Itty-Bitty-Cuties
- ejharpist
- Mar 2
- 5 min read
Good things come in small packages.... in the animal world, there are some very tiny creatures that we wanted to celebrate!!!!!
Who? Antarctic Midge, Tardigrade (Moss piglets, Water bears), Naked Mole Rat, Pink Fairy Armadillo, Pygmy Seahorse, Sea Sheep, Poison Dart Frogs, Pygmy Marmoset, Bee Hummingbird, Star-Sucker Pygmy Octopus, Blue Ringed Octopus, Little Blue Penguin, Kitti's Hog-Nosed Bat, Dwarf Lantern Shark, Shark Bay Mouse...
Why? Because... all animals are worth knowing about, caring about and learning about.
Where? All over the world!
Let's Get Started!!!!!
Naked Mole Rat (Sand Puppy)
Size: typically 3 inches long and weigh 1-1.5 ounces
found in Eastern Ethiopia, Central Somalia and Kenya
Cutie Facts: They can survive for 18 minutes without breathing oxygen.
When they are born, babies are around the size of a jellybean and weigh less than 2 grams.
They are mostly resistant to cancer.
They seem wrinkly because there is no fat right under their skin.
Blue Ringed Octopus
Size: Less than 8 inches long
found in the oceans near Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands
Cutie Facts: At birth, they are the size of a grape seed.
There are 10 different species of blue ringed octopus.
They are venomous, with two toxins, one of which is harmless to humans.
They have 3 hearts.
Costasiella kuroshimae (Sea Sheep)
Size: 1 centimeter
found in waters near Japan and Indonesia.
Cutie Facts: They eat algae.
Only recently discovered, in 1993!!!!!
Kitti's Hog-Nosed Bat (Bumblebee Bat)
Size: 1 inch (3 centimeters)
found in caves in Thailand and Myanmar
Cutie Facts: They are the world's smallest mammal.
They are Near-Threatened on the IUCN list of conservation status.
Shark Bay Mouse
Size: 3-4.5 inches (body length), 4-5 inches (tail)
native to Australia
Cutie Facts: Although not the tiniest mouse, they are unique in that they have a small habitat area. Conservation efforts have led to this species being relocated to to islands off the coast of Western Australia; Doole Island and North West Island, and a protected population on Faure Island. These islands are free from predators.
They are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Conservation Red List.
Chantelle Jackson is an ecologist helping the Shark Bay Mouse and other endangered animals (Banded Hare-Wallabies, Burrowing Bettongs, Western Barred Bandicoots, and many others) in Australia.
(We learned about this species and the Antarctic Midge thanks to the book How do Meerkats Order Pizza? by Brooke Barker.)
Dwarf Lantern Shark
Size: 7.9 inches
found off the coast of Colombia and Venezuela
Cutie Facts: They are a type of dogfish (Which, despite its name, is a type of shark).
They are the world's smallest shark.
They light up, along their bellies and fins, to help them camouflage.
It's rarely seen and not much is known about it.
Bee Hummingbird
Size: 2.25 inches
found on the main island of Cuba, and the Isla de la Juventud
Cutie Facts: Its nest is about the size of a quarter, and made out of spider silk.
It is the smallest bird in the world.
Bee hummingbird eggs are about the size of a coffee bean and weigh half the weight of a paperclip. So cute!!!!!
They are listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Conservation Red List.
Pink Fairy Armadillo
Size: 6 inches
found in Argentina
Cutie Facts: They get their coloring from their blood vessels, which are close to its shell.
It has a fuzzy, yellowish coat.
It is a burrower.
It's the smallest armadillo species in the world.
It spends most of its life underground.
They are solitary.
They don't survive well in captivity, like vaquitas.
Star-Sucker Pygmy Octopus
Size: 1 inch
found in shallow waters throughout the Indo-Pacific ocean
Cutie Facts: They have a lifespan of six months (The smallest of any octopus)
They weigh no more than a raisin, at about 1 gram.
They can match the colors and textures of their surroundings.
They, unlike most octopuses, can have more than one batch of eggs in their lifetime.
Pygmy Marmoset
Size: 4.5 to 6 inches
found in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and northern Bolivia
Cutie Facts: They are the world's smallest monkey.
Stella de La Torre is studying pygmy marmosets in Ecuador to help them.
Their favorite food is tree sap.
They live in family groups and are very social.
Tardigrada (Tardigrade, Water Bear, Moss Piglet)
Size: microscopic (From 0.1 to 0.5 millimeters)
found in all environments (around the world)
Cutie Facts: They can survive up to 30 years without food or water.
They live at the bottom of the ocean, inside hot springs, and on Mt. Everest.
They can survive exposure to extreme levels of radiation.
Little Blue Penguin
Size: 13 inches
found in Southern Australia and New Zealand
Cutie Facts: Its scientific name, Eudyptula means "good little diver"
They are nicknamed "Fairy penguins".
It is the smallest species of penguin.
Their blue feathers help them camouflage in the water, and their white tummies help them camouflage with the sunlight.
Antarctic Midge
Size: less than half an inch
found in Antarctica
Cutie Facts: They are the largest land-based creatures in Antarctica.
They are the only insects in Antarctica.
They spend 8 months of the year frozen.
Dr. Nicholas Teets studies Antarctic Midges.
They live near penguin and elephant seal guano (poop) for the nutrients.
Pygmy Seahorse
Size: half an inch tall
found in the Great Barrier Reef, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines
Cutie Facts: They are experts at camouflage.
Each eye moves in different directions, so they can watch for predators with one, and look for food with the other.
They spend their adult lives on a single sea fan (a type of coral).
Seahorse couples dance with each other every morning.
Poison Dart Frogs
Size: varies, depending on species - typically between 0.5 inches and 2.5 inches
found in rainforests of Central and South America
Cutie Facts: There are a wide range of colors, from the very famous blue poison dart, to strawberry (red), sky blue, black-legged, golden, yellow, orange, etc.
Many species are endangered due to rainforest destruction.
Yes, they are poisonous. No, don't touch.
The amount of poison varies depending on species.
Unlike most frogs, poison dart frogs are diurnal, not nocturnal.
There are SO many cute animals around the world. I really see the sweetness in every creature, but I thought it would be fun to share some lesser-known tiny friends. Hope you enjoyed some fun research!!!!!
I truly enjoyed this post. By and large I had not heard of any of these wondrous little creatures--so small and so beautiful. The facts were so interesting, and the pictures entrancing! It's hard to say what my favorites are, since I liked them all, but some of my favorites include: the pygmy seahorse (such an interesting video!), the sea sheep (oh my gosh, adorable!), the bumblebee bat, the bee hummingbird and the pygmy marmoset. Thank you so much, as always--your love and interest for these creatures is very inspiring and enlightening!
Oliver, All of these unique creatures amaze me too. The Moss Piglet and the Sea Sheep reminded me of succulents in the plant world!. Thank you for doing and sharing your research. Wendy