Miniature and Dwarf Animals
Dwarfism and other conditions that cause small stature occur in most animal species. 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 these reasons, most responsible breeders do not deliberately select for
dwarfism. However, some lines have selected for vigorous health, such as bantam lines of chickens, and
are well-recognized as a breed in their own right.
Farm Animals
Cattle
Indian Dwarf Cattle: The Vechur breed of Zebu cattle is considered the smallest breed. India
also has four dwarf breeds of Bos taurus, the Punganur, Iduki,Kasargod and Vatakara.
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Some conventional commercial cattle breeds also exist in miniature form, including the
Dexter, Hereford and Jersey
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Chicken
Dwarfism occurs in many different breeds of chicken. This includes true-breeding dwarf lines referred to as
bantams. Bantams were first developed in Indonesia and spread worldwide by sailors who stocked them on
voyages as a source of eggs and fresh meat. Another very old bantam breed is the Japanese bantam or
chabo, which were traditionally kept by the aristocracy
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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 allow livestock--no matter how small.
Horses
The smallest known horse is Thumbelina who is recognised by the Guinness 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.
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.
Ouessan: 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
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Companion Animals
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.
German Shepherd: German shepherd dogs have a form of inherited dwarfism called juvenile
panhypopituitarism. They also often have sparse coats and a shortened life-span.
Cats
Munchkin cats are not smaller overall , but they do have shorter front legs which can give the illusion of being a "miniature cat." Pedigree registries generally do not recognize munchkins as this is considered a deformity. There is also a cross between the Sphynx (hairless) and Munchkin (dwarf) cat which possessed both traits and is referred to as the Bambino--and a sparely-furred Rex/Munchkin 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.
Rodents
Dwarf rats are one fifth to one half the size of a normal rat. Dwarfism occurs spontaneously and many
breeder have developed lines--some with significant health problems and shortened lifespans. Dwarfism is
inherited as a simple recessive trait.
By contrast the Ames Dwarf Mouse lives considerably longer than a normal sized mouse. These 1/3
sized mice have difficulty maintaining their body temperature and so are normally housed with normal sized
mice to keep them warm.
Bibliography
1. Tantia, M. S., Vijh, R. K., Mishra, B., & Kumar, S. B. (2008). Genetic diversity among four short stature cattle populations of India. Animal Genetic Resources Information, 43, 15-23
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