By weight, which animal has the largest baby relative to body size?

By weight, which animal has the largest baby relative to body size?

Human childbirth is hard enough – imagine giving birth to a baby half your weight!


Asked by: Emily Cane, Newcastle

Despite a kiwi being about the size of a chicken, the female lays an egg that is about half her weight! It’s so big because it has an enormous yolk, which sustains the chick for the first week of its life. Here you can see some other animals that have enormous babies, as well as those that have teeny tiny offspring (with humans thrown in for good measure).

Kiwi egg (1/2)

Giraffe (1/10)

© Getty Images
© Getty Images

Beluga whale (1/17)

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© Getty Images

Human (1/22)

© Getty Images
© Getty Images

Elephant (1/26)

© Getty Images
© Getty Images

Giant clam (1/500,000,000)

© Getty Images
© Getty Images

Ocean sunfish (1/1,500,000)

© Getty Images
© Getty Images

Red kangaroo (1/100,000)

© Getty Images
© Getty Images

Honey possum (1/2,400)

© Getty Images
© Getty Images

Giant panda (1/900)

© Getty Images
© Getty Images

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