The Bumblebee Bat: The World’s Smallest Mammal

Alan Yarborough
Did you know this?
Published in
2 min readFeb 12, 2023

--

Have you ever heard of the bumblebee bat? You might be surprised to learn that it’s the world’s smallest mammal! These tiny bats are found in the limestone caves of Thailand and Myanmar, and they’re so small that they can easily fit in the palm of your hand. Here are a few fascinating facts about the bumblebee bat that you might not know.

The Bumblebee Bat

They are tiny. As the smallest mammal on the planet, bumblebee bats weigh less than a penny and measure only about 1.5 inches long. They’re so small that they can easily fit in the palm of your hand.

They are named for their size and color. The bumblebee bat gets its name from its tiny size and orange-brown color, similar to that of a bumblebee.

They live in large colonies. Bumblebee bats are social creatures living in large colonies in limestone caves. These colonies can contain up to a thousand bats and are found near water sources such as rivers or streams.
They are threatened by habitat loss. The bumblebee bat’s natural habitat is threatened by human activity, such as the destruction of limestone caves for construction and mining, which makes them endangered species.

Bumblebee bats are essential pollinators. Despite their small size, bumblebee bats play an important role in pollinating plants in their native habitats. They…

--

--

Alan Yarborough
Did you know this?

Soldier turned entrepreneur, writer and academic. Interests: Trail Running, the Ocean and Travel.