Bumblebee Bat Life Expectancy

A bumblebee bat is the world's smallest type of mammal, weighing only 2 grams. Since they are such a rare type of bat, their exact life expectancy is unknown.

  1. Identification

    • The bumblebee bat gets its name because it is roughly the size of a bumblebee. It has no tail and a swollen, pig-like nose. The species is reddish-brown or gray in color.

    Life Expectancy

    • Because the habitat of the bumblebee bat has been largely destroyed, they are endangered and life expectancy is unknown. Bumblebee bats are known to inhabit Thailand and have been recently found living in Myanmar. According to the group Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered, or EDGE, there are thought to be around 2,000 bats remaining in Thailand. The average life expectancy of a bat is 4 to 30 years depending on the species.

    Threats

    • The bumblebee bat is classified as endangered on the 2006 International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. Much of the declining population is due to the annual burning of forest areas near the caves in which they live in Thailand.

    Conservation

    • In Thailand, bumblebee bats are protected under the Wild Animals Reservation and Protection Act. Sai Yok National Park was created in 1980 to promote the conversation of these tiny creatures.

    Habitat

    • Bumblebee bats live in limestone caves. EDGE reports that a bumblebee bat's group size varies from as few as 10 to as many as 500.