List of Animals That Weigh Around 1500 Pounds

It might surprise you to know some of the animals that grow to weigh around 1,500 pounds. That animal must be an exceptionally large one, right? I guess that depends on what you consider a large animal.

So which animals weigh around 1,500 pounds? There is a wide range of animals that weigh approximately 1,500 pounds. There are more familiar ones like cattle and horses, and then there are those that might be a little less familiar like sunfish and manatees.

Let’s take a look at some specific animals and their relative weights to get a good grasp on what 1,500 pounds really is in the natural world.

American Bison

These herbivores can grow to a height of 7 to 11.5 feet and reach a weight between 930 and 2,200 pounds. Bison are often called buffalo by mistake and are the heaviest land animals native to North America.

Bison are grazers and feed on grasses, herbs, shrubs, and twigs. Bison populations dwindled during the 19th century when settlers targeted them for food, sport, and to deprive Native Americans of them. 

Thankfully their numbers have rebounded from a few hundred to over 500,000 and live on preserves and ranches, raised for their meat.

Not only large, but bison are also quick as well and can reach top speeds up to 40 miles per hour. To learn more about American Bison, click here.

Yaks

Known as “hairy cattle” in China, Yaks can grow to weigh over 1,800 pounds. Yaks were most likely domesticated for Himalayan trade routes, and continue to be useful today. 

Their lung capacity is about three times that of traditional cattle, so yaks are much better suited to the high elevations. Yaks are covered in long, black hair that lays over a shorter black or brown coat for warmth. Source.

Dairy Cows

The first thing I think of when picturing a large animal would be a cow. Looking specifically at dairy cows, here is a list of a few breeds and their respective weights. Source.

• Holstein- 1,500 pounds
• Brown Swiss– 1,800 pounds
• Jersey- 1,000 pounds
• Guernsey- 1,100 pounds
• Ayrshire- 1,200 pounds

Manatees

The manatee’s weight can range from 440 to 1300 pounds and can be anywhere from 8 to 11 feet long, fully grown. These gentle, graceful water giants are known as “sea cows.”

The three species of manatees are the West Indian manatee, the Amazonian manatee, and the African manatee. Manatees usually move at a pace of 5 miles per hour but can reach 15 miles per hour in short bursts.

While resting, manatees can remain underwater for up to 15 minutes but must resurface every 3-4 minutes while swimming. When seen from a bird’s eye view, it’s likely only the manatee’s nose and nostrils are visible. Source.

Polar Bears

The image of the polar bear was made iconic by the Coca-Cola company, but how much does it weigh? Adult polar bears can weigh between 750 to 1,450 pounds.

 A high-calorie diet mostly consisting of seal fat helps polar bears maintain their hefty weight. Polar bears are the largest land carnivore and make their home in the arctic. Source.

Camels

Fully grown Bactrian camels typically weigh 1,320 to 2,200 pounds, while Dromedary camels weigh 880 to 1,325 pounds. You can tell the difference between these two types of camels because the Dromedary camels have one hump while the Bactrian camels have two humps.

Camels are well suited for their desert environment. Their humps consist of fat that can be metabolized for water. Camels also have a third, transparent eyelid, two rows of lashes, and can shut their nostrils to protect themselves from blowing sand.

Camels are particularly useful to humans, and not only because of their unique abilities to survive in their harsh desert climate. Camels can carry approximately 375 to 600 pounds and are also a source of meat, milk, and leather and wool products. Source.

Moose

In the deer family, moose are definitely the largest. Males weigh on average 794 to 1,323 pounds while females weigh 595 to 892 pounds. Some males can reach all the way up to 1,500 pounds. Male moose have antlers that can reach 6 feet in length from end to end.

Moose aren’t able to survive in warmer climates, because they are unable to sweat. They are only found in colder climates with seasonal snow coverage. Moose are not social animals and only come together in herds during the mating season. Source.

Horses

Most horses weigh about 900 to 1,300 pounds, but draft horses can easily reach weights over 2,000 pounds. To keep a horse healthy as a well… horse, they must eat 1 to 2 percent of their total body weight and drink 1 to 2 percent of their body weight every day. Source.

Crocodiles

Crocodiles are some of the largest living reptiles in the world. There are species of crocodile: the Saltwater crocodile, the Nile crocodile, and the American crocodile. Check out the table below to see their relative weights.

Leatherback Sea Turtles

Adult leatherback sea turtles are massive, and a fully grown adult can weigh between 550 to 1,500 pounds, with some even surpassing 2,000 pounds. They can trace their turtle ancestors back 100 million years.

Leather-back sea turtles can be found in the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea. These carnivores have a lifespan of approximately 45 years.

Their shell is slightly flexible and rubbery, unlike the bony shell of other turtles. Leather-back sea turtles can dive deeper than any other turtle, as deep as 4,200 feet, and can stay at those depths for about 85 minutes. Source.

Giraffes

Giraffes are the tallest living animals in the world, thanks to their six-foot-long neck. Female giraffes grow to weigh up to 1,500 pounds, while the males can reach weights up to 3,000 pounds.

To keep their blood pumping, a giraffe’s heart has to be huge. Typically they are 2 feet long and weigh about 25 pounds. Their lungs are equally large and can hold up to 12 gallons of air.

Giraffes are very social animals. A group of giraffes will usually contain about 10 to 20 giraffes and is called a “tower.” Giraffes only sleep about 20 minutes a day, keeping them alert to the presence of any predators. Source.

Black Rhinos

The average weight of an adult black rhino is 1,800 to 3,100 pounds and is also known as the hook lipped rhino. This rhino species is critically endangered. Their total population is estimated to be between 5,000 and 5,500.  Source.

Black rhinos can reach speeds up to 28 miles per hour and are much more aggressive than the white rhino. This is definitely not an animal you want to surprise. Black rhinos can generally be found in:

• Namibia
• South Africa
• Kenya
• Tanzania
• Zimbabwe

Ocean Sunfish (Mola)

Adult ocean sunfish can weigh as little as 545 pounds to as much as 2,205 pounds. They can be quite a sight for divers and are the largest bony fish in the world. Sunfish favor temperate and tropical oceans.

Sunfish are omnivores that feed on other fish, zooplankton, and algae. Their favorite food, though, is jellyfish. They won’t harm humans, but are curious animals by nature and will often get close to divers to investigate.

Sharks

There are multiple species of sharks that can reach a weight of 1,500 pounds or more. Here are two species of sharks and their respective weights, as well as a few additional facts.

• Great White Shark- Adult great white sharks weigh ranges from 1,200 to 2,400 pounds.   Source.
  • Most attacks by these animals are mistaken identity or curiosity, as they test what they’re going to eat by taking a bite.
  • The largest predatory fish.
  • It can grow to an average of 15 ft.
  • Have up to 300 teeth arranged in rows.
• Tiger Shark- A tiger shark’s average weight can vary between 840 to 1,400 pounds. 
  • They’re called tiger sharks because of the dark, vertical stripes found on younger tiger sharks. Source.
  • It can grow to 20-25 feet and reach 1,900 pounds.
  • They are harvested for their fins, skin, flesh, and livers, making them near threatened.

Grizzly Bears

Grizzly bears are a subspecies of brown bears and have an average weight of 700 pounds. Females can get up to 800 pounds, while male grizzly bears can tip the scales at 1,700 pounds.

Grizzly bears are omnivores and feast on a wide variety of plants and animals, such as:

• Fruits and berries
• Grasses and roots
• Salmon and other fish
• Rodents and carrion
• Hoofed animals like moose and deer
• Domesticated animals like cattle and sheep

Grizzly bears are listed as a threatened species. There are only 1,500 Grizzlies left in the United States and about 31,000 in Alaska.

Humans

While it’s definitely not the norm, the heaviest recorded human weight belongs to Jon Brower Minnoch. At his heaviest, Minnoch weighed 1,400 pounds.

Suffering from generalized edema, it is estimated that approximately 900 pounds of Minnoch’s weight was retained fluid.