There is much to celebrate when it comes to the diverse fauna and flora in South Africa. From the Big Five to the Marine Big Five, we are spoiled by Mother Nature’s beauty. But what about those little guys that we can barely see? They deserve some of the spotlight too. Here are the littlest animals in the country and where to find them.
The Blue Duiker
The smallest of the Antelope species, the Blue Duiker is a charming little animal that only reaches between 30cm – 41cm in height. Females can weigh up to 4.7kgs and males up to 4kgs. The Blue Duiker can be found across the Eastern Cape and in parts of West Africa. This species is classified as rare in the South African Red Data Book.
The Speckled Padloper Tortoise
The Speckled Padloper, the smallest tortoise species in the whole world, is found only in Namaqualand between South Africa and Namibia. This adorable reptile can grow between 6.1cm – 7.9cm.
The Scops Owl
Found throughout most African countries that lie below the Sahara, the African Scops Owl is only between 19cm – 24cm in height. Despite its tiny size, this owl has the largest ear opening of all Scops Owls.
The Bronze Mannikin
The smallest bird native to South Africa is the Bronze Mannikin. This bird is a resident of the Eastern part of South Africa, both males and females have the exact same markings. Adults weigh 7g -12g and can grow to 10cm in length.
The Flowerpot Snake
Rarely growing longer than 20cm in length, the Flowerpot snake is one of the world’s smallest snakes. It is the only snake species in the country to have originally come from Australasia, making them South Africa’s only introduced species of snake. The Flowerpot snake can be found throughout South Africa in soil and flowerpots – and is completely harmless.
A few foreign friends
The Bee Hummingbird
The minute Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world and we couldn’t resist leaving it out. Endemic to Cuba, this hummingbird only measures up to 5.6cm long when fully grown and weighs 1.6g – 2g. Despite its small size, this bird is an absolute machine and can beat its wings up to 200 times per second.
Pygmy Rabbit
The Pygmy rabbit is only found along the West Coast of the United States. Sadly it is an endangered species, it grows between 23.5cm – 29.5cm in length and resides predominantly in dense sagebrush.
Picture: David Schenfeld
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