Nature has given us many amazing and funny creatures, such as a bat, a turtle and an antelope. However, she also created “backup copies” of many animals, only in a reduced, so to speak, “archived” form. Prepare the rulers, because we will introduce you top 10 smallest animals in the world, each of which is a record holder in its own way.
10. Pig-bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai)
“Everyone can offend a little one,” this bat would probably think if she knew what an offensive name people gave her. Indeed, this creature did not come out with its nose or growth, its body length is 29-33 mm, and the forearm is 22-26 mm. An adult pig-bearing bat weighs about 2 grams.
This species is found only in Thailand and Myanmar and its entire population totals about 500 individuals. Flying crumbs live in limestone caves in groups of 100 or more individuals. Unfortunately, tourists often disturb the peace of bats and put them at risk of extinction.
9. Etruscan shrew, she is a little tooth-toothed (Suncus etruscus)
This participant in the ranking of the smallest animals in the world is considered the smallest terrestrial mammal by weight. Etruscan shrew weighs about 1.8 grams. And according to unconfirmed reports, a shrew weighing 1.2 grams was found in Sardinia in the 19th century.
It is not for nothing that the animal got its name, it has a lot of teeth - 30 pieces. And they are constantly at work, because this baby eats as if he wants to extort an elephant. She daily consumes an amount of food that exceeds her weight by 2 or more times. And all because of the high metabolic rate. By the way, the heart rate of an Etruscan shrew is also impressive - 1511 beats per minute.
8. Dwarf antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus)
The home of these antelopes is the dense forests of West Africa. They are nocturnal and very shy. And when the dwarf antelope gets scared, it often jumps high (up to 2.5 meters). And this is truly a giant jump, given that the antelope is 25-30 cm tall.
7. Hummingbird-bee (Mellisuga helenae)
The smallest bird in the world lives only in Cuba. With a weight of about 2 grams and a body length of up to 6 centimeters, this cute animal can flap its wings more than a hundred times per minute.
The eggs that a hummingbird lays are pea-sized and, in fact, are the smallest bird eggs in the world.
6. Narrow-Short Carla (Leptotyphlops carlae)
This snake, found on the Caribbean islands of Barbados, is about as long and thick as pasta. Its average length is about 10 cm. The diet of the narrow-necked Carla consists of larvae of ants and termites. She does not use eyesight, as she lives in earthen burrows or under stones. But there are teeth, although they grow only on the lower jaw.
This snake is the smallest of the entire snake kingdom (if we take into account only the adult state of individuals), and the largest snake is recognized as the Net Python.
5. The frog of the species Paedophryne amauensis
If other participants in the rating have memorable names, then this miniature representative of the narrow-minded family can only boast of its own characteristics. The length of the micro-frog does not exceed 7.7 mm and you will not even notice it in the natural habitat - the fallen leaves of the rainforest.
Found in Papua New Guinea, Paedophryne amauensis bears the title of "smallest vertebrate in the world."
4. Lantern shark (Etmopterus perryi)
Have you ever tried to hold a shark in your hand? Of course, with the biggest shark in the world, such a trick will not work. But the lantern shark, which has a maximum body length of 21.2 cm, can be held in the palm of your hand, like some kind of harmless goldfish.
This species lives off the coast of Colombia and Venezuela in very deep waters (283-439 meters) and is capable of emitting light from its photophores, like other deep-sea creatures.
3. Cape Speckled Flat Turtle (Homopus signatus)
So that the smallest turtle in the world does not have to crawl for its fast "colleagues" in the top 10 for a long time, we placed it immediately in third place. This beautiful little creature can grow up to 8-10 cm in length and weighs about 95-165 grams. The Cape Turtle is a good pet, as it easily adapts to captivity, but it is difficult to care for.
2. Sea horse of Satomi (Hippocampus satomiae)
Imagine how difficult it was to take a photo of one of the smallest animals in the world, because this seahorse prefers to stay awake not at day, but at night, and meets (if you are very lucky) near the island of Deravan near Kalimantan.
This is not only the smallest, but also the most unusual seahorse with an average trunk length of 13.8 mm and a height of 11.5 mm.
This little subject of Aquaman got its name in honor of the head of the diving group Satomi Onisi, who first caught him.
1. Mini Cows Vechur
The smallest cattle breed in the world was bred in the Indian city of Vechur Kerala. It reaches 87 cm in height and 124 cm in length and is known for producing a huge amount of milk (up to 3 liters per day), without requiring a lot of feed. In addition, it is believed that Vechur cow's milk is easily digestible and has medicinal properties.
