Animals come in a range of sizes. The smallest are from a group called Myxozoa, jellyfish-like parasites about one-hundredth of a millimeter long that are only visible under a microscope. Among vertebrates you would recognize with the naked eye, the smallest known to man is Paedophryne amauensis, a tiny frog that is just 8mm long.
How large can animals grow?
The heaviest beasts to ever walk the Earth were long-necked sauropod dinosaurs, known as titanosaurs. With a mass of about 50,000kg, titanosaurs weighed the same as 10 elephants and yet were still three times lighter than the largest species of all time, the blue whale, at 150 tonnes. Aquatic mammals often have a mass-to-volume ratio that matches the density of water, which provides neutral buoyancy and supports weights that can’t be reached on land due to size limits.
What limits total body size?
This story is from the February 2022 edition of BBC Wildlife.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2022 edition of BBC Wildlife.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
ALL YOU EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE Giant panda
Cuddly-looking with highly distinctive black-and-white fur and dark ‘spectacles’, the giant panda – often referred to simply as the panda – is an undeniably popular and much-loved bear, both the national animal of China and, of course, the iconic logo of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
CRUISE CONTROL
As more people are drawn to experience the frozen frontiers, can tourism to the seventh continent be a good thing for nature?
COWS COME HOME
Tauros are the closest thing to the extinct aurochs. And they are coming to the UK.
BIG LITTLE JOURNEYS
A closer look at the smallbut-mighty animals that must travel vast distances to survive
MOUNTAIN MISSION
Canada lynx and wolverines are secretive creatures, but dedicated scientists in Montana are tracking them to inform conservation
LET'S GET TOGETHER - ROOSTING PIED WAGTAILS
Remember to look up this Christmas to enjoy gangs of pied wags' gathered in the trees
FEMALE OF THE SPECIES - REINDEER
Lucy Cooke explains why the females of this Christmas icon have antlers too
Ancient woodland still at risk from HS2
Scrapping the northern phase has spared some sites, but woodlands and reserves remain under threat
Ocean superheroes
Release of 10.000 oysters in North East England promises to improve water quality and marine life
MEET THE VOLUNTEER - Keith Dobell
The retiree cares for a park, an old railway track and a wood in his home county of Northamptonshire