The Kleinmann’s tortoise, aka Egyptian tortoise, Leith’s tortoise, or Negev tortoise, is the smallest species of tortoise in the Northern Hemisphere. They are native to Libya and likely extinct in Egypt
The Calliope hummingbird is the smallest known species of migrant hummingbird native to Canada and the United States. These little critters migrate upwards of 5,600 miles each year from North America to Mexico! Quite an impressive feat for such a small bird
The American shrew mole, aka Gibb’s shrew mole or least shrew mole, is the smallest known species of mole. The reasoning behind it being called a shrew mole instead of either a shrew or a mole is due to its fur, which is
The bumblebee bat, aka Kitti’s hog-nosed bat or hognosed bat, is the smallest known species of bat in the world. They can only be found in western Thailand and southeast Myanmar. They dwell among limestone caves near rivers.
The dwarf sperm whale can be found throughout all of the world’s oceans, preferring deeper tropical and temperate waters. These critters are related to the pygmy sperm whale. Even though these diminutive whales are subjected to
The long-tailed pangolin, aka ipi or African black-bellied pangolin, gets their namesake due to their extremely long tail and black hairs on their belly. They can be found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo,
The pygmy hog hails only from southern Bhutan and Assam, in India. They prefer the tall, thick grassland habitat in the foothills of the Himalayas. Unfortunately, due to the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands
The Sumatran tiger hails only from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They are the only remaining tiger species on the Sunda islands. They prefer rugged montane forests and lowland peat swamp forests at higher elevations. These
The bog turtle can be found in the eastern and northeastern United States. They prefer bogs, calcareous wetlands (locations containing lime), meadows, spring seeps, marshes, and habitats containing both wet and dry regions.
The Eurasian pygmy owl is the smallest owl species in Europe. They can be found from Europe to Siberia. These owls prefer the cooler temperatures found in the taiga coniferous forests at higher mountainous elevations with both
