The World’s Tiniest Animals

The deep ocean is full of some of the most unusual creatures on the planet. One of them is the world’s smallest shark: the dwarf lantern shark. These sharks live off the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela. Only a few have ever been captured, so scientists know little about them. But they do know that the dwarf lantern shark—like many deep-water creatures—is bioluminescent, meaning it makes its own light.

Similar to fireflies, each species of bioluminescent shark flashes a unique pattern, says shark expert George Burgess. He discovered the dwarf lantern shark in 1964!

“The flashing patterns probably act like signs in a dark world,” Burgess says. That may help the teeny-tiny sharks attract prey or track down their own kind to mate with.

Some of Earth’s most unusual creatures live in the deep ocean. One of them is the world’s smallest shark! The dwarf lantern shark lives off the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela. Only a few have ever been captured, so scientists know little about them. But they do know that the tiny shark is bioluminescent. That means it makes its own light.

George Burgess is a shark expert. He discovered the dwarf lantern shark in 1964. There are other species of shark that glow too, he says. But each one flashes a unique pattern. “The flashing patterns probably act like signs in a dark world,” says Burgess. They may help the little sharks attract prey or track down their own kind to mate with.

Discovering the world’s smallest frog is no easy task. Just ask Christopher Austin. He’s a herpetologist—a scientist who studies amphibians and reptiles.

Austin was recording frog calls at night in the tropical forest of Papua New Guinea when he heard an unfamiliar, high-pitched noise coming from the forest floor. He searched, but he couldn’t find the clamoring critter. Finally, Austin stuffed a handful of leaves from the ground into a bag. The next morning, he examined the contents.

“We saw this small thing hop off a leaf,” he says. “We were surprised when we realized it was a really tiny frog!”

The frog, named Paedophryne amauensis, is just 8 millimeters long and weighs 0.1 grams, which is as heavy as a toothpick! These diminutive dimensions make it not only the world’s tiniest frog but also the world’s smallest vertebrate, or animal with a backbone!

Discovering the world’s smallest frog isn’t easy. Just ask Christopher Austin. He’s a herpetologist. That’s a scientist who studies amphibians and reptiles.

Years ago, Austin was working in the tropical forest of Papua New Guinea. He was trying to record frog calls at night. He heard a tiny chirp coming from the forest floor. He searched the ground, but he couldn’t find whatever was making the noise. Finally, Austin grabbed a handful of leaves and stuffed them into a bag. The next morning, he took a closer look.

“We saw this small thing hop off a leaf,” he says. “We were surprised when we realized it was a really tiny frog!”

Austin realized the frog was an undiscovered species. It was just 8 millimeters long and weighed 0.1 grams—as light as a toothpick! That makes it the world’s tiniest frog. It’s also the world’s smallest animal with a backbone!

Primates are the group of animals that includes monkeys, apes, and humans. The smallest member of this group is a tiny animal with a big name: Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur. This petite primate is just
4 inches long.

These teensy lemurs live in the trees of Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa. Madame Berthe’s mouse lemurs are extremely quick, says Chris Smith, an educator at the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina. The lemurs’ speed and small size make them talented insect catchers. “They’re small enough to run right inside a flower where a moth is feeding, grab it, and gobble it down,” Smith says.

Primates are the group of animals that includes monkeys, apes, and humans. The smallest member of this group is a tiny animal with a big name. It’s called Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur. And it’s just 4 inches long!

These teensy lemurs live in the trees of Madagascar. That’s an island off the east coast of Africa. They move extremely quickly, which helps them catch insects, says Chris Smith. He’s an educator at the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina. “They’re small enough to run right inside a flower where a moth is feeding,” says Smith. “Then they grab it and gobble it down.”