Animals With The Biggest Claws
The claws are a fundamental part of the body of many animals and they perform various tasks such as defense, foraging, and survival. There are many species with impressive claws, but today we would like to introduce you to the animals with the largest claws.
The animals with the largest claws in the world are extinct
Scientific advancement and fossil research have enabled us to prove that the animals with the largest claws were a species of dinosaur. This is the monstrous being that adorns our cover picture.
Scientists call it Therizinosaurus, popularly known as the Scythe Lizard.
According to analyzes , the Therizinosaurus’ claws could be up to half a meter long, so they hung from its front paws.
These peculiar beings lived at the end of the Cretaceous Period. This means that 75 million years ago they inhabited the continent we now call Central Asia.
We may think of the Scythe Lizard as a powerful hunter because of its huge claws. But nothing could deviate further from reality.
Scientists from the University of Portsmouth (England) determined that it was most likely a herbivore.
So what were these giant claws used for? Mainly they were a defensive weapon, which at the same time allowed the animal to cling to the typical plants of its habitat in order to be able to eat in peace.
So the Therizinosaurus was the animal with the biggest claws?
Everything points to that, but the answer also depends on our point of view. If we speak of the length of the claws, there is no animal that can match it.
However, if we look at the proportion between body size and claw length, things look very different again.
Unfortunately, it has not yet been possible to restore a complete skeleton of the Scythe Lizard. Therefore, it is impossible to calculate the proportions between the animal’s claws and bones.
Therefore we would like to name some proportionally considered animals with the largest claws in the following.
4 live animals with the largest claws, proportionally considered
If we consider the proportion between the claws and the size of the animal, the most interesting are the following:
1. Giant armadillo
The giant armadillo has proportionally the longest claws in the animal kingdom. The animal is around 90 to 100 cm tall and its claws can reach up to 20 cm.
This means that this animal’s claws make up 22% of its body. They are mainly used for digging and foraging for food. However, if it feels threatened, the armadillo can also use it for defense.
2. Sloth
The two-toed sloth can grow up to 70 cm long and its claws reach about 10 cm in length. That is, proportionally, they take up about 14% of his body length.
Not only do they help him maneuver in the trees, but they are also a wonderful weapon of defense. Since the sloths are neither particularly fast nor have sharp teeth, their claws are important to ward off predators.
3. Harpy
Proportionally, the harpy is the bird with the largest claws in the world. This magnificent bird not only lives in the USA, its habitat also extends from central to parts of South America. Its claws are about 10 cm long and take up 7% of its body length.
4. Star-nosed mole
The so-called star-nosed mole is a burrowing mammal. He is particularly noticeable because of the star-shaped growth on his nose. This species has the longest claws in its animal family, taking up about 6.5% of its body length.
