9 of the Smallest Animals in the World and Where They Live

1. Smallest Mammal: Bumblebee Bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai)

Whitefish, near Glacier National Park in the northern Rockies, is a popular ski resort. If that's not your thing, don't worry. Whitefish offers ice climbing, sledding, snowshoeing, and more. In February, Whitefish hosts the Winter Carnival.

Smallest Primate: Madame Berthe's Mouse Lemur (Microcebus berthae)

The Madame Berthe's mouse lemur is the world's tiniest mammal and has a very unique singing sound. This tiny but powerful wonder is 3.6 inches long, which is about the size of a popsicle stick, and weighs 1.1 ounces.

Smallest Amphibian: Paedophryne amauensis

A very small wonder in the world is only known by its formal name, Paedophryne amauensis. It's only a third of an inch long, which means this tiny animal can fit on a dime without any trouble.

Smallest Reptile: Dwarf Gecko (Sphaerodactylus ariasae)

Not only is the dwarf gecko the tiniest reptile, it is also the tiniest lizard. These lizards are so small that they can fit on a quarter and are only two thirds of an inch long.

Smallest Snake: Barbados Threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae)

Barbados is the name of the island where this snake lives. It is the world's smallest snake. This very small snake is 4.09 inches long, which is about the length of a roll of toilet paper. 

Smallest Bird: Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga Helenae)

Standing at a teeny-tiny two and a half inches tall and weighing less than two grams, these little sugar fiends are natural wonders. True to their miniature form, bee hummingbirds build golf ball-sized nests to lay jellybean-sized eggs.

Smallest Owl: Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi)

Elf owls have the smallest talons. These little birds of prey weigh 1.4 ounces and stand 4.9 to 5.7 inches. Tree cavities or pre-made woodpecker holes in saguaro cactus are home to elf owls in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico.

Smallest Fish: Photocorynus spiniceps

Photocorynus spiniceps is the name of the angler fish, which is the smallest fish and mammal known to science. It is also the weirdest animal. There is a big difference in size between male and female P. spiniceps. Males that are fully grown are only about a quarter inch long.

Smallest Turtle: Speckled Dwarf Tortoise (Chersobius signatus)

The tiniest turtle in the world is the speckled dwarf tortoise. Females, which are slightly larger than males, still only max out at about 4.3 inches. These compact turtles live in the succulent karoo, a biodiversity hotspot in western South Africa.