The Strongest Herbivores in History
Luckily for us and other animals, some of the most powerful beasts that have ever existed preferred their meals to be of the vegetable variety. Provoking any of these animals would’ve resulted in serious injury, but left unbothered, they would’ve been unlikely to take a bite out of someone. Here are some of the strongest herbivores in history.
Gorillas
Gorillas are not to be messed with because they will defend themselves, their troops (groups of gorillas), and their territories at all costs. A trained gorilla can lift about 4,000 pounds, so it’s best to stay out of its way. In general, however, these extremely intelligent primates live docile existences and behave similarly to humans. They communicate and use tools, and though they’re strong, they are herbivores. Even with their immense size and strength, they get their protein and nutrients from plant life.
Elephants
When we think of elephants, we usually think of enormous creatures that roam miles and miles a day. These creatures aren’t known for being overly aggressive, which is good news because they’re the strongest land mammals: they can carry just under 20,000 pounds total, and an elephant trunk can push down trees and lift about 700,000 pounds! Their trunks alone have 8 major muscles and 150 muscle bundles. What do they eat, you ask? Thankfully, just trees, vegetation, roots, fruit, and bark. These great herbivores are an unbelievable species to exist during our lifetimes.
Triceratops
Taking a trip out of our lifetimes and into a time long ago, the Triceratops lived on shrubs and plant life, much like our modern-day elephant. Their appearance was a bit daunting, as they were equipped with shield-like skulls and three facial horns. Similar to a gorilla or elephant, the strength that these grazing, monumental creatures possessed allowed them to defend themselves and others against predators. Many notable large, herbivorous dinosaurs once existed, but it’s interesting to consider how alike a Triceratops and an elephant were, excluding the fierce appearance.
The fact that beasts this large are herbivorous can seem almost unfathomable. It’s hard to argue that we can’t get everything we need from plants when we think of one of these animals stomping by. Think about the strongest herbivores in history—what other animals are absolutely astounding?
