Probably one of the most successful video game franchises in recent years, Monster Hunter has always been a series that has captured the imagination of many people with its fantastical yet realistic creatures. From the scary Vaal Hazak to the goofy...
In today's world, the largest animals to ever exist are the colossal blue whales. Able to grow between 24 and 30 meters in length, and weighing approximately 100 to 150 tons, even the largest of Sauropods and Titanodracons can't compare to them.
However, there's one order that has gotten close to dethroning the Citations for the title of biggest creatures ever. These are the Gargantugons. Sometimes called God Dragons, Gargantugons have been capturing the imagination of our species for as long as we have existed.
From serpentine behemoths to horned leviathans, the Gargantugons have so many different and unique body plans, with some being barely recognizable as belonging to the order. Although the order still possesses a wide range of species, to this day the fossil record has revealed to us that these animals once used to be even more diverse than we first thought.
First appearing on Earth 61 million years ago, the Gargantugons were originally relegated to the shadows as four-legged serpentine creatures. But 7 million years later, in what is now the Himalayas, these Elder Dragons entered a golden age, quickly diversifying into many different shapes and sizes.
It's still unclear what caused this sudden boom in Gargantugon diversity 54 million years ago, but it almost certainly had something to do with the birth of the Himalayan mountain range. We may not know what caused the Gargantugons' sudden change in fortune, but we do know what the results were. All over Asia, these Elder Dragons started carving out their own niches. From massive, subterranean borrowers to tiny semi-arboreal insectivores, these animals thrived.
But nothing lasts for ever and eventually the golden age of Gargantugons came to a close. Around 2.4 million years ago, the first of many ice ages hit. As they came and went, these periods of glaciation chipped away at the Gargantugons biodiversity, until only those with the right adaptations remained.
Most of those who did survive had already started evolving into semi-aquatic animals, allowing them to escape some of the largest changes. However, one species had already been living in harsher environments, allowing them to hold their ground against the advancing glaciers: the Gigantoboa jörmungi.
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Known as Dalamadurs by the people who coexist with them, these behemoths may attain a height of 2.4 meters, 3 meters at their shoulder spikes, but their real claim to fame comes from the length they can reach, with adults regularly reaching a whopping 37 meters. However, this still isn't enough to beat the current title holder of longest land animal ever, Supersaurus vivianae, who could attain a titanic 39 meters in length.
Even though Dalamadurs may not be the longest creatures to ever have existed, their size still makes them the largest creatures in the Himalayas. At first, their stature may seem like a liability in these mountainous terrains, as it would make them more likely to fall. However, the Himalayas are exactly why Dalamadurs evolved to have such elongated bodies. They may not have the grace of snow leopards or Himalayan tahrs, but their body plans allow them to wrap themselves around sturdy objects and outcrops. This means that even if they make a mistake, the Gargantugons aren't likely to fall into the abyss.
