this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2024
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Science Memes

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top 36 comments
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[–] Eylrid@lemmy.world 76 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] Rusty@lemmy.ca 20 points 4 months ago

Let's all vote for the lesser of two weasels.

[–] trxxruraxvr@lemmy.world 40 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Only the smallest mammalian carnivore.

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 38 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

Not even

It is a carnivorous rodent, dining on insects (such as grasshoppers), worms, spiders, centipedes, mantis, scorpions, snakes, and even other mice.

The southern grasshopper mouse has around a 3.5 to 5.0 inches (8.9–12.7 cm) long body

[Least weasel] Average body length in males is 130 to 260 mm (5 to 10 in), while females average 114 to 204 mm (4.5 to 8.0 in)

[–] lemming@sh.itjust.works 25 points 4 months ago

Well, if you want to head that way, there's Etruscan shrew. Less than 2 grams of weight and 4 cm of length.

[–] Madison420@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

It's known for taking down prey larger than itself and I think holds the record for biggest disparity of weight predator to prey.

[–] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 months ago

I assumed they meant carnivora

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 29 points 4 months ago (2 children)

That's definitely not the world's smallest carnivore, but it is a small carnivore

[–] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 25 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

They probably meant carnivore mammal.

Edit: it's the smallest species of the carnivora order. So not the "smallest carnivore", but "smallest carnivorian".

[–] TheRealKuni@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago

Right? Shit, we got single-cell carnivores in this world.

[–] BroBot9000@lemmy.world 27 points 4 months ago

Any less weasel and BAM, got yourself a mouse.

[–] nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 25 points 4 months ago

Best mustelid. It's incredible that they are able to take rabbits as prey. And their strategy is absolutely amazing: confusion. They do their weasel war dance and the rabbit doesn't know what the fuck is going on until its neck is in the tiny mouth of a creature 1/10th its size.

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 21 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The problem is there isn't a Most Weasel.

[–] roguetrick@lemmy.world 13 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I think that would be the wolverine.

[–] Nelots@lemm.ee 5 points 4 months ago

The superhero or the animal? Because I'm fine with either.

[–] jabathekek@sopuli.xyz 15 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] DasFaultier@sh.itjust.works 23 points 4 months ago (1 children)

And that unit shall be called "1 milliweasel".

[–] jabathekek@sopuli.xyz 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Which is equivalent to 1x10^-3^ weasel or 1x10^-6^ kiloweasel.

[–] dactylotheca@suppo.fi 9 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)
[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 14 points 4 months ago

you can have

... I can has?
It's so cute!

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 10 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] The_Che_Banana@beehaw.org 2 points 4 months ago

Leasel al Gahib!

[–] pelletbucket@lemm.ee 10 points 4 months ago

holy shit, I didn't think there was anything smaller than a stoat in that family

[–] witty_username@feddit.nl 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] dactylotheca@suppo.fi 10 points 4 months ago

It's less than a stoat

[–] Semjaza@lemmynsfw.com 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

That thing is a killing machine!

[–] trolske@feddit.org 7 points 4 months ago

They are pretty metal. They kill their prey by literally crushing the skull.
I've seen them hunt and once they get a hold of the prey, the struggle is over in seconds.

[–] mycodesucks@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago

A quantum of stoat.

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

Aka long hamsterat

[–] A_A@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Average body length in males is 130 to 260 mm, while females average 114 to 204 mm.
Males weigh 36 to 250 g, while females weigh 29 to 117 g.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_weasel

[–] seaQueue@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago

Cute cat snake

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 3 points 4 months ago

Minimum Viable Predator

[–] lily@glaceon.social 3 points 3 months ago

@fossilesque
it's the world's smallest carnivoran, not the smallest carnivore, which would probably be some form of insect.
@kopper

[–] JimSamtanko@lemm.ee 3 points 4 months ago
[–] mayo_cider@hexbear.net 3 points 4 months ago

Knowing weasels at least one of those has taken down a moose