10 Smallest Animals in the World! Meet the World’s Smallest Mammals

• Weight: 2.1 g
• Length: 3.5–5.2 cm
• Scientific Name: Suncus etruscus
• Habitat: Mediterranean region, Southeast Asia, southern Europe, and North Africa; usually lives in warm, humid environments, such as dense vegetation and gardens.

The Etruscan shrew, also known as the white-toothed pygmy shrew, is the smallest mammal in the world, weighing only about 2.1 grams.

The tiny creatures are 3.5 to 5.2 centimeters long and are found throughout the Mediterranean region, Southeast Asia, southern Europe, and North Africa. Despite their tiny size, the Etruscan shrew has a very fast metabolism and must consume almost twice its body weight in food every day.

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Its preferred habitats include warm, moist, densely vegetated environments such as gardens and wooded areas, where it preys on insects and other small invertebrates.

Dwarf Jerboa

Source: India Today

• Weight: 1.7-2g
• Length: 4.2-5.4 cm
• Scientific Name: Salpingotulus michaelis
• Habitat: Deserts and semi-arid areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan; prefers sandy or gravelly soils.

The pygmy jerboa lives in the deserts of Pakistan and Afghanistan and is one of the smallest rodents in the world.

Weighing just 1.7 to 2 grams and measuring 4.2 to 5.4 centimeters in length, this small mammal is well-adapted to living in arid environments.

The pygmy jerboa has long hind legs for leaping across sandy ground, and a long tail to help it maintain balance. It usually inhabits sandy or gravelly soils, feeds on seeds and insects, and relies on its keen hearing to detect predators.

African dwarf rat

Source: Faktawajib

• Weight: 7.2 g
• Length: 3.3-5 cm
• Scientific Name: Mus minutoides
• Habitat: Sub-Saharan Africa; inhabits savannahs, grasslands, and forest edges.

The African pygmy rat is a small but widespread rodent found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Weighing approximately 7.2 grams and measuring 3.3 to 5 centimeters in length, it is one of the smallest rodents in the world.

These mice are highly adaptable and can be found in a variety of habitats, including savannahs, grasslands, and forest edges.

They are nocturnal animals that build complex burrows or dens in the ground or under vegetation. Their small size and reddish-brown fur help them blend in with their surroundings, making them difficult to spot in the wild.

Balochistan dwarf jerboa

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Source: Reddit

• Weight: 3.75 g
• Length: 3.6-4.8 cm
• Scientific Name: Salpingotulus michaelis
• Habitat: Deserts of Pakistan, especially Balochistan; adapted to sandy deserts and gravel plains.

The Balochistan pygmy jerboa is another extremely tiny rodent native to the deserts of Pakistan, particularly the Balochistan region.

Weighing just 3.75 grams and ranging in length from 3.6 to 4.8 centimeters, this tiny jerboa is well suited to the harsh desert environment.

Like other jerboas, they have long hind legs for hopping and can quickly cross sandy ground. The Balochistan pygmy jerboa feeds mainly on seeds and insects and is most active at night when temperatures are cooler.

Long-tailed Magpie

Source: Earth.com

• Weight: 4.3 g
• Length: 5.5-6.5 cm
• Scientific Name: Planigale ingrami
• Habitat: Northern Australia; found in grasslands, woodlands and floodplains.

Native to northern Australia, the wombat is a small marsupial known for its distinctive flat head and long tail.

This small carnivore weighs about 4.3 grams and is 5.5 to 6.5 centimeters long, making it one of Australia’s smallest mammals.

They inhabit grasslands, woodlands, and floodplains, where they prey on small insects and other invertebrates. Despite their small size, long-tailed flattails are fierce hunters, using their narrow heads to squeeze into small spaces to catch prey.

Narrow-nosed bird

Source: Flickr

• Weight: 5.3 g
• Length: 5–6.5 cm
• Scientific Name: Planigale tenuirostris
• Habitat: Northern and eastern Australia; prefers woodlands, grasslands and scrub.

The narrow-nosed shrew is another small marsupial found in northern and eastern Australia. Weighing about 5.3 grams and measuring 5 to 6.5 centimeters in length, this small animal is adapted to a variety of habitats, including woodlands, grasslands, and scrub.

Its narrow snout and flat skull enable it to move through dense vegetation and burrow into the soil in search of insects and other small prey.

The narrow-nosed magpie is a nocturnal animal that relies on its keen sense of smell to find food in the dark.

Barren plains

Source: Wikimedia Commons

• Weight: 6.9 g
• Length: 4–5 cm
• Scientific Name: Planigale gilesi
• Habitat: Eastern and southern Australia; found in arid and semi-arid regions, common in open grasslands and scrub.

The wombat is also a native Australian marsupial. It is a small marsupial weighing about 6.9 grams and 4 to 5 centimeters in length.

It is found in arid and semi-arid regions of eastern and southern Australia, often inhabiting open grasslands and scrubland.

The rare flat-footed lizard is named for its small number of teeth, an adaptation to its insectivorous diet. Like its relatives, the flat-footed lizard is a nocturnal hunter that uses its small size to find prey in tight spaces.

Tasmanian pygmy possum

Source: Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service

• Weight: 8.4 g
• Length: 6.6-7.5 cm
• Scientific Name: Cercartetus lepidus
• Habitat: Tasmania and parts of southern Australia; lives in temperate rainforests, woodlands and heaths.

The Tasmanian pygmy possum weighs about 8.4 grams and is 6.6 to 7.5 centimeters long, making it one of the smallest possums in the world.

This small marsupial is native to Tasmania and parts of South Australia, where it inhabits temperate rainforests, woodlands and heathlands.

The Tasmanian pygmy possum is an agile climber that uses its dangling tail to navigate trees and bushes in search of nectar, pollen and insects. Despite its small size, it can enter torpor, a state of reduced metabolic activity, to conserve energy in cold weather or when food is scarce.

American Shrew

• Weight: 10 g
• Length: 7.5–9 cm
• Scientific Name: Neurotrichus gibbsii
• Habitat: Western North America, from British Columbia to northern California; prefers moist forested areas, often near streams or swamps.

The American shrew is a small insectivorous mammal native to the forests of western North America, from British Columbia to northern California.

It weighs about 10 grams and is 7.5 to 9 centimeters in length, making it the smallest mole species in North America.

American shrews are well adapted for a life underground, with pointy snouts and large, clawed forelimbs adapted for digging. They inhabit moist, forested areas, often near streams or swamps, where they prey on insects, earthworms, and other small invertebrates in the soil.

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