15 Tiniest Record-Breaking Animals

'AKEPA CHICK, THE SMALLEST BIRD 

This 'akepa chick is barely a handful. This itsy-bitsy bird was born at the San Diego Zoo and is the smallest bird of any species to ever be hatched and raised in captivity. The 'akepa chick weighed only .94 grams at birth, but has since been reared into a healthy, full-sized adult. (Star-Bulletin)

FIZZY GIRL, THE SHORTEST CAT

Look down and behold Fizzy Girl. This Munchkin cat stands only 6 inches off the ground. Fizzy Girl's low-lying look easily makes her the lowest standing feline around. Her owner claims that even though Fizzy Girl is short, the cat has no trouble climbing to hard-to-reach spots. 

WU SHI ER KE, THE SMALLEST PANDA

What's black and white and little all over? Wu Shi Er Ke! This panda is the smallest surviving cub of her kind. Just how tiny was she? The baby was named after her birth weight: "Wu Shi Er Ke" is Chinese for 51 grams. That's a tiny start to a big life. (Free Library)

BOO BOO, THE SMALLEST DOG

Forget purse-sized pups, this pooch is wallet-sized. Boo Boo the long-haired Chihuahua is a mere 4 inches tall, making her the smallest living dog. The canine started out life the size of a thumb, but is slowly growing into the dog she is today. This little dog has one big guilty pleasure, though: Boo Boo loves potato chips. (Daily Mail)

THUMBELINA, THE SMALLEST HORSE

This isn't the Thumbelina you know from fairy tales, but she is itsy-bitsy. Since 2006, Thumbelina has held the record for the world's smallest living horse. The mini-mare only measures 17.5 inches tall. Regardless, this horse still has the giddy-up to enjoy life to the fullest. (Guinness World Records)

RUEDIGER, THE SMALLEST RABBIT

Ruediger got off to a rough start — both he and his sister were found abandoned in a dung pile. Luckily, the pair was rescued by a German zoo and are now receiving premium care. The rescue also allowed Ruediger's talents to shine. At only 72 grams, the facility believes that the little hopper is the world's smallest rabbit. (AOL Kids)

TEENY & TINY, THE SMALLEST TWO-HEADED TURTLE

It's all in the name. A two-headed turtle may seem strange enough, but Teeny and Tiny are also thought to be the smallest of their kind. The duo resides in their single shell at the Venice Beach Freakshow. The unusual razorback musk turtle is now six months old and only the size of nickel. Guess that two heads doesn't mean double the weight. (Big Reptile Network)

SMALLEST ELEPHANT CALF

After the longest pregnancy ever recorded at the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Azizah gave birth to a startling small bundle of joy. The mother had a 700-day term, delivering her calf in October 2011. The newborn weighed around 220 lbs at birth, which may seem like a lot to us, but this is the smallest elephant birth on record at the facility. Zookeepers also believe that their calf may be the smallest surviving elephant birth in the world. (ZSL Whipsnade)

KITTI HOG-NOSED BAT, THE SMALLEST BAT

The Kitti hog-nosed bat must turn into an adorable vampire. These bats only grow to be 20 to 33 mm in length and weigh roughly 2 grams. With numbers like these, the Kitti hog-nosed bat is easily the smallest bat species, and perhaps the smallest mammal in the world. Sadly, a new creature may take the title, since these bats are critically endangered. (Arkive)

FAIRYFLY, WORLD'S SMALLEST ANIMAL

Fairyflies don't share Tinkerbell's sassy look, but they do share her barely there size. These insects only grow to be between 0.5 to 1.0 mm long. These spectacularly small measurements beat out those of any other animal. Want to see for one for yourself? Fairyflies are found in temperate and tropical regions throughout the world — just make sure to squint. (io9)

MIDGE, THE SMALLEST POLICE DOG

Midge the chihuahua may only weigh 7 lbs, but she means serious business. The tiny pooch is employed by the Ohio's Geauga County Police Department as a drug sniffer. Midge recently logged her first solo drug bust, sniffing out illicit substances in a criminal's car. This is a job that is usually reserved for German shepherds and other big breeds, but Midge has proved she's got the nose and the courage to stop the bad guys. (CBS News)

WORLD'S SMALLEST FROG

Scientists recently discovered the Paedophryne amauensis, a species of frog from the New Guinean rain forest that only grows to 7.7 mm. These new frogs received a big welcome into the animal world, earning the title of world's smallest frog and world's smallest vertebrate. That's killing two records with one ribbit. (National Geographic)

WORLD'S SMALLEST SNAKE

First frogs, now snakes — your spare change truly isn't safe from tiny creatures. In 2008, researchers discovered Leptotyphlops carlae, a snake species that is as thin as spaghetti and only measures 4 inches long. It didn't take long for scientists to proclaim this newcomer as the smallest snake species in the world. The record-holder was found hiding out under a rock on the Caribbean island of Barbados. (BBC NEWS)