Interactive Tiny World

The world that's too small to see

Here is a mossy log on the woodland floor. Eight tiny creatures are living on it, most of them smaller than a grain of rice. Move the magnifying glass slowly over the moss, the bark and the leaves, and hold it still when you spot something.

Meet them all

Who's who in the tiny world

Springtail

Orchesella cincta

Real size
About 4mm long
Where
On moss, under bark and in leaf litter

A tiny six-legged jumper with a forked spring folded under its tail.

Red velvet mite

Trombidium holosericeum

Real size
About 4mm long
Where
On bark, soil and stones, especially on warm spring days

A bright red dot with eight legs, covered in fine hairs like velvet.

Water bear

Macrobiotus species

Real size
About half a millimetre long
Where
In the film of water on damp moss and lichen

A plump, see-through animal with eight stubby legs, also called a moss piglet or a tardigrade. You really need a microscope for this one.

Moss false scorpion

Neobisium carcinoides

Real size
About 3mm long
Where
In moss and leaf litter and under stones

It looks like a scorpion with no tail. It has big pincers, but it is far too small to hurt you.

Rose aphid

Macrosiphum rosae

Real size
About 3mm long
Where
On the soft stems, buds and leaves of roses

Soft, pear-shaped greenfly, sitting in a group with their beaks in the plant.

Money spider

Tenuiphantes tenuis

Real size
About 3mm long
Where
In low plants, moss and grass, on a small sheet of web

A tiny dark spider that hangs underneath a little hammock of silk.

Ash bark beetle

Hylesinus varius

Real size
About 3mm long
Where
Under the bark of ash logs and branches

A small, barrel-shaped beetle that carves a pattern of tunnels just under the bark.

Garden snail hatchling

Cornu aspersum

Real size
Eggs about 4mm across
Where
In damp soil and under leaves and logs

A clutch of pearly white eggs, and a newly hatched snail with a shell so thin you can see through it.

Try it for real

Six tips for a tiny safari

Kit

Get a hand lens

A small magnifying glass that makes things ten times bigger costs a few pounds and fits in a pocket. Hold it close to your eye, then bring the object up to it.

Tray

Use a white tray

Put a handful of leaf litter or moss on a white tray or a sheet of paper. Anything that moves shows up straight away.

Patience

Wait a minute

Tiny animals freeze when they are disturbed. Sit still for a minute and they start walking again.

Places

Look in damp places

Under bark, in moss, under flowerpots and in the compost heap. Small animals dry out quickly, so they stay where it is damp.

Phone

Use a phone camera

Take a photo as close as your phone will focus, then zoom in on the picture. It works surprisingly well.

Care

Put it all back

When you have finished, tip the moss and leaves back where you found them, the same way up.

Now look closer

The water bear is the one cheat on this page: you would need a microscope to see it. All the others you can find for real with a cheap hand lens and a bit of patience.

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