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.
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.
You found all eight!
Meet them all
Who's who in the tiny world
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
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.
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.
Wait a minute
Tiny animals freeze when they are disturbed. Sit still for a minute and they start walking again.
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.
Use a phone camera
Take a photo as close as your phone will focus, then zoom in on the picture. It works surprisingly well.
Put it all back
When you have finished, tip the moss and leaves back where you found them, the same way up.
Photo gallery
Real photos of the animals on this page. Tap one to see it bigger.
Springtail
Red velvet mite
Water bear
Moss false scorpion
Rose aphid
Money spider
Ash bark beetle
Garden snail hatchling
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons and are used under free licences. Open a photo to see who took it.
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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