What is the strongest animal?
Relative to body size, the dung beetle is often called the strongest animal, pulling over 1,000 times its own weight. In absolute strength, the African elephant is the strongest.
A study of the horned dung beetle Onthophagus taurus found that males could pull about 1,141 times their own body weight, similar to a person pulling six full double-decker buses. Males use this strength to push rivals out of the tunnels where females live. Ants and some mites are also extremely strong for their size.
For sheer power, large animals win. An African elephant can lift and carry heavy logs and push over trees. Gorillas are much stronger than humans, and grizzly bears can flip heavy rocks while searching for food. In the ocean, the blue whale is the most powerful animal, able to move its enormous body at high speed.
Why small animals seem stronger
Muscle strength depends on cross-sectional area, while body weight depends on volume. As animals get bigger, their weight grows faster than their strength. That is why tiny creatures can lift many times their own weight, while an elephant cannot.
Did You Know?
The saltwater crocodile has the strongest bite ever measured in a living animal, about 16,000 newtons.