15 Underrated Animals That Defy Expectations with Their Strength

When we think about strong and powerful animals, we often picture big creatures like elephants or bears. However, strength can come in small packages too! 

There are amazing creatures in the world that can lift, pull, and exert force pound-for-pound that might just surprise you.

1. Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

Tigers are five times stronger, pound-for-pound, than a trained human athlete. This means a 500-pound tiger has the muscle power of 2,500 pounds.

They also have 3 to 4-inch long sharp teeth and 18 razor-sharp claws. (ref) This power helps them hunt large animals and drag them to safer places to eat.

2. Dung Beetle (Onthophagus taurus)

The dung beetle is an amazing little creature. It can pull 1,141 times its own body weight. (ref) To picture this, imagine a human dragging six double-decker buses!

This strength helps it move dung, which it uses for food and to make homes for its young.

3. Leafcutter Ant (Atta cephalotes)

Leafcutter ants are tiny but incredibly strong. In the Journal of Biomechanics, researchers say that the neck joint of a common American field ant can handle pressures that are 5,000 times heavier than the ant itself. (ref)

These ants cut pieces of leaves and bring them back to their nest, where they use them to grow a special fungus that they eat.

4. Silverback Gorilla (Gorilla)

Gorillas are powerful primates. They can lift up to 1,800 pounds, which is about ten times their own body weight. (ref)

Their strength comes from their large muscles, which they use for climbing, foraging, and protecting their family.

5. African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

The African elephant is the largest land animal, known for its massive body and strong trunk. This trunk has about 40,000 muscles and can lift more than 400 pounds. (ref)

Elephants use their trunks for many things, like eating, drinking, and socializing with other elephants.

6. Rhinoceros Beetle (Dynastinae)

The rhinoceros beetle is incredibly strong for its size. It can lift objects that weigh 850 times more than its own body.(ref)

To put that in perspective, if you weighed 110 pounds, you could lift over 93,695 pounds! This strength helps them fight and dig in the wild.

7. Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)

The harpy eagle, one of the strongest birds, can lift prey that weighs around 40 pounds, which is twice its own weight. (ref)

An apex predator, they use their sharp claws to squeeze with over several hundred pounds of force. (ref) This strong grip can crush the bones of its prey and kill it right away.

8. White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)

White rhinos can weigh over 5,000 pounds, which is about the same as a Land Rover driving on the Serengeti. (ref) Their strong neck and body muscles help them push through thick bushes and even flip over objects.

9. Orca Killer Whale (Orcinus orca)

Orcas, also known as killer whales, are strong swimmers. They can use their powerful tails to launch their 6-ton bodies completely out of the water. (ref) This display of strength is a way for orcas to communicate, hunt, or play.

10. Camel (Camelus dromedarius)

Camels are known for their strength and endurance. They can carry loads between 700 to 900 pounds and travel 30 to 40 miles a day. (ref)

Their strong legs and ability to go without water for long periods make them excellent pack animals in desert regions.

11. Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)

Polar bears are powerful animals. They can lift about 990 pounds, which is about 0.7 times their body weight. They weigh about 1 to 1.5 pounds when they are born but can grow to more than 20 times their weight in just a few months. (ref)

Their strength helps them hunt seals and survive in harsh Arctic conditions.

12. Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)

The giant Pacific octopus is a remarkable creature. Each arm has 280 suckers, giving a total of 2,240 suckers that can taste, smell, and grab objects.

The large suckers near its mouth can hold up to 35 pounds. (ref) This strength helps the octopus catch prey and open shells.

13. Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)

Hippos may look calm, but they are very strong. They have a bite force of 1,800 per square inch, which is incredibly powerful.

Despite weighing around 9,900 pounds, hippos can become aggressive, using their strong jaws to defend their territory. (ref)

14. Musk Ox (Ovibos moschatus)

Musk oxen are strong animals. A pair of them weighing about 3,306 pounds were able to pull over more than 18,800 pounds, which is more than 5.5 times their body weight. (ref)

Their strength helps them survive in cold environments.

15. Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)

The green anaconda is the largest snake in the world after the reticulated python. They can grow to over 29 feet long and weigh more than 550 pounds, measuring over 12 inches in diameter. (ref)

Female anacondas are usually much larger than males. Their size and strength make them powerful hunters in the water.

While this list highlights some of the strongest animals relative to their size, there are many more incredible species out there that showcase amazing strength in their own ways.

Keep an eye out for these amazing animals and remember that strength can come in all shapes and sizes.