13 Animals That Are About 3 Feet (ft.) Long/Tall

The world is big enough to accommodate animals of all sizes. Despite the thousands of years man has existed, there are still thousands of animal species yet to be identified.

Scientists have also done their best to classify animals by length, height, color, and other bodily characteristics. Most three-foot-long animals are smaller and can be kept comfortably at home.

Nonetheless, maybe it has never crossed your mind to measure the length of your pet. Take a look at some of the animals that measure 3 feet that can help you estimate the sizes of other animals.

1. Loggerhead sea turtle

The sea is home to some gigantic animals, including turtles that are considered to small. The loggerhead sea turtle is considered the largest hard-shell turtle in the world.

It is slightly bigger at a length of 3.3 feet which beats the green sea turtle in length and height. These animals are spread throughout the world’s oceans, and there are approximately 50,000 loggerhead sea turtles left.

2. Green sea turtle

The green sea turtle is the biggest of the family, Cheloniidae, and grows to around 3 feet long. Green sea turtles spend most of their time alone and only come together when it is time to mate.

Some green sea turtle species can grow to around 5 feet and weigh 871 pounds.

However, these animals have been claimed to be unfriendly to humans, so you have to keep your distance when deep-sea diving.

3. Slender-snouted crocodile

The West African slender-snouted crocodile’s preservation status is critically endangered and is one of the five African crocodile species.

Unlike the wide and flattened ones on regular crocodiles, these animals have a slender snout. They also grow to around 3 feet and have smaller bodies than other crocodiles.

The constant hunting of these crocodiles for skin and extensive deforestation has contributed to the loss of population with less than 500 left.

4. Emperor penguin

The emperor penguin is the most gigantic and heaviest of all existing penguins. This species is native to Antarctica and one of the animals with males and females growing to the same size.

The average emperor penguin’s height is 3.2 feet, although some grow over 6.5 feet. Emperor penguins can dive deeper than any other penguin or bird.

5. Dwarf cassowary

The dwarf cassowary is the smallest cassowary and one of the enormous flightless birds. They only grow to around 3.2 feet long and weigh about 57 pounds.

These birds live in the mountain forests of New Britain, New Guinea, and Yapen Island.

Unfortunately, these birds may go extinct soon because of habitat destruction that threatens their population.

6. Lesser rhea

The lesser rhea, also known as Darwin’s rhea, is one of the massive, flightless birds and one of the two existing rhea species.

They mostly habit the Altiplano Patagonia region in South America, which provides the conditions for these animals to grow around 3 feet.

Rheas should not be kept as pets meaning humans should not keep them long.

7. King penguin

The King penguin is the second-biggest penguin species that resembles the emperor penguin. They mostly live in the South Atlantic regions and halli in the South Indian Ocean.

A king penguin averages lengths of 3 feet and weighs around 75 pounds. They, however, lose their weight along the way, especially during the breeding season, where they incubate the eggs.

8. Hellbender salamander

The hellbender is an aquatic giant salamander species native to the central and eastern United States. It is North America’s most giant salamander and grows to around 3 feet long.

It is the only living member of the Cryptobranchus genus. However, you are more likely to find 30-inch hellbenders than 3-foot ones.

9. Seastar

Sea stars, also known as start fish, are star-shaped echinoderms in the class Asteroidea. Depending on the species, these animals may have around 5 to 40 arms.

Their average length is about 3 feet across all species though some 5-foot star fish have been discovered. Nonetheless, starfish are not harmful to humans because they do not have teeth.

10. Diadem volute

The Diadem volute, also known as the Melo amphora, is an extremely large sea snail commonly found in the tropical Southwest Pacific in Papua New Guinea, Southern Indonesia, and the Northern part of Australia.

The Diadem snail can grow over 3 feet long, with shells weighing 2.1 pounds. It primarily feeds on smaller snails and shells, making them grow magically huge.

Most native communities hunt these animals for food.

11. Sea hares

The sea hares are medium-size gastropod molluscs with a soft internal shell built from protein. These animals can reach lengths of approximately 3 feet and are considered less harmful to people.

They cannot sting or bite, and their skins are not poisonous to people. They, however, release a toxin that prevents predators from eating them.

12. Sea otter

Sea otters are marine animals mainly inhabiting coastlines in the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters weigh around 14 to 45 kilograms with an average height of 3 feet.

Such sizes make them the heaviest weasels yet the most miniature sea animals globally. However, their population has reduced significantly due to increasing oil spills from coastal tankers.

13. German Shepherd

German shepherds are among the longest dogs, and small ones can be around 22 to 26 inches long. When domesticated, fully-grown German shepherds can grow over 36 inches (3 feet).

These dogs are known for their strong upper bodies and a bigger body mass of around 70-95 pounds.