13
Mesofauna
There are tens of thousands
of tiny, dot-sized soil animals
called mesofauna. These include
sprinting mites and
leaping springtails.
Minibeasts
You can spot small creatures
called minibeasts if you crouch
close to the ground. These
include marching ants, scuttling
centipedes, and gliding slugs.
Microorganisms
The smallest soil dwellers are
microorganisms. A microscope
is needed to see almost all the
bacteria and fungi that make
up this group. There are billions
of them in one spadeful of soil.
Centipedes hunt insects
and slugs by pouncing
and injecting venom
from their legs.
Most millipedes
have fewer
than 100 legs.
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