Planet Earth has numerous species of animals that exist in all shapes and sizes. Let me list down some of the smallest animals in the world,
Smallest Animals In The World
1. Paedophryne amanuensis (Smallest Frog)
Paedophryne amanuensis is the smallest known frog species native to Papua New Guinea. It can grow up to a size of 7.7 mm (0.30 in) in length and hence the smallest vertebrate in the world. The frog species has been discovered by Louisiana State University herpetologist Christopher Austin in the year August 2009. Apart from Christopher Austin, his Ph.D. student Eric Rittmeyer was also there while they exploring the biodiversity of Papua New Guinea. The frog species has been developed near Amau village in the Central Province and the name has been derived from this place only.
The high pitched sound made by Paedophyrne Amanuensis makes it easy to get an idea about its whereabouts, however, it is almost impossible to locate them. Because of the fact that it is not only the smallest frogs in the world but also the smallest terrestrial vertebrate. It measures somewhere between 7 to 8 millimeters. Interestingly, Paedophyrne Amanuensis never go through the tadpole phase. It starts living their adult life from a very each stage. It prefers moist surroundings. This the nocturnal mammal was discovered in Papa New Guinea in the year 2009.
Also Read: Top 10 Most Strange Looking Birds In The World
2. Paedocypris (Smallest Fish)
Paedocypris is one of the tiny cyprinid fish mostly seen in the swamps and streams situated in the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and Bintan. This is one of the smallest fish in the world and measured approximately 7.9 mm (0.31 in), however, the largest known individual fish was 10.3 mm (0.41 in). Two species of the fish has been discovered by the ichthyologists Maurice Kottelat from Switzerland and Tan Heok Hui from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and the National University of Singapore in 1996, however, the osteology part of the fish has been studied by Ralf Britz at London’s Natural History Museum.
Endemic to the Indonesian island of Sumatra and Bintan, Paedocypris is the world’s smallest fish. Measuring 7.9 mm at maturity, this member of the carp family feeds on plankton in pools of extremely acidic water. It has many larval features, like, a very primitive development of the skull, which leaves its brain exposed. But the interesting thing to notice is the highly developed pelvic fins in males. Presently, a matter of great concern is the existence of Paedocypris. Due to habit loss and the rapid destruction of Indonesian peat swamps, this species might struggle with extinction.
Also Read: 12 Deadliest Insects In The World
3. Slender Blind Snakes(Smallest Snake)
Slender Blind Snakes is a nonvenomous blind snake which is also known as slender blind snakes and thread snakes mostly seen in Africa. It looks similar to the earthworms and mostly is pink and brown in color, however, their scales give them an amazing appearance. There are some species that are black in color but the structure of the body is the same. The eyes of the snake look useless and hidden behind the protective head scale. It loves to spend most of the time in loose soil and comes out when it rains and floods.
The smallest snake in the world, Slender Blind snake has a threadlike appearance. They are also called worm snakes. Their body width is within 0.2 inches, while there are few that are as small as 1/ 25th of an inch. Slender Blind snakes are also known as Leptotyphlops. Different than other snakes in various ways, these snakes’ whole body diameter stays uniform, they are the only snakes who have teeth on their lower jaw but none in the upper one. They also have their mouth that opens downward instead of opening at the front. They feed on invertebrates.
Also Read: Top 10 Non-Venomous Snakes In The World
4. Kitti’s Hog-Nosed Bat (Smallest Bat)
It is also known as the bumblebee bat is one of the vulnerable species of bat and belongs to the family Craseonycteridae. It is mostly seen in western Thailand and southeast Myanmar where they are found in the limestone caves along rivers. The smallest species of bat and also the smalled mammal has a reddish-brown or grey coat with a distinctive pig-like snout. They are mostly seen in the colonies of 100 individuals per cave. The female used to give birth annually to a single offspring. The bat species is grown about 29 to 33 mm in length and 2 gm in mass. Talking about the appearance, the bat upperparts are reddish-brown or grey, however, the underside is generally paler.
Bumblebee bat or Kitti’s hog-nosed bat, the smallest bat is not only the smallest bat in the world, but it is also the smallest mammal in the world depending on the skull size. Discovered in the 1970s, it is found in the limestone caves along the rivers in Western Thailand and southeast Burma. These bats live in colonies of 100 members on an average. They have a pig-like snout. Measuring between 29-33mm and weighing 2 grams, they have a reddish-brown or grey coat. It is the only existing member of the family Craseonycteridae and has its name in the list of endangered mammals.
5.Bee Hummingbird (Smallest Bird)
The smallest bird in the world, Bee Hummingbird is also known as Helena hummingbird native to Cuba and the Isla de la Juventud. The smallest living bird has a different weight both for males and females. Male one can grow up to 5.5 cm in length and 1.95 g, however, the male’s weight approximately 2.6 g and has a length of about 6.1 cm. The male one is popular for its green pileum and bright red throat along with elongated lateral plumes but the rest of the part is mostly greyish white. The breeding season of the bird March–June and they lay up to 2 eggs at a time.
Endemic to Cuba and Isla de la Juventud, Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world. Measuring 2.24 inches in length and weighing 1.6 grams,
they beat their wings 200 times in a second while other hummingbirds beat their wings 80 times within a second. Even their egg is as small as a coffee bean. Being so tiny makes them vulnerable to larger animals. Also due to loss of habitat, Bee Hummingbird is being considered nearly threatened.
6. Speckled Padloper Tortoise (Smallest Tortoise)
Speckled Padloper Tortoise is the world’s smallest tortoise that belongs to the family Testudinidae. It is also known as the speckled tortoise mostly seen in South Africa. The male species of Speckled Padloper Tortoise measures approximately 6 to 8 cm in length, however, the female’s one’s measures up to 10 cm. Talking about the appearance, Speckled Padloper Tortoise has a flattened shell with slightly serrated edges, however, the orange shell is covered with 100’s of black spots.
Endemic to South Africa and Southern Namibia, the world’s smallest species of tortoise belongs to the genus Homopus. They measure somewhere around 2-3 inches long, females are a bit larger. Males have a concave belly. The speckles on their shells, help them having a camouflage in the rocky areas they live. Their small size also helps them to escape their predators. They are herbivores. At present, the Speckled padlopers is an endangered species. Pet trade and loss of habitat is a major cause.
7. Etruscan Shrew (Smallest Mammal By Weight)
Etruscan Shrew also is known as the Etruscan pygmy shrew or the white-toothed pygmy shrew is the smallest mammal in the world by weight which measures approximately 1.8 grams on average. It has a body length of about 4 centimeters but it does not include the tail. It feeds on various small vertebrates and invertebrates that include insects and also can hunt individuals of the same size. It is widely distributed in the areas of Europe and North Africa up to Malaysia. They are also seen on the Maltese islands located in the middle of the Mediterranean sea.
Opportunist insectivores, Etruscan Shrew is not only one of the smallest terrestrial mammal, but also one of the fastest hunters. It also has the smallest brain among all mammals, approximately measuring 400 to 500 μm on an average. They also have very small eyes. An adult Etruscan Shrew weighs 1.6g to 2.4g. However, they have an extremely high metabolism and in order to keep up with it, they eat twice as their body weight. They are not entirely nocturnal, but they are more active during the night time.
Also Read: Top 10 Most Poisonous & Dangerous Snakes In The World
8. Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur (Smallest Lemur)
Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur also known as Berthe’s mouse lemur is the smallest known mouse lemurs with an average body length of 9.2 cm and weighs around 30 g. The species is native to the Kirindy Forest in western Madagascar. It was discovered in the year 1992 seen in the dry deciduous forest of western Madagascar. Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur crown and ears are tawny in color, however, the area between the eyes is cinnamon in color.
9. Pygmy Marmoset (Smallest Monkey)
Pygmy Marmoset is the small monkey species of the New World monkey native to the rainforests of the western Amazon Basin in South America. The smallest monkey in the world and one of the small primates can reach over 100 grams in weight. It is mostly seen in the evergreen and river-edge forests and around 83% of the pygmy marmoset population loves to live in the group of two to nine individuals that includes one dominant male and a breeding female and around four successive litters of offspring.
Measuring 136mm and weighing just 119g, Pygmy Marmoset is the smallest monkey in the world. They exhibit squirrel-like patterns of locomotion, but there are just a few similarities. They have a brownish-gold fur. Infants are born with a fur that is much lighter in shade, as they grow it sheds off. Adult Marmosets have a tail that is longer than their entire body. They reside in mature evergreen forests and their day starts soon after sunrise.
Also Read: Top 15 Most Beautiful Fishes in the World
10. Pygmy Rabbit (Smallest Rabbit)
Pygmy Rabbit is a North American rabbit and the smallest leporid where adults weigh around 375 to 4500 gms with a body length of 23.5 to 29.5 centimeters. Females are slightly larger than males. The species is different from other species by its small size and short ears. Also, it is grey in color and has small hind legs with a lack of white fur on the tail. They are mostly seen in southwestern Montana from the extreme southwest corner near the Idaho border north to Dillon and Bannack in Beaverhead County.
The smallest of all rabbit species, Pygmy rabbits are one of the two rabbit species in North America that dig that own burrow. They have a life span of 3-5 years. They can breed after a year of their birth, but the adult mortality rate is as high as 88%. The adult weights somewhere between 375-500 grams and its body length measure 23.5-29.5cm. These rabbits inhabit areas with deep soil and tall sagebrush. Pygmy Rabbit has been declared endangered.
11. Thorius Arboreus (Smallest Salamander)
Thorius Arboreus commonly known as the Arboreal minute salamander belongs to the family Plethodontidae. It is mostly seen in the Sierra de Juarez, Oaxaca, and Mexico. The name derives from the Latin word arbor that means tree which is a habitat of the animal species. The male species measures around 16.1 to 18.4 mm, however, the females one measure around 15.2 to 20.0 mm in snout-vent length. The head of Thorius Arboreus is relatively wide and the snout is bluntly pointed.
12. Hippocampus Denise (Smallest Seahorse)
Hippocampus Denise is also known as Denise’s pygmy seahorse or yellow pygmy seahorse is a seahorse that belongs to the family Syngnathidae native to the western Pacific. It is a small fish that can reach up to 2.4 cm in length and hence one of the smallest representatives of the seahorses. It is seen in various locations such as Indonesia, Vanuatu, Palau, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands, and Micronesia and seen at depth of between 13 and 100 m.
These are the smallest animals in the world. Kindly share and do post your comments.
