Weakest Animals in the World (Pictures & Facts)

You are already aware of their abilities as big cats and land animals, crocodiles and sharks that rule aquatic habitats. On the other end of the spectrum, what about the weakest animals?

Some animals are found near the bottom of the low food chain ladder and are neither massive nor powerful. They are feeble creatures that possess few (if any) physical traits that allow them to defend themselves or hurt others.

In this post, we will discuss some of the world’s weakest animal species and how they will manage to survive in an antagonistic environment in which deadly predators are around the corner.

Examples Of The World’s Weakest Animals

On Earth, there are more than 8 million different animal species. Some of the weakest animals are listed below.

Domestic Chickens

Domestic chickens depend entirely on their owners for protection. They have earned their place on the list of the weakest animals on the planet since they have virtually no means of protection.

That is, these familiar birds are delicious prey for various predators, such as foxes, coyotes, raccoons, and even dogs.

Chickens have little or no protection from hunting. They don’t stare into the darkness and fall fast asleep as night falls. As a result, they are easily caught by unwanted visitors.

The only way to preserve chicken is to protect the coop at night. Some farmers try to keep poachers away by laying a trap around the property.

But many of these predators are smart, and they can easily learn the new system. As a result, it is better to remove the access points of the coop by strengthening them with wire and concrete.

Although chickens may not have the strength to defend themselves, the story changes when the hens’ chicks are at stake. In fact, mother chickens are considered the most protective animals in the entire animal kingdom.

Worms

Insects are invertebrates that do not have limbs, eyes, or bones. They feed on dirt, decaying matter, and manure, as well as decaying vegetables and fruits.

These boneless animals have small brains (their nervous system has only 302 cells), making them slow and weak creatures.

Insects represent an easy meal for many predators because they are essentially defenseless and can only protect themselves by hiding. They are preyed upon by various animals, such as snakes, birds, turtles, beetles, and many others.

However, despite being some of the world’s weakest animals, insects make an important contribution to our planet.

Read Also: Animals With No Legs (Examples of Limbless Animals)

Sloths

In addition to being one of the weakest animals, a sloth is also among the world’s slowest-moving creatures. The main reason for being such slow and sluggish animals is their extremely low metabolic rate.

However, these are not their only shortcomings. Additionally, sloths have poor eyesight.

Their poor eyesight makes it difficult for them to spot danger, especially during the day – as they are almost blind in bright daylight. Even if they feel their lives are in danger, they won’t be able to run away fast enough.

Sloths’ only defense (besides their teeth and claws) is the way they live. Because they are aquatic (tree-dwelling) animals, they rarely go on land, where predators are more likely to attack them.

Humans, wild cats, and eagles are some of the top predators of sloths.

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Tarsiers

Tarsiers are tiny primates that can weigh as little as 5.6 oz. They inhabit islands in Southeast Asia, and one of the most fascinating things to learn about them is that their enormous eyeballs are heavier than their brains.

Without any protection, tarsiers are weak and defenseless creatures that are targeted by various carnivores, such as owls, snakes, lizards, coots and feral cats.

To survive, these primates hide in tree holes or burrows to protect themselves from potential predators.

Besides being easy targets, tarsiers are also incredibly sensitive animals known to commit suicide when emotionally stressed.

In an unstable state of mind, these monkeys hit their heads on tree trunks, rocks or other hard materials, often leading to their death. They are one of the few species on earth that are suicidal.

Star-nosed Moles

There is another weakest animal with a starry nose that has a unique and distinctive shape. Her body is covered with dark brown fur with 22 pink tentacles spread out from her nose in a star-like shape (hence this name).

These strange-looking mammals spend most of their days feeding on snails, scissors, and aquatic insects.

Their weak vision makes them very weak (they are practically blind).

The biggest predators of star-nosed hives include raptor birds, weasels, minks, and foxes.

Unable to see well, moles rely on their sense of smell to identify danger. These creatures spend the majority of their time underground in order to survive.

Furthermore, star-nosed moles have a very strong smell that will keep (some) predators away.

Snail

snails are the slowest and at the same time one of the weakest animals on earth. He belongs to a family called Gastropoda, which lacks strength, speed and other physical defense methods.

The main predators of snails are people. And unfortunately, the snail population is in danger of extinction due to human actions. However, in addition to humans, snakes, birds, rats, squirrels and other small mammals eat these weakest creatures.

If the snail sees danger, it pulls back into the shell, which is the main way to protect it. It will also try to drive away predators by emitting disturbing smells.

Overall, snails don’t have a lot of overall defensive capabilities.

Goats

Primarily a farm animal, goats represent a tasty meal for carnivores such as coyotes, wolves, bobcats, mountain lions and even eagles.

Full-grown goats are a little harder to take down, so young goats are often hunted.

You’ve probably seen the viral footage of these beautiful creatures fainting out when startled. The reality is that not all goats faint when they are frightened.

The phenomenon is unique to the myotonic goat, often known as the Tennessee fainting goat. Contrary to popular belief, fainting is not a defense mechanism but a genetic condition called myotonia congenita.

Goats, especially those that live in the wild, have little to no protection. As a result, they rely heavily on humans to protect them from predation.

It’s interesting to note that researchers think goats can develop greater ties with humans than dogs and are highly loyal creatures.

Read Also: Bravest Animals in the World

Hedgehogs

Did you know that the population of these popular pets is slowly decreasing across Europe? Unfortunately, spiny mammals are pretty vulnerable in this big, scary world.

These creatures are not only easily killed by vehicles, but they also have a plethora of natural predators.

Depending on the breed and location, the hedgehog is a tasty meal for birds (such as owls), ferrets, badgers, foxes, and wolves. If they are kept as pets, these animals are completely dependent on humans for protection.

However, unlike some of the other vulnerable animals on our list, the hedgehog has developed some natural protection.

As you might have guessed, they use their spikes to ward off predators – when they’re spooked, they curl up into a small, spiny ball. What you may not know, however, is that these spikes are actually part of the animal’s spine, and, as a result, they are not separable.

Opossums

Unfortunately, opossums are as commonly run over by cars as hedgehogs. These marsupials have poor hearing and vision, making them prone to accidental environmental death. Not surprisingly, they are quite weak creatures.

These creatures are not only easily killed by vehicles, but they also have a plethora of natural predators. These include dogs, cats, hawks, foxes and bobcats.

Fortunately, they have developed some forms of defense, such as the “playing possum.”

A dead opossum will lie motionless on the ground, making it unappealing to most predators. Interestingly, this behavior (called tonic instability) is a reflex, so the animal has no control over it, just like the goat’s “fainting”.

Furthermore, as a display of anger, an opossum would hiss and show its fangs to a predator. Despite its vulnerability, this animal has discovered a few ways to survive!

Koalas

Koalas are herbivorous, aquatic animals that live in the forests of Australia. Other than their claws, koalas don’t have many defensive weapons to protect themselves from enemies.

However, unlike other members of the weakest animals list, koalas do not have many natural predators. Instead, they are considered vulnerable because of their limited means of survival.

These cute animals feed almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves. As a result, they are very sensitive to habitat loss due to urbanization and drought.

In fact, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has named this animal as one of the most vulnerable to climate change.

Koalas are forced to spend more time on the ground than in eucalyptus trees, making them vulnerable to traffic injuries.

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