The question of the strongest animal in the world depends entirely on how strength is measured. If strength is defined by the sheer total mass an animal can move (absolute strength), the champion is a massive creature that dominates the land. If the measure is power relative to an animal’s own body weight (relative strength), the title belongs to a tiny insect. Comparing these scales reveals that biomechanics favor small organisms for pound-for-pound power, while large mammals excel at moving monumental amounts of weight.
Defining Strength Metrics
Strength is separated into two categories: absolute strength and relative strength. Absolute strength refers to the maximum total force an animal can exert or the total mass it can move, regardless of its size. This metric naturally favors the largest organisms because muscle cross-sectional area directly correlates with the force generated, leading to greater total power output.
Relative strength is a ratio calculated by dividing the maximum weight an animal can move by its own body weight. This measurement determines the animal’s “pound-for-pound” strength, offering a standardized comparison across species. Biomechanical principles dictate that as an animal’s size decreases, its relative strength increases, resulting in a higher strength-to-weight ratio.
The Contenders: Absolute Strength
When strength is measured by the maximum mass an animal can physically move, the African bush elephant is the undisputed terrestrial champion. These colossal mammals can weigh over 6,000 kilograms and are capable of carrying up to 9,000 kilograms of weight. Their trunk is a powerful appendage containing over 40,000 muscle units, allowing them to lift objects weighing hundreds of kilograms and move heavy debris.
The elephant’s massive size provides the necessary muscle cross-section to generate this tremendous total force. In the marine environment, the Blue Whale generates immense thrust, estimated at 6,300 kilograms (13,900 pounds), to propel its body. However, the elephant’s capacity for lifting and carrying solid mass often earns it the title of the strongest animal by brute force. These large animals are limited to moving only one to one-and-a-half times their own body weight.
The True Champion: Relative Strength
The title for the strongest animal on the planet belongs to a tiny creature that wins by the metric of relative strength. The male Onthophagus taurus, a species of dung beetle, can pull a load equivalent to 1,141 times its own body weight. To put this feat into perspective, a human male with this proportional strength could pull six double-decker buses filled with people. This extraordinary power is essential for the beetle’s survival, as it uses its strength to roll balls of dung for food and breeding chambers, and to fight off rivals.
The beetle’s astonishing performance is possible due to its small size and superior biomechanical design. Smaller animals have a greater ratio of muscle cross-section to body volume than larger animals. Their high muscle-to-body mass ratio, coupled with a rigid, lightweight exoskeleton, allows for highly efficient muscle attachment and leverage, surpassing insects like the rhinoceros beetle, which lifts 850 times its own weight.
Specialized Forms of Power
Beyond the lifting and pulling capacity of absolute and relative strength, power manifests in highly specialized forms. The saltwater crocodile possesses the strongest bite force ever measured in a living animal, exerting over 3,700 pounds per square inch (psi). This incredible crushing power is used for holding onto large prey and is a specific form of predatory strength.
Other animals specialize in focused gripping strength. The coconut crab, the largest terrestrial arthropod, has claws capable of exerting a pinching force nearly 90 times its own weight, potentially reaching 3,300 Newtons. Gorillas are also exceptionally strong in their upper body, with the ability to lift an estimated 800 kilograms of dead weight. This power is primarily used for locomotion and territorial displays rather than pure lifting.