Top-10 smallest animals in the world
1. GUINEA FROG: LESS THAN 1 CM
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The smallest wild animal is the Paedophryne amauensis frog. It lives in Papua New Guinea, and for a long time scientists did not know about its existence: the microfrog hides in fallen leaves and is nocturnal, being also one of the most secretive animals in the world. In 2009, it was given away by a croaking, reminiscent of the chirping of insects. The weight of the smallest animal in the world is only 0.01 g.
2. MICROCHAMELEON: 2-3 CM
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Chameleon Brookesia micra, which lives on the island of Madagascar, like its relatives, can change color: in case of danger, brown skin becomes covered with gray-green spots, and the tail becomes yellow-orange.
3. KITTI’S HOG-NOSED BAT: ABOUT 3CM
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The third in our ranking of the smallest animals in the world is the hog-nosed bat, also known as bumblebee bat. Its weight is 1.7–2 g, and it fits perfectly in the palm of a person. The population has about 500 individuals, so the bumblebee bat is listed in the International Red List.
4. ETRUSCAN SHREW: 4-5 CM
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Fourth place is occupied by the Etruscan shrew, its size is about the little finger of an adult, and its weight does not exceed 1.8 g. You must have seen it on TV programs. The Etruscan shrew feeds up to 25 times a day, eating twice its own weight. For the presence of 30 teeth, the animal is also called a white-toothed pygmy shrew.
5. DWARF FLYING CUSCUS: 6-8 CM
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It can be compared to a mouse in size, but this does not prevent the animal from climbing trees up to a height of 40 m in search of food and “flying” a distance 100 times its body length. The question of how it manages this attracts any inquisitive mind. Scientists have determined that skin folds between the front and hind legs help cuscus maneuver in flight. The animal lives in Australia.
6. AMERICAN SHREW MOLE
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Of the total length of its body, the tail accounts for 3 cm, and the American shrew mole weighs about 10 g. The tiny fluffy is found in the USA and Canada and, unlike its relatives, often comes to the surface in search of food.
7. NORTHERN MARSUPIAL MOUSE: 10-12 CM
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It is the smallest marsupial found in Australia. Its tail has the same length as the body - 5-6 cm, and the weight varies about 3.9-4.5 g. The animal is nocturnal.
8. PYGMY MOUSE LEMURS: 20-22 CM
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One of the smallest animals of the mammal class weighs only 50 g, and the tail occupies half of the total length. It is found in the mixed forests of Madagascar, where it jumps through the trees like a squirrel.
9. PYGMY ANTELOPE: 25 CM
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Residents of the countries of West Africa, where the antelope lives, for its resemblance to a hare, they call it the “hare king”. Despite its tiny size, in case of danger, the animal can jump 2.5 m in length and 55 cm in height.
10. PYGMY MARMOSET: 25-39 CM
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The body of an adult pygmy marmoset is 10–16 cm, and the tail is 15–23 cm, and this is one of the smallest primates. It feeds on insects and spends most of its life in trees. These small animals have two varieties: one lives in the northwest of South America, the other south of the Amazon.
The size of a blue whale can be compared to the height of a nine-story building, and its weight with two wagons loaded with timber. Compared to this giant, a person seems like a grain of sand. But the animal world is beautiful and varied, and there are animals in the world that, on the contrary, are easy to miss due to their tiny size. Among them there are those who are very different from their relatives: for example, the pudu deer, resembling an average dog in size, or a microchameleon. The scientists ranked the smallest animals in the world.
