Mammals are a diverse species. They come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, vary in form and function and live in a great many different habitats all over the world.
Smallest Biped Mammal
Bipedalism refers to a state of locomotion where animals move using their hind legs. The Spinifex Hopping-mouse (Notomys alexis) is Native to Australia and is found in the dryer parts of the country around Central Australia and Western Australia where Spinifex-type plants make up most of the vegetation.
The Spinifex Hopping-mouse grows to only 7 – 8cm making it the smallest biped mammal. It walks on all fours at times, but often it moves about by hopping on its hind legs and has been known to travel up to 15km in search of rain.
Smallest Flying Mammal
The bumblebee bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai) is found in Myanmor and Thailand and is the world’s smallest mammal. It derived its name due to its small size, about the same size as a large bumblebee. They grow to 29 – 33mm (1.1 – 1.3in) in length and weigh 2g (0.07oz). The wingspan of the bumblebee bat is 170mm (6.7in). The bumblebee bat is also known as Kitti’s Hog Nosed Bat because the tiny mammal was discovered by Kitti Thonglongya and due to its pig-like nose.
Smallest Livestock Mammal
Livestock mammals are those that humans farm for food (meat, dairy), wool, and to work on the farm (eg: pulling a plough). The smallest livestock mammal is actually the Guinea Pig (Cavia sp.). The indigenous people in the Andes originally bred the guinea pig for their meat, but other countries (such as Bolivia and Peru) also eat guinea pig meat.
The guinea pig was once also a popular model for scientific research, but due to their ease of care and docile nature, they have evolved into a domestic pet. Guinea pigs grow to 20 – 40cm (8 – 16in) in length and weigh between 0.5 – 1.5kg (1 – 3.5lb).
Smallest Marine Mammal
The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is the smallest mammal in the marine mammal category. They live along the coasts of California, Alaska, Russia, British Columbia and Japan, though their numbers are fairly low due to them being hunted in the past for their fur.
Californian female see otters grow to 16 – 27kg (35 – 60lb) and males grow to up to 40kg (90lb). The sea otter has 850,000 – 1 million hairs per square inch of its body consisting of two layers. These layers help trap air next to the skin and keep water out. In fact, the sea otter has the thickest fur of all the mammals!
Smallest Quadruped Mammal
The Harvest mouse (Micromys minutes) is the smallest quadruped mammal. Habitat range is across most of Europe, Eastern Russia, Korea, Southern China and parts of Britain. Harvest mice live in hedgerows, reed beds and cereal crops (eg; wheat, oats), and have a prehensile tail that helps them to grip and climb the tall vegetation. Harvest mice actually build breeding nests in stems of plants, high above the ground.
This tiny mammal grows to 5 – 8cm in length and weighs 5 – 11g. The pygmy possum is another tiny mammal that is often claimed to be the smallest mammal, however, pygmy possums generally weigh around 9g and up.
Now that you have taken a closer look at some of the world’s smallest mammals, why not become familiar with a few of the world’s largest mammals.
Resource and further reading: Nature Notes, The Spinifex Hopping-mouse, The Animal Files, The Bumblebee Bat.
Roberta Goli - Roberta has a Bachelor of Science Degree (Zoology), has worked with animals for over 10 years and enjoys writing short stories and flash ...
