The 15 SMALLEST ANIMALS in the world - Names and PHOTOS

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Most of the world's smallest animals are found in isolated places, such as Madagascar, which is an island with extraordinary biodiversity. Therefore, this is the reason why many of these species are not known. However, the ability of human beings to access the territories and the activities carried out on them are causing some of these small species to be threatened.

If you want to know what are the smallest animals in the worldContinue reading this interesting article by Ecologist Verde and discover how some of the species seem like a miniature replica of other species of a size that may seem more normal to us.

Carp Paedocypris or Paedocypris progenetica

Tell what is the smallest animal in the world It is not an easy task, since it is a subject that puts researchers in debate. However, biologist Maurice Kottelat claimed to have found the smallest wild animal in the world. It's about the Paedocypris carp (Paedocypris progenetica) found in the swamps of Sumatra. This species reaches 7.9 mm in their adulthood. This species is in danger of extinction due to the destruction of the Indonesian swamps with the aim of allocating the territory for palm oil plantations.

Image: Wikipedia

Pygmy marmoset or Cebuella pygmaea

The pygmy marmoset monkeyCebuella pygmaea) lives in the region of Amazon jungle and it is found inhabiting the forests and tropical jungles of Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. This little animal is about 35 centimeters and does not weigh more than 100 grams once it reaches adulthood. It is considered one of the smaller and prettier animals that we can find in the jungles.

Philippine tarsier or Carlito syrichta

The tarsier from the PhilippinesCarlito syrichta) is he smallest monkey in the worldAlthough it does not really belong to the primate family, only that scientists classified it as such by not knowing how to classify it in more detail. This bulging-eyed animal, being larger than its stomach, is nocturnal and feeds on insects. Length measures between 7.5 centimeters and 15 centimeters regardless of its tail.

Brookesia chameleon or Brookesia micra

The cBrookesia ameleon or Brookesia micra lives in Madagascar and is considered one of the smallest reptiles in the worldsince it does not measure an inch long, that is, it measures less than 2.5 centimeters. It really is the same as the common chameleon, but it is tiny in size compared to this one.

Kitti's pig-nosed bat or Craseonycteris thonglongyai

The position of the smallest mammal in the world They dispute it between the nosed bat and the shrew (Suncus etruscus).

The bat nose kitti pork or bumblebee or blowfly bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai) it is smaller in dimensions. This has a wingspan of 15 cm and can measure between 2.9 and 3.3 cm, in terms of weight, it does not usually drop below 2 grams. This mammal is found in Burma and Thailand, inhabiting lime caves near river areas.

Image: Twitter

Shrew or Suncus etruscus

The shrew or Suncus etruscus is he smallest mammal in terms of weight, since, on some occasions, it falls below the 2 grams, and measures between 3.6 and 5.3 cm, thus being larger than the nosed bat. The shrew is native to central and northern Africa, although it spreads throughout the entire Mediterranean Sea area.

Leptotyphlops Carlae

Is the smallest snake, being thin as a spaghetti. The snake Leptotyphlops carlae It was found for the first time in 2008 on the island of Barbados and its diet is based on the ingestion of insects, such as ant larvae.

Image: Alchetron

Scydosella musawasensis

If you wonder what are the smallest insects in the world, take note that within this group is the beetle of the species Scydosella musawasensis measuring just 0.325mm in length.

Here you can learn about what are coleopterans, their characteristics, types and examples.

Mouse lemur or Microcebus berthae

This Madagascar primate is the smallest in the world averaging 2.25 to 4.75 inches o 5.7 to 12 centimeters. The lemur mice or Microcebus berthae They are nocturnal and inhabit trees, they are currently in danger of extinction due to deforestation.

Bee hummingbird or Mellisuga helenae

The male of this species of hummingbird native to Cuba, is classified as the smallest bird in the world weighing only 1.8 grams and measuring 2 inches or 5.08 centimeters about. The size of the bee hummingbird or Mellisuga helenae it can be mistaken for an insect and its eggs are tiny, smaller than a pea or small coffee beans.

Mount Iberia Eleuth frog or Eleutherodactylus iberia

This small amphibian was discovered on a mountain in Cuba and less than 8.5 mm. Not much information is available on the Mount Iberia Eleuth frog or Eleutherodactylus iberia, but the fact that it is in critical danger of extinction is a reality.

Pygmy seahorse or Hippocampus denise

The pygmy seahorses or Hippocampus denise They are normally found inhabiting the corals of the Indonesian coasts at depths of a minimum of 13 meters and a maximum of 90 meters. This animal measures approximately 16 mm, not being larger than the nail of a human being.

Spotted turtle or Homopus signatus

The spotted turtle or Homopus signatus They are African tortoises, more specifically from South Africa and southern Namibia. This species is one of the smallest among reptiles, since it can only measure 10 cm and reach a weight of 140 grams.

Pygmy gerbil or Pygmy Jerboa

In this position on the list of smallest animals we find another tiny mammal. The pygmy gerbil or Pygmy Jerboa is an endemic species of Pakistan listed in 2010 as the smallest rodent in the world with an average length of 8 cm measuring from head to entire tail.

Image: Wikipedia

White spider or Polyphagotarsonemus

Until now we had not mentioned any arachnids, but it is clear that in the world of spiders and other arachnids there are thousands of small and even tiny species. One of the examples is the species known as white mite, white spider or Polyphagotarsonemus. Male white spiders are slightly smaller than females, since they are between 0.2 and 0.3 mm.

Image: Koppert

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Bibliography

• Editorial team of the Heraldo de Aragón. (2022, April 24). Herald of Aragon. What is the smallest mammal in the world ?: https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/2016/04/20/cual-mamifero-mas-pequeno-del-mundo-843688-300.html