:36lived from 23 to 3 million years ago and his favorite snack was whales. And any animal that
04:42could fit in his mouth, which wasn't hard because he could swallow a small car along with the driver.
04:47His teeth could reach up to 18 tomins like sharp blades, ready to cut through anyone unlucky enough to
04:54cross his path. And the scariest part is his bite force is almost 20 tons. That means he could crush
05:01bones as easily as crushing a cracker. And for comparison, the modern great white shark only has
05:07a bite force of one ton. The Megalodon is really on a different level when it comes to grabbing a
05:12quick snack. And the reason it disappeared is because the climate got colder, the whale population decreased,
05:18and it ran out of food and that's where its reign over the ocean ended. It left today's sharks with
05:24a huge legacy and a big advantage because they no longer have to compete with it.
05:327. Paraceratherium
05:37To help you visualize how big it is, imagine four African elephants stacked on top of each other.
05:44That's how big it is. And the most interesting part is that it's actually related to today's rhinos.
05:48But it doesn't have a scary horn. And in fact, it doesn't even need one anymore.
05:53The Paraceratherium had a long neck like a giraffe, which it used to reach the high branches of trees.
06:00Imagine a rhino mixed with a giraffe, then make it as big as a truck. That's the Paraceratherium.
06:06Because of its size, it had almost no natural predators. But even so, it couldn't survive the
06:11changes in climate and environment. When the thick forests started to disappear and were replaced by
06:16dry and wide grasslands, its preferred food became scarce. And because it couldn't adapt quickly,
06:22this gradually led to its extinction.
06:296. Sarcosuchus
06:33If you think today's crocodiles are scary, get to know Sarcosuchus,
06:37the real monster of the Cretaceous period. It was 12 meters long and weighed 8 tons,
06:43like a modern crocodile multiplied by 2 and made even fiercer. And to make it clearer,
06:49it was as long as a school bus and had a jaw armed with more than 100 teeth.
06:53And these weren't small teeth like those of crocodiles. Instead, they were long and rounded,
07:00perfect for crushing anything it bit into. It could eat large fish.
07:04But many paleontologists believe that from time to time, it also snatched up small dinosaurs that
07:11got too close to the water. Of course, if you could eat a dinosaur snack, why would you settle for
07:16fish?
07:17Another intriguing detail is that it has a bump or swelling at the tip of its snout,
07:22which is believed to be used to amplify sound or to smell prey. But up to now, scientists still don't
07:28have a complete explanation for it. This means it could make a hair-raising sound while tracking
07:33you using its extremely sharp sense of smell. They lived in what is now North Africa during
07:39a time when the area was full of ancient rivers and lakes. A perfect habitat for a lurking and
07:45ambushing monster. With its strength and ambush abilities combined, it was one of the fiercest predators,
07:51even by prehistoric standards.
07:58Number 5. Bissell Bufo
08:02Meet Bissell Bufo, better known as the Toad from Hell, and that nickname is no joke.
08:08Imagine a toad as big as a soccer ball, but with the ability to devour almost any small animal that
08:14crosses its path. This prehistoric amphibian lived about 70 million years ago in Madagascar,
08:21and could grow up to 40 sun and long. But its real weapon was a mouth like a natural vacuum
08:27cleaner.
08:28And while modern frogs today are cute, quiet, and gentle, the Bissell Bufo was completely different.
08:34He was a true predator. According to studies, it had an extremely powerful bite that could crush bones,
08:39and it was possible for it to bite even small young dinosaurs or any reptile that became careless.
08:46And if you think about it, it's the amphibian version of a pit bull.
08:49Eating just mosquitoes wasn't enough for it. This one ate hardcore prey, and it's not like the kind
08:54of frog that jumps around aimlessly. There's a big chance it uses camouflage to hide among piles
08:59of plants and mud. Then when a victim passes by, that's it. Just imagine, you're a small dinosaur,
09:06just chilling, walking in the forest, then suddenly a frog jumps at you to make you its dinner.
09:12And if you already get tense when a frog jumps at you here in modern times, just
09:15imagine how big they were back then.
09:22Number 4, Meganora
09:28The Meganora is like a turbocharged dragonfly nightmare.
09:32It has a wingspan that reaches up to 70 cm. It flew over the forest during the Carboniferous period,
09:40about 300 million years ago. And to give you an idea, it's as big as a modern falcon. And if
09:46the idea
09:47of a giant insect already creeps you out, just imagine the moments when it flies towards you.
09:52This gigantic dragonfly was a very hungry predator. And it's not like the modern dragonflies that eat
09:59small insects. Meganora used its powerful jaws to catch bigger prey, other large insects,
10:06and sometimes even small amphibians. During that time, the oxygen levels in the air were really high,
10:12which allowed arthropods to grow extremely large. And if it weren't for that, this dragonfly wouldn't
10:18have grown that big. Imagine the sound when its wings beat above the forest. You'd probably hear the
10:23insect's helicopter-like noise before you even see it. If nowadays it's already scary when small dragonflies
10:30come near, then you'd better be ready to jump instantly and pray that it doesn't come your way.
10:39Number 3, Megatherium
10:45If today's sloth is known for being slow and cute, this giant was very different. It's not a small,
10:51cute animal. It's monumental. Imagine a sloth the size of an elephant, about 6 meters long and weighing
10:58up to 4 tons. It walked slowly and peacefully through the forests and grasslands of South America and
11:05survived until about 10,000 years ago. Despite its size, it was an herbivore, quiet and focused on eating
11:12leaves, branches, and shrubs. It was not a carnivore. It did not hunt. Its life revolved only around eating
11:19plants and exploring the canopy. With the size of Megatherium's claws, it could knock down entire
11:25trees, or strip high branches to reach the leaves, as if it were a giant landscaper of the forest.
11:32In addition, these claws were also enough to scare off any predator that would dare to come close.
11:38All you need to remember is that, despite its incredible size, Megatherium was really slow,
11:43and its main defense was its weight. It was so heavy that most predators would rather stay away.
11:50And what sane animal would attack a creature that looked like a fur-covered tank?
12:002. Pulmonoscorpius
12:05Imagine an ordinary scorpion, the kind you definitely don't want to see, especially when you're out camping.
12:10Now, multiply that by 10 to 15. That's the pulmonoscorpius. This giant arthropod lived
12:17around 340 million years ago during the Carboniferous period and grew up to 70 centimeters long. And yes,
12:25it's almost as big as a cat. But instead of fur, it has a tough exoskeleton, large pincers, and a
12:32terrifying stinger on its tail. Pulmonoscorpius is no joke when it comes to hunting. With its powerful
12:40pincers, it can grab its prey before finishing it off with its tail. And as for the venom,
12:45we're not sure how potent it really is. But based on its size and the era it lived in,
12:50it was probably enough to stop small vertebrates back then, and make anyone with good instincts
12:56back away. In addition, Pulmonoscorpius was not alone. During that time, almost every corner of the
13:03forest was home to giant creatures. That's why seeing a gigantic scorpion back then was as normal
13:10as seeing a squirrel on a tree today. Imagine the situation. You're walking, and instead of a small
13:16squirrel, a giant scorpio passes by on the road. And if you're already careful with small scorpions
13:22nowadays, just imagine how tense you'd be if you stumbled upon one as big as a pulmonoscorpius.
13:27You'd instantly get a flight response here, and you might even run away from your own shadow.
13:32With its appearance like a mini-monster, this is probably the definition of staying safe at a distance.
13:421. Geliptudun
13:48Imagine an armadillo then now, add armor to it like a tank. That's what Geliptudun can do. A gigantic,
13:54prehistoric creature that's a relative of the armadillo and sloth. It's like a fusion of an
13:59armadillo in a battle tank, with a length of 3 meters, and a weight of up to 2 tons. It's
14:04as big
14:05as a Volkswagen Beetle, and almost its entire body is covered in a hard shell, enough to scare off any
14:11predator that tries to get close. Its armor is made of bony plates that cover its entire body. Even its
14:19head has a bony helmet for extra protection, and its tail is like a real club, strong and can be
14:25used
14:25to defend itself or drive away anyone who tries to attack from a distance. But despite its scary
14:31appearance, it is a herbivore, and spends its days eating plants and grass. And it walked in South and
14:37North America from 2 million to 10 thousand years ago. That's why its discrete lifestyle is so unique and
14:43effective. Because even when humans arrived, it is believed that it disappeared due to climate change
14:49and human hunting. Between the toads from hell, giant scorpions as big as cats and giant sloths,
14:59we can see that life on earth back then was like a live show of giant horrors. And the funniest
15:05part is,
15:06many of these giants were herbivores and just quietly ate plants, but they were bigger and scarier
15:12than their modern versions today. If you liked this video, click the like button and subscribe to our
15:18channel. And if there's anything else you want to know or want us to make content about, just leave
15:22a comment in our comment section.
Comments