20 Teeny-Tiny Animals You Have to See to Believe
The world is full of unusual and miraculous animals you've probably never heard of, and we've found that discovering new creatures is even more fun when they're teeny-tiny.
There's something irresistibly cute about animals that are way smaller than you'd expect, and even though we'll never be able to hug most of them in real life, we can still dream. Curious about the smallest animal species and breeds in the world? Keep scrolling to discover 20 types you'll have to see to believe.
Barbados Threadsnake
The Barbados threadsnake is the smallest snake in the world, with a thin and winding appearance and coloration ranging from pink to black, which can make them resemble worms. They're native to Barbados and Anguilla in the Caribbean and, on average, they're less than four inches long and weigh about half a gram.
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Bee Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are already known for their agility and tininess, but the bee hummingbird (also known as the Helena hummingbird of zunzuncito), is the smallest of all known bird species. Primarily native to Cuba, they weigh less than a 10th of an ounce and are less than 2 1/2 inches long.
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Black-Thighed Falconet
Asian falconets are the smallest falcons in the world, with the black-thighed falconet (native to Southeast Asia) are the smallest of them all. They weight as little as one ounce and are typically less than six inches long, yet they remain fierce predators, feasting mainly on bugs and fish.
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Bumblebee Bat
The bumblebee bat, also known as Kittit's hog-nosed bat, is the smallest of more than 1300 bat species around the globe. It lives in limestone caves in Thailand and Myanmar, where it eats various insects. They're recognizable for their pig-like snouts and tiny size, weighing less than a 10th of an ounce and being just over an inch long.
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Chihuahua
Most people are familiar with Chihuahuas and just how small and cute they are. Originally from the Chihuahua region of Mexico, these dogs were bred as lapdogs and companions, and though they range a bit in size (in addition to having both "apple-head" and "dear-head" variations), some purebreds have been known to be as small as three inches tall, weighing just two pounds.
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Also read about: This Is the Animal You're Most Like Based on Your Zodiac Sign
Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman
When you think of the alligator and crocodile family, you probably imagine enormous, toothy and terrifying creatures, but there are also plenty of small creatures in the mix. The smallest is Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman, native to many parts of South America. They generally weight from 10 to 15 pounds, reaching lengths of four to four and a half feet from snout to tail tip.
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Dwarf Lanternshark
Sharks are another animal typically though of as huge and menacing, but tiny sharks exist as well. This includes the smallest, the dwarf lanternshark, which inhabits the deep ocean in only a small region of the Caribbean Sea. They reach lengths of less than eight inches long and have bioluminescent organs called photophores, which may aid in camouflage.
Dwarf Three-Toed Jerboa
The world's smallest rodent is an unusual one, the dwarf three-toed jerboa (or Baluchistan pygmy jerboa). Jerboas are desert rodents recognizable for their upright postures and movement by hopping, and this species, found only in Pakistan, weights just over a 10th of an ounce, with a height of less than two inches.
Elf Owl
Of more than 250 recognized owl species, the elf owl is said to be the lightest of them all. Native to the Southwestern United States and parts of Mexico, they live in the desert, where they eat insects as well as small birds, mammals and reptiles. They rarely weigh more than an ounce and a half or heights of more than five inches.
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Falabella
Horses come in all shapes and sizes, including the minuscule Falabella breed from Argentina. These small horses obviously aren't for adults to ride, but as they do have similar proportions to a typically sized horse, they are popular for children to ride, and are also kept as pets and companions. They reach no more than two to three feet at the withers (the highest point on the shoulder blades).
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Also read about: These 46 Unbelievably Huge Animals Are the Biggest of Their Kind
Jaragua Dwarf Gecko
The Jaragua dwarf gecko or Jaragua sphaero isn't just the smallest gecko in the world, but the smallest reptile overall. It's found only in specific regions of the Dominican Republic, including Jaragua National Park, where it eats small insects and arachnids, and grows to a size of just .6 inches, weighing less than 1/200th of an ounce.
Musky Rat-Kangaroo
The musky rat-kangaroo doesn't look like your average kangaroo, having more of a rodent-like appearance, but this unusual marsupial is the smallest member of the kangaroo family. Native only to certain rainforests in northeast Australia, it tends to weight just over a pound with a length of six to 12 inches.
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New Guinea Amau Frog
The world's smallest frog and smallest amphibian is the New Guinea amau frog, or paedophryne amauensis. Found only in Papua New Guinea, this tiny frog is less than a third of an inch long and can weight as little as one milligram.
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Pygmy Marmoset
Pygmy marmosets are well-known for being the smallest monkey species, as well as the smallest monkey species. In the wild, they live in the Amazon rainforest, with a special diet of tree gum, fruit and nectar. Their body length rarely exceeds six inches, with tails of up to nine inches, and they weight only three and a half ounces.
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Rusty-Spotted Cat
The rusty-spotted cat may look a bit like a house cat, but it turns out that the world's smallest wild cat is actually as wild as they come. Living in the wild in Sri Lanka and India, they're aggressive hunters who eat small mammals and birds. Generally, they're less than 19 inches long (with tails of up to a foot) with a maximum weight of 3.5 pounds, making them much smaller than even the average pet cat.
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Star-Sucker Pygmy Octopus
The star-sucker pygmy octopus, also known as octopus wolfi ,is recognized as the smallest octopus in the seas. It typically lives in shallow waters of the western Pacific ocean and is recognizable from the unique fringes on its tentacles. They're also very small, with a length of less than an inch and weighing less than 1/20th of an ounce.
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Also read about: The 35 Weirdest Australian Animals You've Never Heard Of
Sun Bear
Sun bears are much smaller than your average bear, and they're easy to spot due to their unique chest coloration. They're native to tropical forests across Southeast Asia, where they live in trees and eat just about everything, from plants, fruit and bugs to honey, birds and even mammals. Though they're quite little compared to your average bear, they're still sizable at four to five feet long and weighing up to 150 pounds.
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Vallarta Mud Turtle
The Vallarta mud turtle, native only to specific areas of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is not just the smallest known turtle species, but also one of the rarest. They haven't been studied closely due to their scarcity, though the specimens that have been measured were only about four inches long.
Vaquita
You may have heard of the vaquita, critically endangered animals who are the smallest in the porpoise family. They look like tiny versions of their dolphin relatives with rounded heads, living only in specific parts of the Gulf of California, reaching a maximum length of five feet.
Vechur Cow
And finally, there's the Vechur cow, recognized as the world's smallest cattle breed. They originate from Kerala, India, and were bred to produce plenty of milk without needing much to eat. They generally reach a maximum height of just three feet tall and weight of about 290 pounds (while the average dairy cow can weigh up to 1,400 pounds).
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If you love learning about unusual animals, click HERE for 17 examples you've probably never heard of.