The World's Smallest Bat: Measuring Less Than 3 Centimeters and Weighing Only 2 Grams, an Endangered Species
When it comes to bats, people will naturally think of Batman, but today we're going to introduce the real bats in nature – those with wings that live in caves. How small is the smallest bat in the world?
The Bulldog Bat, living in limestone caves in Thailand, also known as the 'Thai pig-nosed bat', because of its nose which is somewhat flat and upwards, hence the name. But it doesn't have a pig's tail.
It's not only the smallest bat in the world, but it might also be the smallest known mammal, smaller than a pinky finger, with wingspan of only 8 centimeters, body length less than 3 centimeters, and weighing only 2 grams, about the same weight as a hummingbird.
This bat was only discovered in 1974 and can hover and fly in the air like a hummingbird, feeding on insects.
Although the Thai pig-nosed bat is a vertebrate, a bug-buster can threaten them, which is rare in the animal kingdom. It is considered one of the 12 most endangered species in the world, and currently there are only about 200 Bulldog Bats surviving in the world.
