The animal is the size of a grain of sand but is ranked stronger than an elephant.

Many people still think that big animals are brave. However, scientists have announced that the small insect below tops the list of the world's strongest species.

After this discovery, perhaps sayings like "strong as an elephant" or "strong as a bear" are no longer true. Animals like elephants or bears are not really the strongest animals. That position belongs to the oribatid mite . Surprisingly, oribatid mite is a very small insect, about 0.2 - 1.5 mm (equivalent to a grain of sand).

The ornithopod is about the size of a grain of sand. (Photo: Pixabay)

Why does such a small animal have such great power?

The reason why ornithopods are considered by scientists to be the strongest animals on the planet is because they can lift 1,180 times their own body weight. Scientists say that ornithopods weigh less than 25 micrograms. This can also be understood as the weight that ornithopods lift is equivalent to an adult man lifting 82 tons.

An oribatid mite can be so strong because of its large surface area to volume ratio and its mass . In addition, the oribatid mite's small body does not require much muscle strength to function, so it has enough strength to move objects that weigh much more than itself.

An oribatid mite can lift 1,180 times its body weight. (Photo: Pixabay)

The fact is that the body of an ornithopod is lighter in weight compared to its volume when compared to other animals. Structurally, insects do not have an internal skeleton like vertebrates but instead have a hard outer shell. Since there is no weight of internal bones, the insect's weight can accommodate a higher amount of muscle.

So the oribatid mites can lift objects many times heavier than their bodies because they are light in weight and have no skeleton inside, so their bodies have a higher amount of muscle, so they have more strength to move other heavy objects. Thanks to this extraordinary strength, oribatid mites have become the strongest small animals on the planet.

Where do ticks usually live?

Mites contribute to seed dispersal and improve soil structure. (Photo: Pixabay).

Oribatid mites are ground dwelling and are the most abundant arthropods in forest soils. They also contribute to seed dispersal, improve soil structure, and reduce insect and parasitic pests that are harmful to humans and livestock . They have a low metabolic rate, slow growth, and low fecundity.

The development time from egg to adult of oribatid mites ranges from a few months to 2 years. Oribatid mites have 6 active stages: pre-larval stage, larva, 3 pupal stages and adult. According to scientists, oribatid mites likely appeared on Earth 300-400 million years ago.