Animal Size Comparison
Pick up to three animals to see them next to a 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) person. Every shape is drawn at the largest adult size our sources report, to true scale: we never enlarge a small animal to make it easier to see.
- 1Green sea turtle 1.2 m
- 2Common bottlenose dolphin 4 m
- 3Orca (killer whale) 9.75 m
- PPerson 1.75 m
The numbers
| Animal | Measured as | Adult size | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green sea turtle | Shell length | 0.9–1.2 m (3–4 ft) | fisheries.noaa.gov |
| Common bottlenose dolphin | Length | 1.8–4 m (6–13 ft) | fisheries.noaa.gov |
| Orca (killer whale) | Length | 7–9.8 m (23–32 ft) | animaldiversity.org |
| Person (for scale) | Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | Reference figure |
How we draw it
- Each animal is drawn at the largest adult size in our sources (shown in the table); many adults are smaller.
- Most animals are measured from nose to tail. Penguins are measured standing (height), crabs across the shell, octopuses across the arms and jellyfish across the bell.
- The shapes are simple outlines drawn by us, not photos. See each animal's page for real, credited photos.
Want the full numbers side by side? Try Animal vs Animal.