Published By: Sohamhalder227

List of world's smallest mammals

Besides a bigger version (like whales), mammals can be as small as a few centimeters long.

You just cannot call any animal mammals based on their size. There are certain criteria to fulfill to call as mammals. They are warm-blooded animals characterized by the presence of vertebrae, hair or fur, and a diaphragm. Another important aspect of being a mammal is younger self consumesthe mother's milk. You might be thinking a house rat is a very small mammal to be included in the list of the smallest animal. Interestingly, other mammal species are weighing only 2 grams with shorter length. Go through this article to know more about them.

Etruscan shrew, the known smallest mammal living on the earth:

Native to North America, this mammal weighs between 1.5-2.5 grams. They are also known as Suncusetruscusor white-toothed pygmy shrew.

Kitti's hog-nosed bat, found in Thailand and Myanmar:

They weigh between 1.7-2.0 grams. Kitti's hog-nosed bat possesses the smallest mammal's skull. This special animal was named after KittiThonglongya, a famous zoologist from Thailand who discovered this mammal.

African pygmy mouse, found in Sub-Saharan Africa:

They weigh between 3-12 grams with an average weight of 7.2 grams. The African pygmy mouse is regarded as the smallest rodent in the world. Generally, their average length is 7 cm with an additional 3-5 cm long tail.

Baluchistan pygmy jerboa, found in Pakistan and Afghanistan

The average of this mammal is 3.75 grams. Initially, they were believed to be the smallest rodent, the tag which was later taken by the African pygmy mouse.

Long-tailed planigale, found in Australia:

Their average weight is around 4.3 grams. There is a long history of planigale species that eventually got extinct over the centuries. This Long-tailed planigale is the last surviving species of planigale on the planet.

Narrow-nosed planigale, also found in Australia:

They weigh slightly heavier than the last one at 5.3 grams. They are considered to be a vicious predator of insects. Often they prey upon animals larger than their body size.

Paucidentplanigale, found in Australia

The average weight of this mammal is 7 grams. This animal is marsupial in nature with carnivorous habits. As their name suggests, this mammal possesses few teeth (only 2 premolars in both the jaws).

Tasmanian pygmy possum, found in Tasmania, Australia:

Considered the smallest possum on this planet, this mammal weighs between 7-10 grams. The scientific name of this animal is Cercartetuslepidus.

American shrew mole, found in Northwestern USA:

The average weight of this animal is 10 grams. They are considered the smallest living mole species on this planet. The other name of this mammal is Gibb's shrew mole.

Smaller mammals are brilliant at hiding and accessing tiny spaces. They can easily climb upon the weakest branch with ease, which remains inaccessible to larger mammals.