African elephant foraging in a tree
Close-up of a rhinoceros beetle
Froghopper insect
Jumping impala
Bar-tailed godwit
Sooty shearwater bird in flight
Great white shark swimming with fish
Sailfish chasing a school of fish
Cheetah chasing prey
Image: Tyrannosaurus rex adult and young
Peregrine falcon eating prey
1 of 11
African Elephant
For thousands of years, humans have utilized the brute strength of African and Asian elephants for everything from war to transportation. An elephant's trunk alone contains around 100,000 muscles and can lift up to 600 pounds (270 kilograms).
Photograph by Beverly Joubert

Animal Record Breakers

See photos of record breakers in the animal kingdom (including cheetahs, elephants, falcons, and more) in this photo gallery from National Geographic.

November 16, 2009