What do you think of when you hear the word predator? Most of us immediately think of nature’s heavyweights: bears, wolves, lions and any other animals who would send us running off the trail at full speed. But let’s not forget the little guys, the pint-sized predators who punch above their weight class. Tiny predators can sometimes struggle to get the same recognition as their larger cousins who land on top of the food chain. Even though they may be lacking in size, these small predators can deal out the same damage as their bigger counterparts.
Take the American kestrel, for example. Weighing in at roughly four ounces, this tiny bird of prey weighs the same as a baseball, but are astounding flyers and hunters. Rapidly beating their wings helps them hover in place while they use their exceptional eyesight to search the ground below for their next meal. When an unlucky mouse crosses their field of vision, the kestrel plunges down in a dramatic aerial dive, called a stoop, before swiftly plucking the mouse from the ground in their talons. Their compact size serves as an advantage in this case, helping them dive at speeds of 60 mph! While they may not be the toughest-looking birds, they are one of the few birds of prey who have perfected the hover-hunt method.
Even smaller than the American kestrel is the Kitti's-Hog Nosed bat, also called the BumbleBee bat due to their bumblebee-like size. These little predators measure in at one inch in length, making them the world’s smallest mammal! Despite their miniature size, these bats play an important part in our ecosystem. Like other bats, they feed on flies and other small insects, helping keep the number of insects in check. These small flying mammals also spread pollen between flowers as they feed. Found only in remote areas of Thailand, scientists studying these animals struggle to find them, as these tiny critters blend seamlessly into cave walls, practically vanishing into their surroundings.
While the BumbleBee bat and the American kestrel take to the skies, down on the ground lives another predator who shares the reputation for being pocket-sized. The Short-Tailed Weasel is one of the most ferocious hunters, but also one of the world’s smallest carnivores. These creatures pack a strong, aggressive personality into a pint-sized body. Measuring anywhere from seven to thirteen inches long and weighing an average of five ounces, these tiny, energetic predators manage to consume half their body weight in food every night! But don’t let their size fool you, Short-Tailed Weasels enter the burrows of prey who are much bigger than them, such as rabbits and prairie dogs, and deliver a quick but fatal attack. What they lack in size, they make up for in their bite, having a stronger pound for pound bite force than lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!).
Though these animals may not have the same daunting demeanor as larger predators, they are a great reminder that life thrives in all shapes and sizes. All creatures fit into the web of life in some way, even if they come in pint-sized packages.
Kate Toroxel is a Naturalist at Walking Mountains who has learned from her cats that the smallest creatures have the biggest attitudes.
Sources:
https://peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-species/falcons/american-kestrel
https://abcbirds.org/bird/american-kestrel/
https://www.batcon.org/bat/craseonycteris-thonglongyai-2/
https://news.mongabay.com/2016/12/vanishing-point-bumblebee-bat-is-worlds-smallest-its-also-at-risk/
https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/the-bumblebee-bat-the-smallest-mammal-in-the-world