The world of animals is filled with creatures of different sizes, types, and appearances. Some of these creatures also have rather large feet. While animals with big feet may look a bit funny, their large feet actually help them in many ways.
Animals With Big Feet
Animals with big feet can be found in just about every habitat throughout the world. Some of the animals on our list are just large in general, while others are small but have feet that are larger than their body.
1. Ostrich
Scientific Name: Struthio camelus
The ostrich may have the biggest feet in the animal kingdom, compared to its body size that is. These large birds are classified as the largest bird in the world, reaching heights of up to 9 feet and weighing as much as 320 pounds.
The ostrich is the only bird that has two toes. The middle tor features a large nail that looks more like a hoof than a toe. These long legs and big feet help the ostrich run up to 45 mph!
2. Kangaroo
Scientific Name: Macropods
Kangaroos are well known for their large back legs and feet, which help them bound up to 30 feet. In fact, kangaroos belong to the Macropod family, which literally means “big foot.”
Kangaroos use their large feet and toes for grabbing, grooming, eating, and fighting. Their forearms are much smaller and are used to help clean themselves and distribute saliva on their bodies to help keep cool.
3. Jerboa
Scientific Name: Jaculus
Despite its small stature, the jerboa has large hind feet that help them jump higher and for longer. Their front feet are much smaller but still play an important role. They, along with their tail, help to control and direct the rodent’s body.
At the end of their tail is a tuff of hair known as a bobble. As they age, this tuff of hair will get longer. The bobble helps to balance the jerboa while it is moving.
4. Elephants
Scientific Name: Loxidonta
Elephants are the largest and strongest land animal in the world, so it’s only natural that they would have big feet.
Elephants can weigh up to 10,000 pounds, so they need big feet to help support that weight. The average size of an elephant foot is 19 inches wide and long, and the actual circumference of each foot can be over 4 feet!
5. Lion
Scientific Name: Panthera leo
Lions are known as the king of the jungle, and they live up to that nickname with their sheer size. An adult male lion can grow to lengths up to 10 feet, which doesn’t include their 2 to 3 feet tall.
Their feet, which are called paws, can be up to 6 inches long and almost completely circular. These massive paws also contain the lion’s sharp claws, which can be up to 1 1/2 inches long.
A group of lions is called a pride, and it can contain as many as 30 lions. The main hunters are the females. The male lions stay behind to protect the pride while the females hunt for food to share with the others.
6. African jacana
Scientific Name: Actophilornis Africanus
The African jacana is a water bird with elongated toes and toenails. These long toes help the bird spread its weight over an area so they walk across lily pads and other floating vegetation looking for food. Because of this ability, these birds are known as “lily trotters” or ” Jesus birds.”
Jacanas are native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, The Americas, and Australia. They are rather colorful that can reach heights of about 12 inches tall.
7. Giraffe
Scientific Name: Giraffe
Giraffes are the tallest animal in the world, and they have extremely long legs that can reach 6 feet long. Even their tongues are long, measuring 21 inches in length. So, of course, these impressive animals would have big feet.
On average, the giraffe’s foot can measure 12 inches long. They use their long legs and big feet to run as much as 35 mph. With that said, however, they can only run this fast for a short period of time but can cruise at 10 mph for much longer distances.
8. Hippopotamus
Scientific Name: Hippopotamus amphibius
The hippo has a bulky body with an extremely large head, a small tail, and stumpy legs. On the end of these stubby legs are 4 toes, and each toe is covered with a hoof. These hooves, however, are more like nails, since they don’t cover the toe completely as other hooves animals do.
The male of the species can reach a weight of up to 4,000 lbs, while the female typically stays at 3,300 lbs or less. They can measure over 4 feet tall, with a length of up to 17 feet long!
They are the 3rd largest mammal on the planet. Despite being herbivores, which means they eat plants, hippos will attack and kill anything they deem as a threat.
