The smallest animals in the world. The smallest particle in the universe What is the smallest
home The world and science never stand still. Just recently, physics textbooks confidently wrote that the electron is the smallest particle. Then mesons became the smallest particles, then bosons. And now science has discovered a new the smallest particle in the universe - Planck black hole. True, it is still open only in theory. This particle is classified as a black hole because its gravitational radius is greater than or equal to length
waves. Of all the existing black holes, Planck's is the smallest. The lifetime of these particles is too short to make their practical detection possible. By at least , on this moment
. And they are formed, as is commonly believed, as a result of nuclear reactions. But it is not only the lifetime of Planck black holes that prevents their detection. Now, unfortunately, this is impossible from a technical point of view. In order to synthesize Planck black holes, an energy accelerator of more than a thousand electron volts is needed.
Video:
Despite the hypothetical existence of this smallest particle in the Universe, its practical discovery in the future is quite possible. After all, not so long ago the legendary Higgs boson could not be detected either. It was for its discovery that an installation was created that only the laziest inhabitant on Earth has not heard of - the Large Hadron Collider. The scientists' confidence in the success of these studies helped achieve a sensational result. The Higgs boson is currently the smallest particle whose existence has been practically proven. Its discovery is very important for science; it allowed all particles to acquire mass. And if particles had no mass, the universe could not exist. Not a single substance could be formed in it. Despite the practically proven existence of this particle, the Higgs boson, practical applications for it have not yet been invented. For now this is just theoretical knowledge. But in the future everything is possible. Not all discoveries in the field of physics were immediately practical use
24.06.2013
. Nobody knows what will happen in a hundred years. After all, as mentioned earlier, the world and science never stand still. In one of the top 10 sheets we wrote about, in this list we will talk about representatives of fauna. Please note that they have nothing to do with microbes, although they probably get sick in the same way as their somewhat larger relatives. The diversity of the animal world of our Earth is amazing. Shall we begin? So, top 10.
No. 10. Primates – pygmy marmosets and lemurs
These pygmy marmosets live in South America and reach " gigantic size"- from 10 to 15 cm. Its weight does not exceed 150 grams. The marmoset's tail is longer than the body - 20-22 cm. Due to the thick fur, it seems larger than it actually is. A dwarf was discovered in Madagascar mouse lemur, whose height is 20 cm. Half of this is on the tail. Weight reaches 300 grams. Leads mainly night look life.
No. 9. The smallest bird
No. 8. Seahorse - “Hippocampus Denise”
To date, 32 species are known seahorses. The smallest representative of this “tribe” - “Hippocampus Denise” - was discovered in 2003. And its length does not exceed 16 millimeters. This species of skate lives among deep-sea reefs. They cling to the coral and carry on like this most time. In addition, they can masterfully change color, depending on the organism they are on at a given time. We place him in eighth place among smallest animals in the world.
No. 7. The smallest fish
Let's continue nautical theme. In 2004, ichthyologists from Australia announced the discovery of the "Stout Infantfish" - a small fish that is only 7 or 8 mm long. Its place of residence is the coral lagoons of the Bolshoi barrier reef. In 2009, another small fish was discovered in the peat bogs of the island of Sumatra, the length of which did not exceed 9 mm. It should be noted that males are slightly larger than females. The found species belongs to the carp family, Paedocypris progenetica.
6. Mini bull and mini cow
Dwarf zebu were bred in India. An adult animal reaches a height of 81 cm and weighs almost 80 kg. They look more like calves, only with a small hump on the back of the neck. It should be noted that the mini-zebu was saved from complete extinction several years ago. Their numbers are already growing. There are about 26 breeds of dwarf cows today. They are considered to be the closest relatives of the Zebu from India. Several of these cows were brought to the United States and sent to zoos. After a while, ranchers began breeding them for rodeos. And then these little cows turned into pets. They are similar in size to a dog: height – 80-90 cm, weight – 90-150 kg. The difference is that these “cute guys” give 3 liters of milk a day.
No. 5. The smallest chameleon
Brookesia minor is a species of tiny chameleon native to the forests of Madagascar. Among their representatives there are such small specimens that it is simply hard to believe: from 1.3 to 3 cm in length. These reptiles live in fallen leaves, in damp tropical forests and do not have the ability of chameleons to change their color. Well, purely in appearance they look like leaves and twigs, especially since the color is suitable - shades of green and brown. At least some kind of disguise! Fifth place in the top 10 smallest animals in the world.
No. 4. The smallest hamster
Roborovsky hamsters are the smallest hamsters. An adult reaches a length of 5 cm. However, a hamster with a height of 2.5 cm appeared in Great Britain. And, it must be said, that this is the most common rodent, i.e. not dwarf. He simply stopped growing, at some point there was a malfunction in the body of this hamster.
3. Tiny cat
It has been established that the most little cat lives in the USA, Illinois. Its weight is 1.5 kilograms, length is about 15 centimeters. The owner named his pet Mr. Pibbles. Such small size of this kitten, according to doctors, is a consequence of a genetic defect. So, no selection experiments were carried out in this case. Although, the dwarf cat does exist. And this breed is called “Munchkin”. Weight does not exceed 1.2 kg, and height no more than 15 cm.
2. The smallest horse
One inconvenience is that you can’t jump on this horse and gallop into the “bright distance.” If you compare a pony (just a small horse) and this little one, then the first one is simply a giant. Zoologists cannot understand why the horse stopped growing and remained a dwarf. The height at the withers of such a horse is from 40 cm, and its weight is about 30 kg. In the United States, these babies are becoming popular pets. The most interesting thing is that they do not have fleas, and US veterinarians have recognized them as the best guide dogs for blind people. By the way, the cost of such horses is from 40,000 dollars.
No. 1. The smallest snake
First place in the top 10 smallest animals in the world. Narrow-mouthed snake - "Leptoyphlops Carlae" - from the island of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea. The length of an adult does not exceed 10 cm. This species of snake is on the verge of extinction. Due to its size, the female carries only one egg, but what a one! The cub appears half the size of the miniature mother (5 cm). Experts say that this is a law of nature: than smaller snake, the larger the offspring. In 2008, a biologist from Pennsylvania discovered this little one and named her his wife (Carla). There is no need to guess what prompted him to do this.
Incredible facts
People tend to pay attention to large objects that immediately attract our attention.
On the contrary, small things may go unnoticed, although this does not make them any less important.
Some of them we can see with the naked eye, others only with the help of a microscope, and there are those that can only be imagined theoretically.
Here's a collection of the world's smallest things, ranging from tiny toys, miniature animals and people to a hypothetical subatomic particle.
The smallest pistol in the world
The smallest revolver in the world SwissMiniGun it looks no bigger than a door key. However, looks can be deceiving, and the pistol, which is only 5.5 cm long and weighs just under 20 grams, can shoot at a speed of 122 m per second. This is enough to kill at close range.
The smallest bodybuilder in the world
According to the Guinness Book of Records Aditya "Romeo" Dev(Aditya “Romeo” Dev) from India was the smallest bodybuilder in the world. At just 84 cm tall and weighing 9 kg, he could lift 1.5 kg dumbbells and spent a lot of time improving his body. Unfortunately, he died in September 2012 due to a ruptured brain aneurysm.
The smallest lizard in the world
Kharaguan sphero ( Sphaerodactylus ariasae) is the smallest reptile in the world. Its length is only 16-18 mm and its weight is 0.2 grams. He lives in national park Jaragua in the Dominican Republic.
The smallest car in the world
At 59 kg, the Peel 50 is the smallest production car in the world. About 50 of these cars were produced in the early 1960s, and now only a few models remain. The car has two wheels in front and one in the back, and reaches a speed of 16 km per hour.
The smallest horse in the world
The smallest horse in the world named Einstein born in 2010 in Barnstead, New Hampshire, UK. At birth, she weighed less than a newborn baby (2.7 kg). Her height was 35 cm. Einstein does not suffer from dwarfism, but belongs to the Pinto horse breed.
Smallest country in the world
The Vatican is the smallest country in the world. This is a small state with an area of only 0.44 square meters. km and a population of 836 people who are not permanent residents. A tiny country surrounds St. Peter's Basilica - spiritual center Roman Catholics. The Vatican itself is surrounded by Rome and Italy.
The smallest school in the world
Kalou School in Iran has been recognized by UNESCO as the smallest school in the world. In the village where the school is located, only 7 families live, with four children: two boys and two girls, who attend the school.
The smallest teapot in the world
The smallest teapot in the world was created by a famous ceramicist Wu Ruishen(Wu Ruishen) and it weighs only 1.4 grams.
The smallest mobile phone in the world
Modu phone is considered the smallest mobile phone in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. With a thickness of 76 millimeters, it weighs only 39 grams. Its dimensions are 72 mm x 37 mm x 7.8 mm. Despite its tiny size, you can make calls, send SMS messages, play MP3s and take photos.
The smallest prison in the world
Sark Prison in the Channel Islands was built in 1856 and accommodates one cell for two prisoners.
The smallest monkey in the world
Pygmy marmosets, which live in tropical wet forests South America, are considered the tiniest monkeys in the world. An adult monkey weighs 110-140 grams and reaches a length of 15 cm. Although they have fairly sharp teeth and claws, they are relatively docile and popular as exotic pets.
The smallest post office in the world
The smallest postal service, WSPS (World's Smallest Postal Service) in San Francisco, USA, translates your letters into miniature form, so the recipient will have to read it with a magnifying glass.
The smallest frog in the world
frog species Paedophryne amauensis at 7.7 millimeters long, it is found only in Papua New Guinea, and is the tiniest frog and smallest vertebrate in the world.
The smallest house in the world
The smallest house in the world American company Tumbleweed by architect Jay Shafer is smaller than some people's toilets. Although this house is only 9 square meters. meters looks tiny, it holds everything you need: workplace, bedroom, bathroom with shower and toilet.
The smallest dog in the world
In terms of height, the smallest dog in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records is the dog Boo Boo– Chihuahua height 10.16 cm and weight 900 grams. She lives in Kentucky, USA.
In addition, it claims to be the smallest dog in the world. Maisie- a terrier from Poland with a height of only 7 cm and a length of 12 cm.
The smallest park in the world
Mill Ends Park in the city of Portland, Oregon, USA - this is the smallest park in the world with a diameter of only 60 cm. In a small circle located at the intersection of roads there is a butterfly pool, a small Ferris wheel and miniature statues.
The smallest fish in the world
Fish species Paedocypris progenetica from the carp family, found in peat bogs, grows to only 7.9 millimeters in length.
The smallest man in the world
72 year old Nepalese Chandra Bahadur Dangi(Chandra Bahadur Dangi) with a height of 54.6 cm was recognized as the shortest person and man in the world.
The smallest woman in the world
The shortest woman in the world is Yoti Amge(Jyoti Amge) from India. On her 18th birthday, the girl, with a height of 62.8 cm, became the smallest woman in the world.
Smallest police station
This small phone booth in Carabella, Florida, USA is considered the smallest working police station.
The smallest baby in the world
In 2004 Rumaisa Rahman(Rumaisa Rahman) became the smallest newborn child. She was born at 25 weeks and weighed only 244 grams and was 24 cm tall. Her twin sister Hiba weighed almost twice as much - 566 grams and was 30 cm tall. Their mother suffered from severe pre-eclampsia, which can lead to giving birth to smaller children.
The smallest sculptures in the world
British sculptor Ullard Wigan(Willard Wigan), who suffered from dyslexia, did not excel academically and found solace in creating miniature works of art that are invisible to the naked eye. His sculptures are placed in the eye of a needle, reaching sizes of 0.05 mm. His recent works, which are called nothing less than “the eighth wonder of the world,” do not exceed the size of a human blood cell.
The smallest teddy bear in the world
Mini fluff bear created German sculptor Bettina Kaminski(Bettina Kaminski) became the tiniest hand-sewn teddy bear with movable legs measuring just 5 mm.
The smallest bacterium
The smallest virus
Although there is still debate among scientists about what is considered “living” and what is not, most biologists do not classify viruses as living organisms because they cannot reproduce and are not capable of exchange outside the cell. However, a virus can be smaller than any living organism, including bacteria. The smallest single-stranded DNA virus is porcine cirocovirus ( Porcine circovirus). The diameter of its shell is only 17 nanometers.
The smallest objects visible to the naked eye
The smallest object visible to the naked eye is 1 millimeter in size. This means that when necessary conditions you will be able to see a common amoeba, a slipper ciliate and even a human egg.
The smallest particle in the Universe
Over the last century, science has made huge strides towards understanding the vastness of the Universe and its microscopic building materials. However, when it comes to the smallest observable particle in the Universe, some difficulties arise.
At one time, the smallest particle was considered to be an atom. Then scientists discovered the proton, neutron and electron. Now we know that by smashing particles together (as in the Large Hadron Collider), they can be broken down into even more particles, such as quarks, leptons and even antimatter. The problem is only in determining what is less.
But at the quantum level, size becomes irrelevant, since the laws of physics to which we are accustomed do not apply. So some particles have no mass, some have negative mass. The solution to this question is the same as dividing by zero, that is, it is impossible.
The smallest hypothetical object in the Universe
Considering what was said above that the concept of size is inapplicable at the quantum level, we can turn to the well-known string theory in physics.
Although this is a rather controversial theory, it suggests that subatomic particles are composed of vibrating strings, which interact to create things like mass and energy. And although such strings do not have physical parameters, the human tendency to justify everything leads us to the conclusion that these are the smallest objects in the Universe.
It is believed that the larger a man's penis, the better. However, the owners of the record-breaking “fire cannons” that we wrote about earlier have proven that this is more of a problem than an advantage. So it turns out that a small “cucumber” is a blessing? But do you know what a truly small penis is?
Meet Lee Przyzbylovich, a sailor from Poland. The Guinness Book of Records in 2008 recorded his record as the smallest penis in the world. Its size is only 2 cm!
For comparison: if you have ever swum in icy water, where you really froze, after which you looked into your pants and said “hey, where are you?” - this is exactly the picture this good Pole sees every day.
During an erection, the guy’s “aggregate” increases 1.5 times, growing somewhere up to 3 cm.
It’s interesting that the guy doesn’t hide this, boldly posing in front of the camera lens. True, it is not yet known whether he has children or at least a spouse. Although there is not much doubt about the wife, because everyone knows that women definitely do not marry sailors for the sake of regular sex.
Which star can’t boast of a “sledgehammer” in his pants?
- Mick Jagger. At least that's what he claims ex-girlfriend Jennise. By the way, Mick’s colleague in the musical group Keith Richards has the same opinion, which he did not hesitate to admit to the press.
- Enrique Iglesias. Moreover, he announced this himself, in front of journalists and fans. True, being very drunk... What is this, drunken frankness, stupidity dictated by alcohol or tricky way to get into all the world's tabloids again? The singer also stated that under his own name he could release the smallest condoms in the world.
- Ben Affleck. This Hollywood handsome man did not tell anything about himself - his colleague, actor Clark Duncan, kindly launched the provocative information (the guys starred together in “Armageddon”).
- Shia LaBeouf. And this guy turned out to have no complexes, having surrendered himself to Playboy magazine. True, he did not pose without panties in front of a photographic lens, limiting himself to saying that “nature has not generously deprived” him.
- Jude Law. The handsome actor was caught by the paparazzi while changing clothes.
- Daniel Craig. Well, everything is foggy here. The fact is that the performer of the role of agent 007 once admitted that for explicit scenes hires stunt doubles. So it’s difficult to understand what it is: complexes due to “ungenerous nature” or just ordinary human shyness.
- Daniel Radcliffe. The guy himself got burned by going naked during the performance.
- Ashton Kutcher. True, everything is vague here too - information about the size of the actor’s dignity comes from his abandoned girlfriend. And the offended young lady could have lied to annoy her ex-beau.
- Eminem. Again devastating information from an ex, this time his wife. Moreover, the woman said that not only is the famous white rapper’s “cucumber” not yet grown, but he also doesn’t know how to use it.
- Justin Timberlake. Another victim of his ex-girlfriend. Britney Spears admitted to reporters that the guy's size is no more than a woman's size thumb... In a word, a Duracell battery, not a “sledgehammer”.
If we talk about celebrities of past centuries, the commander Napoleon had unenviable penis sizes (only 7 cm - maybe that’s why he wore a paunch, because in his time there was a fashion for tight pants), as well as writers Hemingway and Fitzgerald, composer Chopin.
Doctors' opinion
So we all say “small, small”... But what is a truly small male penis? According to doctors, on average, an organ will be considered small if in its “combat”, that is, erect form, it is less than 13 cm. But even such an “appendage” can bring pleasure to the partner.
Important: despite dozens of myths, the size of a man’s manhood does not depend on the size of other parts of a guy’s body. So girls who saw huge “fins”, arms, nose, fingers on the first date young man, and those who immediately jumped into his bed may be very surprised.
Let's take it more globally: representatives of which nations have the smallest penises?
This is shown on the “x-how” map, compiled by andrologists not for the sake of curiosity, but for science.
As for the sizes considered typically small for each individual nation, we get the following figures:
- Sweden, Denmark. The smallest penis for this nation is 12.7 cm.
- Africa. 10.16 cm.
- Russia. 9.18 cm.
- France (the country of love!), Italy, Germany, USA. 8.89 cm.
- Britannia. Here everything is even sadder: the smallest “shoot” for this nation (on average) is 6.98 cm.
- China and other Asian countries. 6.74 cm. By the way, these peoples are considered the most prolific, since their “aggregates,” although small, “shoot” most accurately, which guarantees a large number of conceptions.
Biological excursion into the animal world
Are you wondering which animal (among mammals) has the smallest “pickle”? Then we will ask you: does a hamster live in your house? Yes, yes, he is the world record holder. His genitals are only 2 mm long - you can’t even see them without a magnifying glass.
But you shouldn’t drag the poor animal out of the house, turn it upside down and make it blush. This little thing (and also the penis blue whale, considered the largest in the world) can be seen in the museum. True, you will have to travel a bit far, all the way to Reykjavik (Iceland). There are no more or less exhibited there - 280 exhibits, among which there is even a human one.
A few educational facts regarding small penis size
- The smallest penis that a man once grew was 1 cm in size. Doctors call it a micropenis.
- Sometimes it happens that the penis is completely absent. This is a disease with an intricate Latin name Congenital Hypoplasia. However, plastic surgeons assure: these days this problem can be solved.
- Is it possible to turn “micro” into “maxi”? Yes! This was proven by a surgeon named Ern Ege Siana. His patient had 5 cm, but became 14.5. True, on the way to perfection the guy went through real hell - 1100 surgical interventions!
But can a tiny (let’s not be afraid of this word) penis be a source of pride? Yes, if there is a really large sum of green money at stake! We invite you to watch a short video filmed at the competition... yes, for the smallest penis. The guys, not embarrassed by the cameras, took off their pants and gave an interview... Attention, this video is 18+!
If you want a more professional opinion on this matter, we suggest listening to a doctor, urologist and plastic surgeon. He will tell you how to distinguish a regular (just compact) penis from dangerous pathology, and will also tell you where to go to correct the underdevelopment of the penis:
Mikhailov Boris Pavlovich - Soviet artist, author of children's stories about nature.
Born in 1919 in Leningrad. He studied at the Faculty of Architecture of the Leningrad Civil Engineering Institute and at the same time in the art studio. In 1942, after graduating from college, he voluntarily went to the front. In August 1943, near Smolensk, he was seriously wounded. He spent almost two years in hospitals in Moscow and Leningrad. After recovery, he studied painting on his own: improved his technique, studied paintings by outstanding Russian artists.
This is what Boris Pavlovich wrote about his stories in the book “The Tinyest Beast”: “Love for the homeland begins with love for its nature.” Every time I sit on a stump in a forest or field and paint sketches of our dim, but surprisingly soft and lyrical northern nature, I remember this phrase. And no matter how successful my sketch turns out, every time I see, I feel that I have not fully expressed my enthusiastic attitude towards my native nature. And then I take a small book out of my pocket and hastily write down the impressions and feelings overwhelming me...
ON SKETCHES
The stupid, ill-mannered dog Nalet followed me on the hunt. Only this is not the hunt that you probably thought about - I went on a hunt for sketches.
It was an early morning. Droplets of morning dew glistened on the leaves of the trees and bushes, on every grass and blade of grass. And in low places a whitish fog slowly floated. From a distance it seems that this fabulous milk river is flowing in front of you. You will enter this river and find yourself waist-deep in a thick fog, so thick that you can touch it with your hand.
I don’t know how and where the dog Nalet notes his impressions. But that he perfectly feels and understands all this unusually pure morning beauty in nature - there is no doubt about it. In frantic delight, he runs around like crazy, rushes in all directions, jumps on my chest with his wet and dirty paws. "Let's kiss!" - written in his kind brown eyes.
I don’t want to kiss at all - Raid’s face is very wet. The dog understands this, but is not offended at all. In an excess of feelings, he throws himself on the ground and rolls on the wet grass. Then he jumps up, shakes himself off violently, showering me with cold rain, and again rushes off with an enthusiastic squeal wherever his feet take him.
You look - the dog is no longer there. Only the tail dangles absurdly above the waves of fog. Only by this wagging tail do I guess that he has not yet smashed his head, crazy with happiness, on some stump.
But what is it? The tail stopped in one place, stretched out into a string and quickly swayed from side to side. I understand a little bit like a dog. This movement of the tail means that Raid has stumbled upon something living. What's there? Maybe some kind of bunny, or a hedgehog, or some other little animal? - Raid, you can’t! - I shout sternly and run as fast as I can to help the unlucky animal.
I make it on time. The raid just opened its mouth and muttered something very small, gray, and fluffy.
A small head with a long beak and very large black eyes sticks out of the mouth.
“Woodcock,” I guess.
- Give it back! - I order in a tone that does not tolerate any objections.
Raid frowns, realizes something, looks at me with a guilty eye and reluctantly opens his mouth. A warm gray lump falls onto my palm. Woodcock is completely unharmed. He looks at me boldly, as if he had not just been on the verge of death.
“Ay-yay, aren’t you ashamed, you such a cudgel,” I reproach the dog, “to offend such a nice kid.”
The raid blinks guiltily, turns away and slowly wags its tail. He's clearly ashamed. He looks at me sideways.
“Well, it’s my fault,” says Raid with all his appearance, “I won’t do it again...”
I gently stroke his long soft ears.
- A good dog, a smart dog. Now you can kiss.
But now Nalet has no time for kisses. His tail swung tensely from side to side again. I looked into the grass and saw several more gray living lumps. Woodcocks, hobbling funny in the tall grass, run away in different directions.
And a few steps away from us, with an alarming hoarse cry, a mother woodcock flies over, jumps, as if shot down, and hits the ground. This is how she diverts our attention from her little ones.
I lowered the woodcock to the ground, and he, as if nothing had happened, quickly, quickly hobbled towards his mother. Soon the whole woodcock family disappeared into the bushes.
I sat down on a stump to write all this down in my notebook.
The raid, curled up at my feet, waits patiently. His gaze is clouded. What is he thinking about? How and where will he mark the events of today’s “hunt”?
And I really regret that I understand very little dog language.
MEETINGS ON THE PATH
From our village Malaya Runa to the big village where the school is located, if you go straight, it won’t be a kilometer. A narrow path, tightly trampled by children's feet, runs through hills and ravines, through fields and copses.
I constantly hunt in these places, often going out on the children's trail. Early in the morning, ten of our children rush to school, busily pacing behind each other’s heads, like a brood of geese.
Fedya Khrapov usually walks ahead. He is the oldest, he is the leader. Fedya's curly head constantly turns on his long thin neck. The attentive, stern eyes of the leader see farther and more than anyone else. And there is something to see here - all kinds of birds and a lot of animals. Fedya's father is a hunter, so it is not surprising that he knows a lot about the inhabitants of the local forests and fields. When meeting me, Fedya says gravely:
- Hello, hunter!
And all the guys wait and listen with obvious respect - we seriously talk to him, man to man.
Following Fedya along the path are two smaller boys: Sanka, nicknamed Karabara, and Kolka Matryonin, the son of Matryona’s aunt. Six children from junior classes quickly mince behind them. Fourth-grader Sveta brings up the rear of the brood. She has a pioneer assignment: patronage of first-graders. She is little interested in birds and animals, but she always carefully watches over the kids to see if they are tired or fall behind.
While the Indian summer is dry and warm, this easy path to school for the kids turns out to be like a morning walk.
But when it rains, things get worse. The ruffled children walk silently, some in a waterproof raincoat, some under an oilcloth. Fedya is walking in his father’s warm quilted jacket. And Sveta is hiding under her mother’s big umbrella, and with her are two, or even three, kids. Damp... Sad...
And when the snow falls and freezes a little, it’s good again!
The further time goes into winter, the higher the snow walls are on the sides of the children's path. By New Year, you see, the snow is knee-deep for the guys, in February it’s already waist-deep, and in March, when snow drifts and blizzards are blowing, the path goes very deep into the snowdrifts. You look from the side - in front of you jumps from snowdrift to snowdrift on a thin neck, as if on one leg, Fedina's curly head in a hare's cap, turns constantly, vigilantly looks around. Further on, two smaller heads roll - these and their necks are not visible above the snowdrifts. At some distance the black pom-pom of Sveta’s cap floats. And you can’t see the kids’ heads above the snowdrifts at all.
But this is for the better. In the fields and in the forest in winter, everyone who is smaller tries to hide in the snow. There, neither frost, nor blizzard, nor blizzard are scary. The kids know this, they see it with their own eyes every day.
Over there, someone made a small hole in the snow, jumped up, stitched a stitch of tiny footprints in the fresh powder, and through another hole dived back under the snow.
- It's a mouse! - the kids are shouting. - I’m cold, I guess it’s cold in the snow today.
But on the side of the path, between thin pink birches under thick black fir trees, someone also made holes in the snow. Large holes - four childish fists fit freely. And under the snow there is a passage. They looked, and from the other end of the snowy passage, from another hole, someone’s head appeared, gray, with red eyebrows and black currant eyes, like a small cockerel.
Frr-frr-frr! - the nimble wings crackled softly, and the gray-brown bird dived into the thick needles of a tall fir tree in flight.
- Ryabok! - the kids shout cheerfully. - Our hazel grouse!
This hazel grouse is their old friend, it always flies here.
Our guys notice everything, our guys know everything. Snow book always read in unison and without error. Almost always... One day they saw small footprints in the snow, the size of a penny. The footprints jump - two side by side in front and two the same in the back, and then they go into the hole, like mouse ones, under the snow. Only the hole is three times larger than a mouse's.
The guys stood for a long time near unfamiliar tracks - who could it be? And as always in such cases, the children turned to their leader.
- Who?
- Mole! - Fedya answered confidently.
- Of course, mole, otherwise who?! - Everyone immediately agreed.
Only Sveta thought: it looks like a mole, but it doesn’t seem like a mole. Silently, I thought so to myself, and didn’t say a word. And Fedya suddenly turned to her and asked sternly:
- What are you doing?
“But I’m okay,” Sveta answered quietly, as if making excuses, “just...
- Just what? - Fedya shifted his eyebrows.
- These little marks - look! - they jump, but the mole seems to be crawling, huh? - And Sveta stared at the leader with her clear eyes.
And eight more pairs of eyes - gray and blue, black and brown, blue and green - asked incredulously: “Ah-ah-ah?”
Oh, this Svetka! He always says something differently. He would have slapped her stupid white cap with a black pompom - it’s like a hare’s ear is sticking out: it’s white, but the tip is black. Laughter...
- It’s crawling, crawling! You can’t crawl in the cold, so he jumped up and down so as not to freeze,” Fedya was found.
Frr-frr-frrf! - the hazel grouse, familiar to the children, suddenly began to flutter its wings in alarm, flying out of its hole.
And after him, an unprecedented animal darted out from under the snow like an arrow - all white, only the very tip of its tail was black.
The animal missed, fell, made two or three jumps and disappeared under the snow.
- Well, what kind of mole is this? - Sveta said again in a quiet voice, and her thin eyebrows knitted stubbornly. - The mole is black, isn’t it?
- Black-black! What about a hare in summer? What about the marsh partridge? Although in winter they are both white, Fedya does not give up.
- And the tail? - Sveta answered even more quietly, but even more confidently. - Has your mole's tail grown long enough for winter?
The guys got excited and started arguing. Some are for Fedya, some are for Sveta. The noise was so loud that snow began to fall off the branches. The animals and birds around were alarmed. The black grouse, which hung with overripe black fruits on the thin branches of birch trees, noisily flapping their wings and flew away. The hare jumped out of his snowy hiding place and quickly rolled through the snow. But the guys don’t let up, they huddled together, arguing, shouting, waving their arms.
From the outside it’s funny to look at: disheveled children’s heads with flushed faces and flaring eyes are jumping over the snowdrifts, as if cocky young roosters are flying at each other.
I had to intervene. I threw my gun over my shoulders - the black grouse flew away! - and skied up to the guys. I asked everything in order, understood everything and, as best I could, explained what was happening...
My roosters calmed down, quickly cleaned and smoothed their disheveled feathers and again walked in single file along their path.
Only now Sveta was ahead of everyone. And Fedya, clearly upset and puzzled, walked behind with his head down.
Having caught up with me, he stopped and, after a pause, nodded at the black pom-pom on a white cap jumping in front:
- Neither give nor take - the ermine’s tail: itself is white, but the tip is black. Laughter...
He told me this with a mocking smile, confidentially, like a hunter to a hunter, like a man to a man. Then he sighed and followed the guys.
THE SMALLEST BEAST
Have you heard of shrews? Maybe you heard it. And maybe you even know that shrews bring great benefits to the forest, as they destroy many harmful insects. Maybe they heard it, but they probably didn’t see it. Because shrews are the smallest animals that inhabit our forests and fields. Well, who, tell me, can spot a tiny thing smaller than a child’s finger in the thick tall grass? And if we add to this that the shrew is an extremely secretive, timid, cautious animal and hides and goes into hiding at any approaching unfamiliar noise, then it is clear why it is almost impossible to see the shrew.
But I had a chance to see her. And not just one, but with a whole litter of cubs! Can you imagine what it is like - the cubs of a tiny shrew? These are absolutely unimaginable tiny creatures the size of a fly! And these babies have everything that an animal is supposed to have: a body, legs, a tail, and a head, of course. And in the head there is a brain the size of a millet grain, probably. This is according to size. As for the mind, judge for yourself.
It so happened that in the forest the paths of two animals crossed - the largest and the smallest.
I went to sketches with a box for paints and brushes, such a box is called a “sketchbook”. I was walking and accidentally scared away a resting moose from its daytime resting place. The elk jumped up and trotted away from me. What a beast! Probably three or four hundred kilograms in weight. The span of the horns of such giants reaches one and a half meters. And the marks are probably as big as my cap.
The elk, with a terrible noise, broke through the green wall of young pines and disappeared into a dense aspen grove. “Here’s a thug,” I thought and went to look at the tracks.
I knelt down in front of the dent and took my cap off my head so that, just for fun, I could try to cover the moose footprint with it.
And then I saw that a small animal was rushing around the edge of the dent from above, and at the bottom of the dent a second animal was scurrying around, several times smaller than the one at the top. How tiny! I had to put on glasses to see him better. As soon as I put on the glasses, I immediately realized - these are shrews, mother and cub!
That's how lucky, that's how happiness came to me! I’m on my knees and holding my breath so as not to scare away the rare animals. I look and see: the mother found a gentle part of the dent, quickly went down and offered her tail to the baby. He, without hesitation for long, as if he had been doing just this all his life, grabbed the tip of his mother’s tail with his teeth (I didn’t see them, but just guessed it), and she dragged the baby up the gentle slope, as if in tow.
What happened next was absolutely wonderful. Once at the top, the mother opened her mouth and squeaked something in her digger dialect. And immediately, out of nowhere, a whole dozen appeared near her, as it seemed to me, the same kids as the first one. They lined up - believe it or not! - one after another: tail in mouth, tail in mouth. It turned out to be a living chain, like kids from kindergarten They cross the road: each one in the back holds on to the coat of the one in front. And this whole procession - and the procession is only a few centimeters long! - instantly moved towards some of its goals, quickly mincing with its tiny legs.
And before I could blink an eye, everyone disappeared into the grass. There were shrews - and no!
Here you have a brain the size of a grain of millet!