The Animal Kingdom includes a huge number of creatures, both large and small. Your attention are presented smallest vertebrates of different species.
Small animals living on Earth can be categorized based on traits such as length, height, weight, genome size, etc. Although the smallest living creatures on Earth are microscopic organisms such as viruses, this article will look at the smallest vertebrate species that can be classified by body length. Below is a list of the smallest vertebrate types of various animal species.
13. The smallest amphibian in the world
The smallest amphibian in the list of the smallest vertebrates is Paedophryne amauensis. This frog species lives in Papua New Guinea, where it was discovered in August 2009 and officially described in 2012. On average, the frog reaches only 7.7 mm in length.
12. The smallest fish in the world
Paedocyprisprogenetica of the Carp family is a fish characteristic of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Here it can be found in sewage and peat bogs. Females of this species reach a maximum length of 10.3 mm, while the average length for males is 9.8 mm. This species was also considered the smallest vertebrate even before the discovery of the frog Paedophryne amauensis in 2012.
11. The smallest lizard in the world
The smallest lizards, and at the same time the smallest reptiles on Earth, are two species from the Gecko family at once - the Virginia round-footed gecko S. Parthenopion and the Cape dwarf gecko Sphaerodactylus ariasae. The body length of these lizards is approximately 16 mm. Found in Madagascar, the brocresias also claim to be the smallest, being the same length as the aforementioned geckos.
10. The world's smallest turtle
The spotted tortoise Homopus signatus from South Africa and Northern Namibia is the smallest turtle species in the world. Males of this species reach lengths of 6 to 8 cm, while females are about 10 cm in length.
9. The world's smallest crocodile
The smallest creature from the order of Crocodiles is the smooth-faced Cuvier caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) native to the north and center of South America. Within its range, the crocodile inhabits flooded and river forests and other places near fast-flowing bodies of water. This species tolerates cold more easily than other crocodiles. It reaches 1.6 m in length.
8. The smallest snake in the world
Leptotyphlopscarlae is a blind snake that populates Barbados, one of the Caribbean islands. The smallest snake in the world reaches a length of about 10 cm. Their main diet is termites and ant larvae.
7. The smallest bird in the world
The bee hummingbird Mellisuga helenae is considered the smallest bird in the world. She is also the smallest warm-blooded vertebrate creature living in our time. The habitat of the hummingbird-bee, first of all, is Cuba. The bird is so small and light that it is lighter in weight than an American or Canadian penny.
It weighs about 1.8 g and is about 5 cm long. It is often mistaken for a bee, hence the name of the bird. It is known that a bird drinks a volume of water eight times its own weight, and the volume of food that it eats is equal to half of its weight.
6. The world's smallest mammal
The pig-nosed bat, Craseonycteris thonglongyai, which lives in southeastern Burma and western Thailand, can be considered a vulnerable bat species. You can meet her in limestone caves along the rivers. This mouse is not only the smallest among bats, but also the smallest of the Mammals class. The length of the mouse reaches from 3 to 4 cm, and it weighs about 1.5-2 g.
5. The world's smallest rodent
The Balochistan jerboa Salpingotulus michaelis is known as the smallest rodent in the world. Adults of this species on average reach only 4.4 cm in length and weigh 3.75 g. This species is typical for Pakistan.
In 2010, the smallest rodent was entered in the Guinness Book of Records, where it shares its title with the African dwarf mouse.
4. The smallest of the Whale family
The California porpoise Phocoena sinus is known not only as the smallest of the Whale family, but also as the rarest of them. This endangered species of porpoise is on the verge of extinction. As of November 2016, the number of survivors was less than 30 individuals.
The rather limited variety of California porpoises found in the northern Gulf of California makes them extremely vulnerable to some threats. Females of this species are usually larger than males. On average, mature females reach a length of 140.6 cm, while the length of males is 134.9 cm.
The species is characterized by the fact that its fins are proportionally larger, and the fin is located higher, while the skull and beak are smaller than in other species of porpoises.
3. The world's smallest predator
The Predators order includes more than 280 species of placental mammals. Although all types of carnivores are classified as carnivores, the concept of a carnivore can be applied to any animal that eats meat.
The smallest among the representatives of the Predator order is the weasel Mustelanivalis. Native to Eurasia, North Africa and North America, the animal is already common in many parts of the world. The species reaches 11 cm in length and can weigh less than 25 g.
2. The world's smallest marsupial
Known by its Latin name Planigale ingrami, the northern marsupial is the world's smallest marsupial. This species inhabits the flooded meadows, woodlands and black earth plains of the upper part of northern Australia. The average body length of a marsupial mouse ranges from 110 to 130 mm, and its weight is about 4.3 g. This species also has a unique head shape: it is flatter than convex, and can be from 3 to 4 mm in size. This shape of the head allows it to easily break through the smallest cracks in the soil in search of prey or in order to hide from predatory animals.
1. The world's smallest primate
Microcebus berthae, the smallest of the mouse lemurs, is also the world's smallest primate. Lemur lives in the eastern part of the Kirindi National Reserve in Madagascar. The species is named after Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, Madagascar's leading primate specialist and ecologist. The body of a mouse lemur reaches an average length of 9.2 cm and weighs 30 g.
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In the video, you will see touching footage of the smallest animals in the world in their natural habitat.
