What Is the World's Smallest Flying Mammal?

💡 The Answer

• The bumblebee bat, also called Kitti's hog-nosed bat, holds the Guinness World Record as the smallest flying mammal on Earth, weighing just 0.05 to 0.07 ounces.
• It measures only 1.14 to 1.29 inches from head to body with a wingspan of 5.1 to 5.7 inches, making it roughly the size of a large bumblebee.
• Many scientists also consider it the smallest mammal overall, though its weight slightly overlaps with that of the Etruscan shrew, creating an ongoing debate.
• This tiny bat is found exclusively in a handful of limestone caves along the Khwae Noi River in Kanchanaburi Province, southwest Thailand.