A recent study led to the discovery of the Angustopila dominikae snail, which is now considered to be the world's smallest snail, according to The Guardian. The unique species was discovered in Guangxi province in Southern China and is 0.86 mm in height, small enough to fit 10 of them into the eye of a needle.
The snails were found when the researchers came across seven empty light grey shells while investigating soil samples in Guangxi. They concluded that they likely live by clinging alongside the limestone cliffs, according to Live Science.
"These are very probably extreme endemic species," said Barna Páll-Gergely, co-author of the study. "If we find them in more than one locality that is somewhat surprising."
The researchers also found six other new species of small, terrestrial snails, including the Angustopila subelevata, which is only just barely bigger than the A. dominikae, according to Discovery News.
Due to the size of the snails and the fact that they are rarely found alive, snail species of this size are very difficult to discover - the bodies often degrade a long period before the shells do.
"This finding underscores the need to explore more cave systems in order to make inferences about subterranean biodiversity in China," the researchers wrote in the study.
