Of the 273 species in the mammalian order Carnivora, or meat-eaters, many (including its largest representatives on land, the bears) are in fact omnivorous (animals that eat both meat and plants), and around 40 species specialize in eating fish or insects. As this Top 10 would otherwise consist exclusively of seals and related marine carnivores, only three representatives have been included in order to enable the terrestrial heavyweight division to make an appearance. The polar bear is probably the tallest land carnivore if shoulder height (when the animal is on all fours) is taken into account: it tops an awesome 1.60 m/5 ft 3 in, compared with the 1.20 m/4 ft of its nearest rival, the grizzly hear. The common (or least) weasel is almost certainly the smallest carnivore: small individuals are less than 17 cm/7 in long, not counting the tail, and can weigh as little as 80 g (less than 3 oz).

The Top 10 Largest Species of Carnivores (Meat-eaters) in the World

10 – Spectacled Bear – Average Length: 1.8 m/6 ft,0 in – Average weight: 140 kg/309 Ib

The spectacled bear, also known as the Andean bear or Andean short-faced bear and locally as jukumari, ukumari or ukuku, is the last remaining short-faced bear.

9 – Giant Panda – Average Length: 1.5 m/5 ft,0 in – Average weight: 160 kg/353 Ib

The giant panda, also known as panda bear or simply panda, is a bear native to south-central China. It is easily recognized by the large, distinctive black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body.

8 – American Black Bear – Average Length: 1.8 m/6 ft,0 in – Average weight: 227 kg/500 Ib

The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent’s smallest and most widely distributed bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location.

7 – Lion – Average Length: 1.9 m/6 ft,3 in – Average weight: 250 kg/551 Ib

Present in Africa and India, the lion typically inhabits grasslands and savannahs, but is absent in dense forests. It is usually more diurnal than other big cats, but when persecuted adapts to being active at night and at twilight. A lion pride consists of a few adult males, related females and cubs. Prides vary in size and composition from three to 20 adult lions, depending on habitat and prey availability. Females cooperate when hunting and prey mostly on large ungulates, including antelope, deer, buffalo, zebra and even giraffe.

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6 – Tiger – Average Length: 2.8 m/9 ft,2 in – Average weight: 300 kg/661 Ib

The tiger is the largest cat species, most recognizable for its pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with a lighter underside. The species is classified in the genus Panthera with the lion, leopard, jaguar, and snow leopard.

5 – Polar Bear – Average Length: 2.5 m/8 ft,2 in – Average weight: 700 kg/1,543 Ib

The polar bear is a carnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses.

4 – Grizzly Bear – Average Length: 3.0 m/9 ft,8 in – Average weight: 780 kg/1,720Ib

The grizzly bear is a large subspecies of brown bear inhabiting North America. Scientists generally do not use the name grizzly bear but call it the North American brown bear.

3 – Steller Sea Lion – Average Length: 3.0 m/9 ft,8 in – Average weight: 1,100 kg/2,425 Ib

The Steller sea lion, also known as the northern sea lion and Steller’s sea lion, is a near-threatened species of sea lions in the northern Pacific. It is the sole member of the genus Eumetopias and the largest of the eared seals.

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2 – Walrus – Average Length: 3.8 m/12 ft,6 in – Average weight: 1,200kg/2,646 Ib

The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere.

1 – Southern Elephant Seal – Average Length: 6.5 m/21 ft,4 in – Average weight: 3,500kg/7,716 Ib

The southern elephant seal is one of the two species of elephant seals. It is the largest member of the clade Pinnipedia and the order Carnivora, as well as the largest marine mammal that is not a cetacean.