The world's smallest mammal
In 1973, Thai biologist Kitti Thonglongya collected several unidentified bats from limestone caves within what is now Sai Yok National Park. He sent specimens to his colleague, John E. Hill, at the British Museum of Natural History. Before learning he had discovered a new species, Kitti Thonglongya died unexpectedly. Hill completed the formal description in 1974, naming the species Craseonycteris thonglongyai in his colleague's honor. The public knows it as Kitti's hog-nosed bat or, more commonly, the bumblebee bat.
With a head-to-body length of just 29 to 33 millimeters and a weight of about 2 grams, this is the world's smallest bat and a contender for the world's smallest mammal. The Etruscan shrew sometimes weighs less, but is longer. The bat's body is covered in reddish-brown or grey fur, and its most distinct feature is its swollen, pig-like snout. It has large ears, small eyes, and lacks a tail. Its wings are long relative to its body, an adaptation that allows it to hover while hunting for insects and spiders near foliage.
A fragile existence
The bumblebee bat has an extremely limited geographic range, found only in specific limestone cave systems along rivers in western Thailand and southeast Myanmar. These caves, often located in bamboo and deciduous forests, are roosting sites. The bats roost high on the cave ceilings, often far from the entrance, in colonies that average around 100 individuals but can range from 10 to 500.
Their activity is limited to two short periods each day: about 30 minutes at dusk and 20 minutes at dawn. During these flights, they forage for insects like beetles and flies, typically staying within a kilometer of their home cave. Females give birth to a single offspring each year, usually during the dry season around April.
The species is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Its survival is threatened by human activity. Disturbances at roosting sites from tourism, the collection of guano for fertilizer, and limestone quarrying are risks. Deforestation and annual forest burning for agriculture in the surrounding areas also degrade their foraging habitat.