The smallest Mammal in the world is the Bumblebee Bat(Kitti’s Hog- Nosed Bat) .It is a near-threatened species of bat and the only extant member of the family Craseonycteridae. It occurs in western Thailand and southeast Myanmar, where it occupies limestone caves along rivers. Here are some Zoological facts about the bumblebee bat.
Size: Bumblebee bat are about the size of a large bumblebee, with a body length of about 1 inch and a weight of less than 2 gram .These bat’s flight time is usually 20-30 minutes. Diet: Bumblebee bats are insectivores that eat small flying insects like beetles, moths and mosquitoes. Echolocation: These bats produce fast echolocation calls as they clos in on prey, calling up to 220 times per second. Physical characteristics: Bumblebee bats have long and narrow wings ,sharp teeth and strong jaw muscles. The bumblebee bats species sport a tiny thumb and a full set of teeth, which in their case number 28. Habitat: Bumblebee bats live in limestones caves along the Thailand-Myanmar border. They roost high on walls or roof domes, far apart from each other. Behavior: Bumblebee bats have a brief activity period ,leaving their roost for only 30 minutes in the evening and 20 minutes at dawn. Threats: Bumblebee bats are threatened by human disruptions, such as tourism, fertilizer collection, limestone mining, deforestation, logging and agriculture expansion. Conservation: The IUCN list the bumblebee bat as near threatened, with a downward population trend.
