What is the world's smallest mammal? The bumblebee bat of Thailand. It weighs in at.05 to .10 of an ounce ~ less than a dime and is the size of a bumblebee. Its head and body length is slightly longer than an inch. Its wings span between six and seven inches, with long tips for hovering.

Family Tree. The bumblebee bat belongs to the family Craseonycteridae. In fact, the bumblebee bat ~ Craseonycteris thonglongyai ~ is the family's only member. The species was first discovered and described in 1974.

Surapon Duangkhae recently surveyed surrounding cave habitat and documented the survival of 2,000 Kitti's Hog-nosed Bats, all in a limited and vulnerable area without protection. Hopefully, he and Thai officials will be able to save them. Photo courtesy Merlin D. Tuttle.

A Portrait. The bumblebee bat has relatively large ears, and a nose that resembles that of a pig, hence the nickname Kitti's hog-nosed bat. Kitti refers to Kitti Thonglongya, who was a student of bats. The bumblebee bat also has a large web of skin between its hind legs, which is thought to help with flying and insect-catching. Unlike other bats with similar webs of skin, bumblebee bats don't have visible tails or elongated anklebones to control it.

Buggy Bat Snacks. The bumblebee bat eats small insects off of leaves, or insects caught on the fly. Nocturnal, they hunt at night.