"free-living animal. It probably only came into being once people were familiar with either commensal or prey-pathway domesticated animals. These animals were likely not to possess many of the behavioral preadaptions some species show before domestication. Therefore, the domestication of these animals requires more deliberate effort by humans to work around behaviors that do not assist domestication, with increased technological assistance needed. Humans were already reliant on domestic plants and animals when they imagined the domestic versions of wild animals. Although horses, donkeys, and Old World camels were sometimes hunted as prey species, they were each deliberately brought into the"
"fiber varies between 20 and 80 micrometers, depending on whether the llamas were raised for its wool or as a pack animal. The vicuña is the smallest camelid, with a shoulder height of and a weight of . Its coat is mainly beige in color and is said to make ""the best wool in the world"", with the average fiber diameter between 11 and 14 micrometers. Like rodents, the vicuña has continuously-growing incisors. It lives only in areas of high altitude – or greater – in the highlands of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. Lamini Lamini (members are called"
"mass and drinks eight times its total body mass each day. Its nest is 3 cm across. The vulnerable Kitti's hog-nosed bat (""Craseonycteris thonglongyai""), also known as the bumblebee bat, from Thailand and Myanmar is the smallest mammal, at in length and in weight. The Etruscan shrew (""Suncus etruscus""), is the smallest mammal by mass, weighing only about on average. The bumblebee bat has a smaller skull size. The smallest mammal that ever lived, the shrew-like ""Batodonoides vanhouteni"", weighed only . The smallest member of the rodent order is the Baluchistan pygmy jerboa, with an average body length of only"
"Least weasel The least weasel (""Mustela nivalis""), common weasel, or simply weasel in the UK and much of the world, is the smallest member of the genus ""Mustela,"" family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Malta, Crete, Bermuda, Madeira Island, the Azores, the Canary Islands, São Tomé, the Falkland Islands, Argentina and Chile. It is classified as least concern by the IUCN, due to its wide distribution and large population throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Least weasels from various parts of its range vary greatly"
"Vicuña The vicuña (""Vicugna vicugna"") or vicuna (both , very rarely spelled ""vicugna"", which is actually the name of its genus) is one of the two wild South American camelids which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes, the other being the guanaco. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to be the wild ancestor of domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their coats. Vicuñas produce small amounts of extremely fine wool, which is very expensive because the animal can only be shorn every three years, and has to be caught from the wild."
"Pudú The pudús (Mapudungun ""püdü"" or ""püdu"", , ) are two species of South American deer from the genus Pudu, and are the world's smallest deer. The name is a loanword from Mapudungun, the language of the indigenous Mapuche people of central Chile and south-western Argentina. The two species of pudús are the northern pudú (""Pudu mephistophiles"") from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and the southern pudú (""Pudu puda""; sometimes incorrectly modified to ""Pudu pudu"") from southern Chile and south-western Argentina. Pudús range in size from tall, and up to long. As of 2009, the southern pudu is classified as"
"including ""Poiana"" and ""Genetta"", and Viverrinae including ""Civettictis"", ""Viverra"" and ""Viverricula"". The following cladogram is based on this study. Small Indian civet The small Indian civet (""Viverricula indica"") is a civet native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its widespread distribution, widespread habitat use and healthy populations living in agricultural and secondary landscapes of many range states. The small Indian civet is a monotypic genus. The small Indian civet has a rather coarse fur that is brownish grey to pale yellowish brown, with usually several longitudinal black or"
"the kodkod, the former members of ""Oncifelis"" were the colocolo and Geoffroy's cat. Kodkod The kodkod (""Leopardus guigna"") (), also called güiña, is the smallest cat in the Americas. It lives primarily in central and southern Chile and marginally in adjoining areas of Argentina. Its area of distribution is small compared to the other South American cats. Since 2002, it has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List as the total effective population may comprise less than 10,000 mature individuals, and is threatened due to persecution and loss of habitat and prey base. The kodkod has a small"
"4.4 cm (1.7 in). The smallest member of the order Carnivora is the least weasel (""Mustela nivalis""), with an average body length of 114–260 mm (4.5-10.2 in). It weighs between 29.5 – 250 grams with females being lighter. The smallest marsupial is the Long-tailed planigale from Australia. It has a body length of (including tail) and weigh on average. The Pilbara ningaui is considered to be of similar size and weight. The smallest member of the primate order is Madame Berthe's mouse lemur (""Microcebus berthae""), found in Madagascar, with an average body length of 92 mm (3.6 in). The smallest"
"Kasargode Dwarf And Crossbred Cattle Author : E. M. Muhammed and M. Stephen Vechur Cattle The Vechur Cattle () is a rare breed of ""Bos indicus"" cattle named after the village Vechoor in Kottayam district of the state of Kerala in India. With an average length of 124 cm and height of 87 cm, it is the smallest cattle breed in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records, and is valued for the larger amount of milk it produces relative to the amount of food it requires. The Vechur animals were saved from extinction due to conservation efforts"
"primary food source (flowers for nectar). Bee hummingbird The bee hummingbird, zunzuncito or Helena hummingbird (""Mellisuga helenae"") is a species of hummingbird which is the world's smallest bird. It is endemic to Cuba and the Isle of Pines. The bee hummingbird is the smallest living bird. Females weigh and are long, and are slightly larger than males, with an average weight of and length of . As its name suggests, it is scarcely larger than a bee. Like all hummingbirds, it is a swift, strong flier. The male has a green pileum and fiery red throat, iridescent gorget with elongated"
"Bee hummingbird The bee hummingbird, zunzuncito or Helena hummingbird (""Mellisuga helenae"") is a species of hummingbird which is the world's smallest bird. It is endemic to Cuba and the Isle of Pines. The bee hummingbird is the smallest living bird. Females weigh and are long, and are slightly larger than males, with an average weight of and length of . As its name suggests, it is scarcely larger than a bee. Like all hummingbirds, it is a swift, strong flier. The male has a green pileum and fiery red throat, iridescent gorget with elongated lateral plumes, bluish upper parts, and"
"night. The vicuña's thick but soft coat is a special adaptation which traps layers of warm air close to its body, so it can tolerate freezing temperatures. The behavior of vicuñas is similar to that of the guanacos. They are very shy animals, and are easily aroused by intruders, due, among other things, to their extraordinary hearing. Like the guanacos, they frequently lick calcareous stones and rocks, which are rich in salt, and also drink salt water. Their diets consist mainly of low grasses which grow in clumps on the ground. Vicuñas live in family-based groups made up of a"
"Ashy Woodswallow. The Pied falconet belongs to the family Falconidae of the order Falconiformes. The family Falconidae is split into two sub-families, the Herpetotherinae and the Falconinae. The Falconinae family is then also split into two tribes, the first tribe is the Caracini, which includes five Neoptropical genera: ""Daptrius, Ibycter, Milvago, Caracara"" and ""Phalcoboenus"". The second tribe is the Falconini which includes the genera ""Polihierax, Falco, Spiziaptteryx"" and ""Microhierax."" The species belonging to the genera ""Polihierax"" and ""Microhierax"" are the smallest diurnal raptors in the world. The Pied falconet is one of the five species in the ""Microhierax"" genus. The"
"may be difficult to tell apart at a distance. The vicuña is smaller and more slender in its proportions, and has a shorter head than the guanaco. The guanaco has an extensive geographical range, from the high lands of the Andean region of Ecuador and Peru to the open plains of Patagonia, and even the wooded islands of Tierra del Fuego. It constituted the principal food of the Patagonian Indians, and they use its skin for the material from which their long robes are made. It is about the size of a European red deer, and is an elegant animal"
"Weasel A weasel is a mammal of the genus Mustela of the family Mustelidae. The genus ""Mustela"" includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and minks. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bodies and short legs. The family Mustelidae (which also includes badgers, otters, and wolverines) is often referred to as the ""weasel family"". In the UK, the term ""weasel"" usually refers to the smallest species, the least weasel (""M. nivalis""). Weasels vary in length from , females being smaller than the males, and usually have red or brown upper coats and white bellies;"
"Chevrotain Chevrotains, also known as mouse-deer, are small ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, the only members of the infraorder Tragulina. The 10 extant species are placed in three genera, but several species also are known only from fossils. The extant species are found in forests in South and Southeast Asia, with a single species in the rainforests of Central and West Africa. They are solitary or live in pairs, and feed almost exclusively on plant material. Chevrotains are the smallest hoofed mammals in the world. The Asian species weigh between , while the African chevrotain is considerably larger"
"a valorous task, he would generally change himself into a least weasel. According to Matthew Hopkins, a witch hunter general during the English Civil War, least weasels were the familiars of witches. Least weasel The least weasel (""Mustela nivalis""), common weasel, or simply weasel in the UK and much of the world, is the smallest member of the genus ""Mustela,"" family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Malta, Crete, Bermuda, Madeira Island, the Azores, the Canary Islands, São Tomé, the Falkland Islands, Argentina and"
"Hyena Hyenas or hyaenas (from Greek ὕαινα ""hýaina"") are any feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (in three genera), it is the fifth-smallest biological family in the Carnivora, and one of the smallest in the class Mammalia. Despite their low diversity, hyenas are unique and vital components of most African ecosystems. Although phylogenetically they are closer to felines and viverrids, and belong to the feliform category, hyenas are behaviourally and morphologically similar to canines in several elements of convergent evolution; both hyenas and canines are non-arboreal, cursorial hunters that catch prey with their"
"pudu)"" the world's smallest deer, and the kodkod ""(Leopardus guigna)"", South America's smallest cat. Since the beginning of the 20th century, there have also been nonnative wild boars living in the Valdivian forests. Hummingbirds are common on Valdivian forests because of the presence of plants like the ""maqui"" (""Aristotelia chilensis"") and the ""copihue"". Most mammal genera in Valdivian temperate rain forest are also found in semi-arid parts of Patagonia. Relative to similar forest in North America there is a low diversity of mammals in Chilean temperate forests. The Valdivian forests include stands of huge trees, especially ""Nothofagus"" and ""Fitzroya"", which"
"Pygmy goose The pygmy geese are a group of very small ""perching ducks"" in the genus Nettapus which breed in the Old World tropics. They are the smallest of all wildfowl. As the ""perching ducks"" are a paraphyletic group, they need to be placed elsewhere. The initially assumed relationship with the dabbling duck subfamily Anatinae has been questioned, and it appears they form a lineage in an ancient Gondwanan radiation of waterfowl, within which they are of unclear affinities. An undescribed fossil species from the late Hemphillian (5.0–4.1 mya) of Jalisco, central Mexico, has also been identified from the distal"
"Pygmy parrot Pygmy parrots are the smallest members of the parrot order. The six species of pygmy parrots are all in the genus Micropsitta, which is the only genus in the Micropsittini tribe. Pygmy parrots are native to the forests of New Guinea and nearby islands. They are tiny birds, fast-moving, and mostly green with bright highlights. A pygmy parrot spends a good deal of time climbing through foliage, using its large feet and beak, and stiffened tail feathers. At a little over long, the buff-faced pygmy parrot is the smallest parrot species. Pygmy parrots are also among the few"
"Least grebe The least grebe (""Tachybaptus dominicus""), an aquatic bird, is the smallest member of the grebe family. It occurs in the New World from the southwestern United States and Mexico to Chile and Argentina, and also on Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles. The least grebe ranges in length from (depending on the subspecies) and in weight from . Weights are variable based on region and subspecies, being smaller in Panama, where males weighed a mean of against the females and larger in the West Indies, where the sexes weigh a mean of and , respectively."
"Kitti's hog-nosed bat Kitti's hog-nosed bat (""Craseonycteris thonglongyai""), also known as the bumblebee bat, is a vulnerable species of bat and the only extant member of the family Craseonycteridae. It occurs in western Thailand and southeast Myanmar, where it occupies limestone caves along rivers. Kitti's hog-nosed bat is the smallest species of bat and arguably the world's smallest mammal. It has a reddish-brown or grey coat, with a distinctive pig-like snout. Colonies range greatly in size, with an average of 100 individuals per cave. The bat feeds during short activity periods in the evening and dawn, foraging around nearby forest"
"White-toothed shrew The white-toothed shrews or Crocidurinae are one of three subfamilies of the shrew family Soricidae. The outer layer of these shrews' teeth is white, unlike that of the red-toothed shrews. These species are typically found in Africa and southern Europe and Asia. This subfamily includes the largest shrew, the Asian house shrew (""Suncus murinus""), at about 15 cm in length, and the smallest, the Etruscan shrew (""Suncus etruscus""), at about 3.5 cm in length and 2 grams in weight. Shrews are possibly the world's smallest extant mammal (although some give this title to the bumblebee bat). ""Crocidura"" contains"
"smaller than the arm of an adult human. The smallest of these, the short-tailed monitor (""Varanus brevicuda"") reaches only in length. They survive on smaller prey, such as insects and mice. Goannas combine predatory and scavenging behaviours. A goanna will prey on any animal it can catch and is small enough to eat whole. Goannas have been blamed for the death of sheep by farmers, though most likely erroneously, as goannas are also eaters of carrion and are attracted to rotting meat. Most goannas are dark-coloured, with greys, browns, blacks and greens featuring prominently; however, white is also common. Many"
"group of the genus ""Murina"". Members of the ""suilla"" group include: It was named ""Beelzebub"" and ""demon"" because of its coloration and fierce behavior, alluding the use of the term ""Beelzebub"" as reference to the underworld in Christian texts. This bat is small enough to fit in a person's hand, weighing . Its nostrils are tube-shaped. Its color pattern is unique for the regional habitat: a white underbelly, black head, and dark back. It lacks the golden guard hairs so common in other members of the genus ""Murina"". Its behavior tends to ""flight"" before ""fight"" and it is also quite"
"Heterandria formosa Heterandria formosa (known as the least killifish, mosqu or midget livebearer) is a species of livebearing fish within the family Poeciliidae. This is the same family that includes familiar aquarium fishes such as guppies and mollies. ""H. formosa"" is not as commonly kept in aquaria as these species. ""H. formosa"" is one of the smallest fish in the world (7th smallest ), and is the smallest fish found in North America. Despite the common name ""least killifish"", it belongs to the family Poeciliidae and not to one of the killifish families. ""Heterandria formosa"" is the only member of"
"to the US. A Yucatan miniature pig is the unofficial mascot of the Animal Rescue League of Boston. The world's smallest wild pig species is the long wild pygmy hog which lives in Assam, India. It is a critically endangered wild species, not appropriate for domestication. Miniature pig Miniature pig (also micro-pig, teacup pig, etc.) is a term that is used to refer to small breeds of domestic pig, such as Pot-bellied pigs, Göttingen minipigs, Juliana pigs, Choctaw Hogs, or Kunekune (and specimens derived by cross-breeding with these). Notable features of most miniature pigs distinguishing them from other pigs may"
"Least chipmunk The least chipmunk (""Neotamias minimus"") is the smallest species of chipmunk and the most widespread in North America. It is the smallest species of chipmunk, measuring about in total length with a weight of . The body is grey to reddish-brown on the sides, and greyish white on the underparts. The back is marked with five dark brown to black stripes separated by four white or cream-colored stripes, all of which run from the nape of the neck to the base of the tail. Two light and two dark stripes mark the face, running from the tip of"
"Kodkod The kodkod (""Leopardus guigna"") (), also called güiña, is the smallest cat in the Americas. It lives primarily in central and southern Chile and marginally in adjoining areas of Argentina. Its area of distribution is small compared to the other South American cats. Since 2002, it has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List as the total effective population may comprise less than 10,000 mature individuals, and is threatened due to persecution and loss of habitat and prey base. The kodkod has a small head, large feet, and a thick tail. Typical adult length is , with"
"year, and all vicuñas with fur longer than 2.5 cm are shorn. Vicuñas are native to the central Andes in South America, where found in Peru, northwestern Argentina, Bolivia, and northern Chile. A smaller, introduced population lives in central Ecuador. Vicuñas live at altitudes of . They feed in daytime on the grassy plains of the Andes Mountains, but spend the nights on the slopes. In these areas, only nutrient-poor, tough, bunch grasses and ""Festuca"" grow. The sun's rays are able to penetrate the thin atmosphere, producing relatively warm temperatures during the day; however, the temperatures drop to freezing at"
"a single ""O. osborni"". Dwarf crocodile The dwarf crocodile (""Osteolaemus tetraspis""), also known commonly as the African dwarf crocodile, broad-snouted crocodile, or bony crocodile, is an African crocodile that is also the smallest extant crocodile species. Recent sampling has identified three genetically distinct populations. Some feel that the findings should elevate the subspecies to full species status. ""Osteolaemus tetraspis"" is currently the only species included in the genus ""Osteolaemus"", with two recognized subspecies: The second subspecies has had a somewhat convoluted taxonomical history. It was first described as ""Osteoblepharon osborni"" by Schmidt in 1919, based on a few specimens from"