The smallest animal in the world - what is it? In order to answer this question in more detail, it is necessary to understand the representative of which group of animals will be discussed. The systematics and classification of living organisms on Earth is a loose concept: among mammals there are babies, and among insects, reptiles, amphibians and fish, there are ones. Everything is relative here. That is why several champions should be considered at once.
Who is the smallest in the world?
According to recent entomologists, the smallest animal still exists on our planet. This rider is a parasitic insect that lives in the organisms of bugs and bugs. Its Latin name is Dicopomorpha echmepterygis. The sizes of the males of these parasites range from 0.12 to 0.14 mm. Imagine, these creatures are even smaller in size than some simple organisms! Females of these riders are 1.5-2 times larger than their males. These tiny parasites only do that they live on the larvae of other insects, such as hayed ones.
The smallest animal in organics
If we consider the organic world of wildlife in general, the most miniature creation is the so-called mycoplasma. By the way, it cannot be called animals either. This is one of the types of living matter of the organic world, which is a simple single-celled organism. Microbiologists studied this matter and came to the conclusion that there is not even a nucleus in its cell! So little is this creature. The size of these simple organisms ranges from 0.3 to 0.8 microns. Despite its tiny size, mycoplasma is quite capable of causing serious harm to human health. The fact is that this microbe is the causative agent of the disease, leading to complications of the genitourinary, circulatory and immune systems.
The smallest amphibian in the world
In the world there is the smallest frog with the Latin name Paedophryne. Its length is only 7.5 mm. Scientists have discovered larger individuals, reaching 11.3 mm! As in the case of parasite riders, the females of these frogs are 1.5-2 times larger than males. According to many experts, the frog paedophryne is a small cute animal, in its beauty not comparable to other amphibians. The color of these babies is brown, due to which they are practically invisible on the ground, on leaves and on trees.
Baby among the bats
The pig-bearing bat is the smallest animal among bats. It is almost impossible to meet this creature in nature, since the bat leads a carefully hidden lifestyle. The body length of this baby is only 3 cm, and its weight is about 2 g. Such dimensions make it easy to confuse this bat with insects. The nose of this creature resembles a piglet, and the head is large and occupies a third of the entire length of the body. Her wings are relatively wide and long. The pig-bearing bat has a gray or brown body color with a light abdomen.
Miniature shrew
If we continue the conversation about the smallest mammals of our planet, then the Etruscan shrew, or the dwarf shrew, is in second place after the pig-bearing bat. The maximum length of her body does not exceed 5 cm, and her weight is 1.8 g. Shrew is a very mobile and active creature with an increased metabolism. This forces her to eat an amount of food twice her own weight! Unfortunately, miniature dwarf shrews are currently in danger of total extinction in some countries.
Smallest reptile
The smallest animals on Earth are truly amazing creatures! They are almost impossible to see in the wild with the naked eye. But it is worth looking at them, how involuntarily a feeling of tenderness and simultaneous joy for these crumbs appears. Photos of animals are presented in our article. One such creature is a miniature chameleon called minor brukesia. Its scientific name is Brookesia minima. The smallest lizard on our planet reaches a length of no more than 1.2 cm. This charm dwells in the tropics of Madagascar, but to see this chameleon is not so simple! The fact is that he, like all other chameleons on Earth, is able to skillfully disguise himself: a chameleon changes the color of his skin, merging with the environment.
Miniature jellyfish and baby fish
The smallest jellyfish in the world lives in the Pacific Ocean (off the coast of Australia). Scientists who discovered this species have christened it the Irukanji jellyfish. Outwardly, it resembles a white translucent bell, and its size does not exceed 25 mm (tentacles - from 1 mm to 1 m!). Despite the fact that this jellyfish is a baby, it can paralyze or even kill a person: the composition of the poison of this creature has not yet been fully studied, which means that a certain antidote has not been invented either. The smallest fish on Earth unanimously recognized fish called Paedocypris progenetica. Her favorite habitats are peat bogs, sewage streams and quiet backwaters. You can meet this creation in Indonesia. The females of these fish do not exceed a length of 10.2 mm. Scientists have classified these creatures as a species belonging to the family of cyprinids.
Little beautiful animals of Russia
Our miniature creatures live in our country, which is simply impossible to keep silent about. For example, among birds, the yellow-headed kinglet is considered to be crumbs . The body length of this bird does not exceed 10 cm, and its weight is 10 g. Despite its small dimensions, from afar this bird resembles a sparrow. Russian ornithologists involved in the statistical data of birds noted the yellow-headed king as a rather rare species in our country. You can mainly meet him in the Krasnodar Territory. The smallest fox in Russia is the corsac. The length of this animal is 50 cm, and the height at the withers is 30 cm. Korsak lives in the southern regions of Tatarstan, as well as in the European part of Russia up to Volgograd. Photos of animals described in this paragraph are not presented in this article.