10 Animals That Weigh Less Than a Pair of Gardening Shears
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Your mind might go to birds or tiny rodents when thinking of really small and lightweight animals, but the animal kingdom is full of creatures that are so small and delicate they could sit on your gardening shears without moving them an inch. The bar is set surprisingly low as the average pair of gardening shears weighs 1.5 to 2 pounds. It’s fun to imagine that some living things can survive nearly weightless in comparison.
If you’re curious about the world’s tiniest inhabitants, or just like to explore quirky comparisons, today’s article will tell you about some of nature’s lightest wonders. These creatures — from fluttering insects to pocket sized mammals — show that sometimes smaller really is better.
Bumblebee Bat
As far as bats go, this is one tiny mammal, officially the smallest in the world. At 0.07 ounces (2 grams), it is so light that it can sit on the tip of your finger. These bats are found in limestone caves in parts of Thailand and Myanmar, and eat insects. They may have a wingspan of up to 5.7 inches, but they’re feather light, making your gardening shears a dumbbell in comparison.
Bee Hummingbird
The bee hummingbird is found in Cuba and is the world’s smallest bird. Measuring in at a paltry 0.07 ounces (2 grams), it’s about the weight of a couple of paperclips. Its plumage is dazzling, and when it flies, its heart beats at some dizzying 1,200 times per minute. These are very small birds, so small sometimes they are mistaken for insects, flying from flower to flower to get the nectar.
Pea Crab
As its name suggests, the pea crab is no larger than a pea and weighs barely more than a fraction of an ounce. Most of the time, these crabs live in the shells of mussels or any other mollusks and draw their food and protection from their hosts. They’re the freeloaders of the crustacean world, so who can blame them when they’re that size?
Featherwing Beetle
The featherwing beetle is one of the lightest insect on record at less than 0.00007 ounces (0.002 grams). These beetles are tiny enough to glide on the faintest of breezes, and are found in soil, leaf litter, even fungi. They get their name from their fringed wings, which under the microscope look like delicate feathers.
Etruscan Shrew
The Etruscan shrew is known as the lightest mammal by body weight, weighing on about 0.06 ounces (1.8 grams). Small as it is, this little critter has a large appetite, and will eat up to twice its own body weight in a day. It has a heartbeat of about 1,500 beats per minute—it’s small but mighty.
Glass Frog
Famous for their transparent skin, glass frogs are also not heavyweights, or rather unheavyweights. These Central and South American rainforest amphibians weigh only 0.2 ounces (5.7 grams) and are often found clinging to leaves. They are nearly invisible and have a light frame that aids in avoiding predators, making them survival experts.
Pygmy Seahorse
The pygmy seahorse weighs about 0.011 ounces or 0.3 grams, about the weight of a pinch of salt. They are little marvels found clinging to sea fans in coral reefs in camouflage. Because of their size, and because they blend in so well with their surroundings, you really don’t see them that often unless you are a diver with an eagle eye.
Fairyfly
The fairyfly isn’t a fly at all, but a wasp, and it’s one of the smallest insects known to science. It’s nearly impossible to imagine weighing in at just 0.00004 ounces (0.0012 grams). These tiny creatures are very important in helping to control pest population by parasitizing other insects eggs. In the insect world, they’re the tiny villains, but to us? Superheroes!
Speckled Padloper Tortoise
The speckled padloper is the smallest tortoise species, and lives in South Africa. When fully grown, it weighs just about 5 ounces (140 grams), far below the average for tortoises. Although small, it has all the scars and charm of the larger species, without the huge shell.
Paedocypris Fish
It’s found in Southeast Asian swamps, and weighs less than a paperclip. Adult Paedocypris are the smallest fish species, with just over half an inch long and fractions of an ounce weight. Their small size allows them to take advantage of the shallow, oxygen depleted waters in which they live.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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