World's SMALLEST Mammals

From tiny antelope and armadillos; to Brazilian pocket monkeys; here are the world’s smallest mammals

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Etruscan Shrew
Including its tail, these critters can grow to around 2.3 inches long (5.8 cm). Add a weight of some 1.8 grams to that, and that gives you the world’s smallest mammal -- at least in terms of sheer mass. But these small shrews have a monster-sized appetite. Thanks to a hyper-fast metabolism, they can consume enough food to equal twice their body weight each and every day. Did you know their heart rate averages more than 1,500 beats a minute … contrast that with a normal human heart rate of 72 beats per minute. They’re found in moist grassy habitats from southern Europe through Central and South Asia.

Bumblebee Bat
It’s also known as Kitti’s Hog Nosed Bat due to its swollen, pig-like snout. Depending on how you define ‘size’, this is arguably the world’s smallest mammal -- that is, if you’re judging by skull size. But there’s no debating that it is the smallest species of bat. Found only in limestone caves in Myanmar and Thailand, the flying mammals average around 33 mm long (1.3 inches) and weigh only 2 grams (less than an ounce). At that size, you could nearly mistake if for a bumblebee, hence the common name. Its wings, though, are relatively large, and allow the bat to hover.

Philippine Tarsier (tar-seer)
These are among the smallest known primates … and can be about the size of an adult human fist. They can weigh up to 160 grams (5.6 oz) and go about 160 mm (6.3 inches) in height. Common among all Tarsiers, this species has eyes that are fixed in its skull, that is, they can’t turn in the sockets.. An adaptation compensates that allows the primate to rotate its head nearly 180-degrees, thanks to specialized vertebrae. Judging from the disproportionate size of their eyes, you might guess that the creatures have excellent night vision. In fact, among all mammals, they have the greatest eye-to-body size ratio. They get their name from their elongated ankle bone, or tarsus. It allows the animal to jump among the trees for distances up to 3 meters. As you might expect, the tarsiers are found in the Philippine archipelago.

Pygmy Marmoset Monkey
The picture almost appears like the image of a three headed creature … maybe the simian version of Cerberus. But unlike the mythical beast that guarded the gates of Hades, Pygmy Marmoset Monkeys are verified to exist … and they’re not known for their guard duty. But they are known for being the world’s smallest true monkeys. Adults will rarely weigh more than 100 grams (3.5 oz), with a head and body length of around 229 mm including the tail (9 inches). They’re found in the rainforests of the Amazon Basin in South America … and are known for using an intricate system of calls to communicate with one another … often using low frequency sounds to respond over longer distances. Given their diminutive size, they have a pretty healthy lifespan in captivity, averaging around 20 years. Did you know that in Brazil, they’re often called ‘pocket monkeys’ because they’re small enough to fit into your breast pocket.