What is it - the smallest animal in the world?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

The smallest animal in the world - what is it? In order to answer this question in the most 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: mammals have their own babies, and insects, reptiles, amphibians and fish have their own. Everything is relative here. That is why we should consider several champions at once.

Who is the smallest in the world?

According to the latest data from entomologists, there is still the smallest animal on our planet. This rider is a parasitic insect that lives in the organisms of beetles and bedbugs. Its Latin name is Dicopomorpha echmepterygis. The sizes of males of these parasites range from 0.12 to 0.14 mm. Imagine, these creatures are even smaller in size than some of the simplest organisms! The females of these riders are 1.5-2 times larger than their males. These miniature parasites do nothing but live on the larvae of other insects, such as hay-eaters.

The smallest organic animal

If we consider the organic world of wildlife as a whole, then the smallest creature is the so-called mycoplasma. By the way, it cannot be called an animal either. This is one of the types of living matter of the organic world, which is the simplest unicellular organism. Microbiologists have studied this matter and have come to the conclusion that its cell does not even have a nucleus! That being is so small. The size of these protozoa ranges from 0.3 to 0.8 microns. Despite its tiny size, mycoplasma is quite capable of causing serious harm to human he alth. 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 also discovered larger specimens reaching 11.3 mm! As in the case of parasitic riders, the females of these frogs are 1.5-2 times larger than the males. According to many experts, the paedophryne frog is a cute little animal, incomparable in its beauty to other amphibians. The color of these babies is brown, so they are almost invisible on the ground, on leaves and on trees.

Baby among bats

The pig-nosed bat is the smallest animal among bats. It is almost impossible to meet this creature in nature, since the batleads a carefully hidden lifestyle. The length of the body of this baby is only 3 cm, and the weight is about 2 g. Such dimensions make it easy to confuse this bat with insects. The nose of this creature resembles a pig's snout, and the head is large and occupies a third of the entire length of the calf. Its wings are relatively wide and long. The pig-nosed bat has a gray or brown body color with a light belly.

Miniature shrew

If we continue talking about the smallest mammals of our planet, then in second place after the pig-nosed bat is the Etruscan shrew, or pygmy shrew. The maximum length of her body does not exceed 5 cm, and her weight is 1.8 g. The shrew is a very mobile and active creature with an increased metabolism. This causes her to eat twice her own weight in food! Unfortunately, miniature pygmy shrews are now in danger of extinction in some countries.

The 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 as soon as you look at them, a feeling of tenderness and simultaneous joy for these crumbs involuntarily appears. Photos of animals are presented in our article. One of these creatures is a miniature chameleon called lesser brookesia. Its scientific name is Brookesia minima. The smallest lizard in ourthe planet reaches a length of no more than 1.2 cm. This charm lives in the tropics of Madagascar, but it is not so easy to see this chameleon! The fact is that he, like all other chameleons on Earth, is able to skillfully disguise himself: the 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 waters of the Pacific Ocean (near the coast of Australia). The scientists who discovered this species dubbed it the Irukandji jellyfish. Outwardly, it resembles a white translucent bell, and its dimensions do not exceed 25 mm (tentacles - from 1 mm to 1 m!). Despite the fact that this jellyfish is a baby, it is capable of paralyzing or even killing 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. The smallest fish on Earth is unanimously recognized as a fish called Paedocypris progenetica. Its favorite habitats are peat bogs, sewage streams and quiet backwaters. You can meet this creature in Indonesia. The females of these fish do not exceed a length of 10.2 mm. Scientists have classified these creatures as belonging to the cyprinid fish family.

Little beautiful animals of Russia

Our country also has its own miniature creatures, about which it is simply impossible to remain silent. For example, among birds, the yellow-headed kinglet is considered a crumb. The body length of this bird does not exceed 10 cm, and its weight is 10 g. Despite its small size, from a distance this bird resembles a sparrow. Russian ornithologists,involved in the statistical data of birds, noted the yellow-headed beetle as a fairly rare species on the territory of 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.