The world's strongest animal can lift 1,100 times its body weight.

Measuring about 1 mm in size, the oribatid mite, also known as the armored mite, is recognized as the strongest creature on Earth. It can lift 1,180 times its own body weight.

Oribatid tick. Photo: Oddity Central

For humans, lifting twice their own body weight is an impressive athletic feat. But that is nothing compared to the strength of creatures hundreds of times smaller than us.

For example, the Asian weaver ant can lift 100 times its own body weight, while the dung beetle can lift 400 times its own body weight. But even these impressive insects are no match for the strongest creature on the planet, the tiny oribatid mite. Thanks to its incredibly strong exoskeleton, it can lift 1,180 times its own weight.

The oribatid mite is only about the size of a grain of sand, ranging from 0.2mm to 1.4mm in size, but when it comes to strength relative to size and weight, it is by far the strongest animal in the world . To put this creature's strength into perspective, a human would need to lift 82 tons.

One of the main reasons why oribatid mites and many other insects tend to be so much stronger than other animals is their exoskeleton. It is significantly lighter and stronger than bone, allowing them to devote more energy to muscle power. But there are other factors at play, too, such as the ratio of surface area to volume and mass. A single mite weighs just 100 micrograms.

If it were the size of a human, it would be extremely weak, due to simple physics. Larger creatures may have larger muscles, but most of that strength goes toward supporting their own weight. In contrast, small insects can devote more of their muscle power to lifting heavy objects.

Oribatid mites live on the forest floor and play an important role in decomposing organic matter, similar to earthworms. They also contribute to seed dispersal, improve soil structure, and reduce insect pathogens and parasites that are harmful to humans and livestock.

According to baotintuc.vn

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