Land animals are mostly moving on land and they mobilize around mostly by walking or crawling. However, there are some amazing land animals that are good in swimming.
Besides being able to be mobile on land, they are also able to swim in the middle of water. They swim to travel across a body of water or simply go inside to cool down. You can also see the fastest swimming animals. They can swim really fast!
Regarding to land animals, see the list of the fastest land animals on Earth. They are amazing!
Take a look at these 8 land animals that are great swimmers.
- Elephants
Elephant is the largest land mammal on earth. Elephant does not only wander around the land, but it also adepts in water. Elephants are often seen in the Okavango and other big rivers. It likes to be completely submerged with only the tip of its trunk peeking out.
Elephants have their big bodies that help them to stay afloat. They are able to submerge totally underwater and paddle by using their four legs.
Paddling will help them to swim for longer distance. Some scientists believed that in the past elephants evolved from manatees that makes them great swimmer.
Asian elephant, the famous elephant in Asia, is one of the animals native to Malaysia.
- Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs are cute and great swimmer too. They might be famous for being rough with their spines. However, they can swim too. It’s adorable to see them paddling in the water. They mostly swim for bathing themselves.
Some people think that hedgehog can be treated the same as hamster. Get the complete explanation in does hedgehog have same treatment as hamster.
- Sloth
This is the slowest animal ever live on Earth and you can see the other slowest animals. Sloths never get in a hurry. Their leisure time is mostly spent on top of tree tops of the rainforests.
However, they can also be found in the water and surprisingly they are adept swimmers and agile in the water. Moreover, they swim faster than they move on land!
- Tiger
Tiger is a member of cat family and you know that mostly cats hate water. However, tigers are often found swimming across the tree-covered rivers. They are powerful swimmers and have been known as great swimmers.
They swim great distances for hunting or just crossing rivers. Some young tigers even play in water and the adults will lounge in streams or lakes to stay cool while the day is hot.
- Moose
Do you know that swimming is a part of a moose’s daily activities? The moose escape danger through water. They dive in water to avoid predators or just want to cool down their bodies.
They are also known to be great swimmers. They dive into the water during summer to find leafy greens growing underwater to eat. These leafy greens give them enough sodium and minerals.
Moose are adept swimmers and they are able to hold their breath underwater for a full minute. Their nostrils are able to keep water out as they dive up to six meters.
- Pig
Pigs might seem to be lazy animals, however, they are able to swim. On the island of Big Major Cay in the Bahamas has the pigs swimming to greet the incoming boats. They swim toward the incoming boats as they associate the incoming boats with snack time.
Nobody knows how the pigs inhabit the island of Big Major Cay, but the local people of Bahamas believe that some sailors may have brought the pig’s ancestors as a source of food.
- Polar Bears
Polar bears are the inhabitants of the Arctic. They are great swimmers and even considered as the best swimmers in the animal kingdom. They are able to swim in great distances, such as hundreds of miles without any break.
They swim for a long distances to find food. However, sadly saying, due to global warming, more and more the ice caps are melting and they have to swim more and more.
Get to know more about polar bears by reading the distinctive features of a polar bear.
- Penguins
Penguin is the most popular flightless bird, but it is a great swimmer. Penguins have “wings” that act to paddle in the water. The wings are the key of their swimming speed in the water.
They have no feathers and they look like fins. They have microfilaments that are in charge of trapping the air and releasing tiny bubbles to help them glide through the water.