14 Creatures That Are Surprisingly Smaller Than Your Lawn Mower

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You know your lawn mower is the heavyweight champion of your backyard, always ready to roar and take on those unruly patches of grass. It might seem small but have you ever thought about how it compares to some of the most curious creatures in the world? Like many garden gadgets, there’s nothing difficult or dangerous about a mower, but get ready to be amazed and possibly amused because your mower is a giant compared to many living things around the world.

These little beings run the gamut from downright adorable to downright bizarre, and prove that size isn’t everything. Now, let’s slip into the awe inspiring world of creatures smaller than your good ol’ yard buddy, or maybe you’ll appreciate the creativity of nature a bit more.

Bumblebee Bat

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The bumblebee bat is so small it is referred to as the world’s smallest mammal, about the size of your thumb. Lucky for us, these tiny flying marvels weigh in at a mere 2 grams, no more than a few paperclips! They live in limestone caves in Thailand and Myanmar, sleep during the day, and hunt insects at night. Although tiny, bumblebee bats are significant pollinators, showing us that even the smallest animals really can have a big effect.

Pygmy Seahorse

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The pygmy seahorse will make you look twice if you want to admire the complexity of ocean life. These little marine wonders are great impostors, blending well into coral reefs. They are just under an inch, which means you could sit them on a penny. Camouflage alone is a skill far more impressive than any lawn mower’s cut and collect function, and scientists marvel at their ability to evade predators with this ability.

Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur

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World’s smallest primate hails from the forests of Madagascar. These pint-sized creatures are less than an ounce, and about as long as a candy bar, tail included. They are nocturnal and often zip through the trees hunting for fruits and nectar. Fun fact: their energy efficiency is better than the most fuel saving lawn mower you could think of!

Fairyfly

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

While the fairyfly has an amusing name, it isn’t a fly; it’s a wasp. This insect is less than a millimeter long, it’s so small you need a microscope to see it in all of its glory. Fairyflies are natural pest controllers that deposit their eggs in other insects eggs. They are likely smaller than your lawn mower’s spark plug, but they do play a big role in maintaining ecological balance.

Speckled Padloper Tortoise

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The speckled padloper is from South Africa and was dubbed the world’s tiniest tortoise. It’s a far cry from what you might picture when you think of tortoises: At just 3 inches long. These little guys are extremely shy and prefer rocky environments so they’ll retreat into their shells at the first hint of danger. It’s likely they would see a mower rolling into their habitat and run—or waddle—for cover.

Paedocypris

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

This tiny fish from Southeast Asia’s swamps could swim circles in a coffee mug. As adults, they measure only about 0.3 inches, and are so small in fact that they can be mistaken for larvae. Despite their size, they survive in oxygen depleted waters and have become little champions of adaptability.

Etruscan Shrew

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Etruscan shrew weighs just 1.8 grams – less than a slice of bread. Yet don’t be fooled by its small size: It’s a wild predator that must eat two times its body weight a day to keep its fast metabolism going. The engine of a lawn mower engine might work hard, but it certainly doesn’t work as hard as the Etruscan shrew’s tiny, tireless heart.

Glass Frog

Glass Frogs
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Glass frogs are native to Central and South America and about the size of a coin; their transparent skin lets you see their organs. It could be cool to have lawn mower with these see through panels, but not so much. These frogs are tough, and can easily navigate forest canopies.

Wee Stinger Scorpion

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This scorpion is just under an inch long, and unlikely to snatch you up; it’s more likely to get lost in your shoe. It is small and found in tropical regions, but that doesn’t make it any less formidable. This venomous critter uses its venom for self defense, which means that sometimes big surprises do come in small packages.

Beetle Species: Scydosella Musawasensis

Creatures You Are Legally Forbidden To Remove From Your Home And Garden
Image Credit: James K. Lindsey/Wikimedia Commons

It is the smallest known insect. It’s smaller than the head of a pin, measuring just 0.325 millimeters. It’s found in Central America, and lives on fungal spores, and is nearly invisible to the naked eye. I mean, making a lawn mower look like a behemoth.

Dwarf Lanternshark

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

One of the ocean’s secrets is the dwarf lanternshark. This shark measures about 6 inches long, smaller than a loaf of bread. It is found in the deep sea, glows faintly in the dark via bioluminescence. Mowing at dusk would be a heck of a lot more exciting if your mower had the bioluminescence feature.

American Pygmy Shrew

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The North American mammal that weighs about 2.5 grams is this shrew. It’s smaller than some crickets, it hunts for insects with verve, and it moves with lightning speed. When you’re mowing and a shrew zips through your yard, you’d think it was just a leaf in the wind.

Pygmy Jerboa

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

This Central Asian rodent is long in the hind legs, tiny in stature, and resembles a mouse crossed with a kangaroo. One of the smallest rodents on Earth, it weighs a few grams and measures about 2 inches. Watching one hop around your yard would make mowing look downright mundane.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.

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