Miniature and Dwarf Animals.

Dwarfism, and other conditions causing small stature, occur in most species of animal. Some examples are shown below. In cases of true dwarfism (rather than incremental selection for small size) the animals will often experience health problems. For that reasons most responsible breeders do not deliberately select for dwarfism.

Cattle

A form of Zebu cattle called the Vechur is considered the smallest breed of cattle. However several farms produce lines of miniature cattle from other breeds that may soon challenge the Vechur cow's status as the smallest. Shown right are some examples from Bluegrass Minature Cattle. Some conventional commercial cattle breeds also exist in miniature form, including the Hereford.

Goats

One of the smallest breeds of goat is the Nigerian Dwarf Goat. But just because they are small does not mean you can keep them as a pet, many cities do not along livestock--no matter how small.

Horses

The smallest known horse is Thumbelina who is recognised by the Guiness Book of Records. Thumbelina is from a miniature breed but is also a dwarf, and so even smaller than is typical. Most miniature ponies were derived fom the already small Shetland pony. Selecting from small size has produced healthy ponies down to the size of a medium/large dog.

The smallest horse in the UK is Little Lucy. Another British pony with disproportionately short legs which have led to frequently false alarms when well meaning passers by called rescue services to report that she was stuck on the mud.

See also: vintage pics of tiny horses.

Sheep

Ancon (a.k.a. Otter) sheep are small, particularly in having short legs. At one time they were considered an example of how evolution can occur in leaps rather than gradual steps. But they are now recognized as achondroplastic dwarfs with a range of health problems rather than examples of an adaptive mutation. This breed is currently considered to be extinct.

By contrast the Ouessant (a.k.a. Ushant, Breton Dwarf) sheep is rare but still found both in its native home, the island of Ouessant of France, and a few other locations around the world. This breed is typical brown or black and has normal proportions, but extremely low weight and small stature.

Dogs

There is currently a lot of demand for very small "teacup" versions of toy dog breeds. However these extremes of breeding often lead to poor health. Shown right is the Chihuahua "Heaven Sent Brandy".

Cats

Munchkin cats are not overall smaller, but they do have shorter front legs which can give the illusion of being a "minature cat." Pedigree registries generally do not recognise munchkins as this is considered a deformity. There is also a cross between the Sphynx (hairless) and Muchkin (dwarf) cat which possessed both traits and is referred to as the Bambino--and a sparely-furred Rex/Munchin cross breed called the Minskin. Further crosses go under putative breed names such as Kinkalow, Skookums, Dwelf and Lambkin.

Other cats may be undersized for reason such as malnutrition and poor early care stunting their growth.