Bumblebee Bat

Image Source

Did you know that the Bumblebee Bat, also known as Kitti's Hog nosed Bat, is one of the world's smallest mammals? They measure a mere 1.3 inches in length, and weigh only 2 grams! They are found in only two small ranges in the entire world. The first is in Sai Yok National Park in Thailand and the second in in Myanmar, and the individuals there were more recently discovered. Craseonycteris thonglongyai is the only member of the family Craseonycteridae, and they were first discovered in 1974.

Bumblebee bats live in limestone caves, where they roost in groups. As far as a physical description goes, they range from gray to reddish brown in color, possess a hog-like snout,They are nocturnal animals, coming out at night to feed on insects. Bumblebee bats use echolocation to hunt their prey, which is snatched both from the air while in flight, and from off of leaves and twigs. They hunt within a relatively short distance from their roosting site.

Unfortuantely Bumblebee bats are listed as vulnerable. Forest burning has had a large impact on their downward population trend, and it is now believed that their are 4,000 left in the world. In 2007, the Bumblebee Bat was chosen as a focal species for the EDGE project.