There is a great variety of mammals on Earth. The blue whale is not only the largest mammal today, but also the largest animal ever recorded on Earth.
But what about the decline at the other end? What is the smallest mammal ever made?
You might think that house mice will make it into the top 10, but in reality, their average weight is about 40 grams — while the actual smallest species weigh less than 2 grams.
10. American shrew
American shrew
Weight: 7-11g; average 10g
Distribution: Northwestern United States
The American shrew, Neurotrichus gibbsii, is the smallest mole species in the world. Also known as the Gibb Shrew, it is 69–84 mm long and 31–42 mm long at the tail.
9. Tasmanian pygmy possum
Tasmanian pygmy possum
Weight: 7-10g; average 8.4g
Distribution: Tasmania, Australia
Also known as the little pygmy possum or Cercartetus lepidus, this species is the smallest possum in the world. The head and body are on average 70 mm long, and the curlable tail is 64 mm long on average.
8. Paucident planigale
Paucident planigale
Weight: 6.9g
Distribution: Australia
Planigale gilesi, one of the five species of Planigale, is a small carnivorous marsupial. "Paucident" means "few teeth" in its name, reflecting that it has only two front molars per row, compared to three for other species.
Its head and body are 60 to 80 mm long and its tail is 55 to 70 mm long.
7. Narrow nose planigale
Weight: 5.3g
Distribution: Australia
Planigale tenuirostris, although only 7.5 centimeters in size, is a ferocious predator. It preys on insects and small lizards, sometimes even bigger than itself.
6. Long-tailed planigale
Weight: 4.3g
Planigale ingrami is the last planigale on this list and the smallest marsupial in the world. Its head and body are only 55-65 mm long.
The average female of this species weighs 4.3 grams, while the average male weighs 4.2 grams.
5. Balochistan pygmy jerboa
Weight: 3.75g
Distribution: Pakistan and Afghanistan
According to the 1999 Guinness Book of World Records, the Balochistan pygmy jerboa is tied with the African pygmy rat for the title of the world's smallest rodent.
Salpingotulus Michaelis or pygmy three-toed jerboa, with a body length of about 4.4 cm and a tail length of 8 cm. The average adult female weighs 3.75 grams.
4. African pygmy rat
African pygmy mouse
Weight: 3-12g; average 7.2g
Distribution: Sub-Saharan Africa
The African pygmy rat Mus minutoides, along with the Balochistan pygmy jerboa, are called the world's smallest rodents.
Its body is 6-8 cm long and 3-6 cm long from the tail.
3. Kitti's pig-nosed bat
Kitti's pig-nosed bat
Weight: 1.7-2.0g
Distribution: Thailand and Myanmar
In terms of body size, Kitti's pig-nosed bat is the smallest mammal on Earth, 29-33 mm long. It also has the smallest skull of all mammals. However, it is not the smallest by weight, with the smallest weighing about 1.7 grams.
The species is named after Thai zoologist Kitti Thonglongya, who discovered the species in 1974. Other names for the species include bumblebee bats and Craseonycteris thonglongyai.
Bumblebee bats are not only the smallest bats, but also smaller than the largest bumblebee (Bombus dahlbomii, which can grow up to 40 mm).
2. Etruscan shrew
Etruscan pygmy shrew
Weight: 1.5-2.5g; average 2.1g
Distribution: North America
Also known as the white-toothed pygmy shrew or Suncus etruscus, the Etruscan shrew is the smallest mammal in the world today. It is 36–52 mm long, excluding its tail, and is larger than Kitti's pig-nosed bat. However, individuals can weigh as little as 1.5 grams, which means that the Etruscan shrew wins the crown.
But if you take into account extinct species, even this small animal may be defeated.
1.
Weight: 1.3g
Extinct B. The vanhouteni weighs only 1.3 grams and is considered the smallest mammal ever made. This small shrew-like creature roamed North America 53 million years ago.
When it was discovered, B. vanhouteni pushed the limits of how small mammals might be. Since its exact weight is unknown only from fossils, the discoverers estimated its weight to be between 0.93 and 1.82 grams, with the most likely figure being 1.3 grams.