This week, the bumblebee bat, which happens to be the world’s smallest mammal, has gained a certain degree of internet celebrity. Native to Thailand’s Kanchanaburi Province, the bat is unfortunately nearing extinction with only 2,000 known members of the species remaining.
Endangered species conservation journal Edge Blog has put this phenomenon quite appropriately on blast, giving us a chance to learn more about what I think we can all agree is one of the coolest creatures in Thailand, if not the world.
The bumblebee bat weighs only two grams and has a wingspan of 33 millimeters, when fully extended. A typical bumblebee bat is only slightly bigger than most peoples’ thumbs.
According to Edge Blog, the bumblebee bat constitutes the last remaining member of a family of bats known as Craseonycteridae. Forest burning near its limestone cave habitat has put the species under threat of extinction in recent years.
