In this article, you will discover:

The smallest mammal: the Etruscan shrew

The length of the head and body of this representative of the shrew family does not exceed five centimeters. With its tail about 25 millimeters long, the entire shrew is smaller than a human finger.. Do not look for it in a nearby forest or park, this animal is not present in Poland. The shrew lives mainly in southern Europe, North Africa and South Asia. You can find it closest to the borders of our country, in the south of Slovenia.

The Etruscan shrew is extremely fast and has a very good metabolism. Every day, he eats up to twice his body weight! Its diet is mainly composed of insects and small invertebrates, it prefers grasshoppers. When it is not sleeping, eating, hunting, or hiding from predators, it spends most of its time washing its body. In summary, it is an animal that eats a lot, is agile and fast, washes often and lives in a warm and humid climate. Some people believe that each person has their own guardian animal, which reflects their character, dreams and hidden abilities.

Also read: TOP 10 amazing animals

The smallest reptile: Brookesia micra

The total body length of this chameleon is approximately 23 millimeters. This means that Brookesia micra can stand on the head of a matchstick by holding it with all four legs.. As an endemic species, it is present only in Madagascar.

Brookesia micra was only discovered in the 21st century by a team of zoologists led by German scientist Frank Glaw. The small size of this chameleon may be linked to a phenomenon called island dwarfism. This is a trend where there are fewer animals on the islands than on the mainland. This is because small animals need less food, to which they have limited access on the islands. Additionally, there are often no large predators on islands, which through evolution is an important factor in selection toward increasing body size.

Unfortunately, it is in danger of extinction. This is due to the clearing of forests in Madagascar, which deprives these reptiles of their natural habitat.

The smallest bird: the Havana hummingbird

The body length of the smallest bird on earth is about 6.3 centimeters. As you might guess from the name of this animal, it is found in Cuba. The Havana hummingbird, like all representatives of its species, can fly very quickly. It does this in search of flower nectar, which constitutes the main component of its diet. It also feeds on small insects and spiders.

The phenomenon of iridescence occurs on its feathers. In nature, this phenomenon occurs on various surfaces. It can appear on liquid stains, clouds, minerals and even on animal armor. The colors of the rainbow are characteristic of iridescence and cover the object thanks to the phenomenon of interference of reflected light. If you think you’ve never observed this phenomenon, you’re probably wrong! This often happens on blown soap bubbles or gasoline stains. They can also be seen on the feathers of the Havana hummingbird as it flies around the Cuban archipelago.

Also read: 7 things you didn’t know about penguins

The smallest amphibian: Paedophryne amauensis

The smallest amphibian and also the smallest vertebrate in the world is the frog, which measures 7.7 millimeters long. This toad is smaller than an adult human’s fingernail. It lives only in Papua New Guinea, which is the second largest country in Oceania after Australia.

Like Brookesia Micra, this animal was only discovered in the 21st century. In 2009, two American scientists, during a scientific expedition to the tropical forests of Papua New Guinea, spotted this small amphibian. Their discovery was published in 2012 in the scientific journal PLOS one. This frog can make jumps that are thirty times the length of its body! It lives in the forest litter of tropical forests. It is active mainly at dusk and feeds on small invertebrates.