Froghopper

Froghopper

Photograph by Jupiterimages

The froghopper, or spittle bug, leaps into the record books as the insect world's greatest jumper. This tiny insect reaches a mere 0.2 inches (6 millimeters) in length but can catapult itself up to 28 inches (70 centimeters) into the air. A human with this ability would be able to clear a 690-foot-tall (210-meter-tall) skyscraper.

Rhinoceros Beetle

Rhinoceros Beetle

Photograph by Jupiterimages

Compared to an elephant, the rhinoceros beetle looks minuscule. But ounce for ounce, this insect is considered the world's strongest creature Rhinoceros beetles, which get their name from the hornlike structure on a male's head, are capable of carrying up to 850 times their own body weight. A human with this relative strength would be able to lift some 65 tons (59 metric tons).

African Elephant

African Elephant

Photograph by Beverly Joubert

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)

Great Horned Owl

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Great Horned Owl

Photograph by Joel Sartore

The most common owl in North and South America, the great horned owl is a hard-working partner and father. In late winter, while his mate stays on the nest with their clutch of two or three eggs, the male heads off to find food for both of them, carrying rats, mice, and squirrels back to the nest. Once the chicks hatch, his job gets harder—he now has to feed an additional two or three mouths.