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The smallest mammal by body length is Kitti’s hog-nosed bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai), better known as the bumblebee bat: its head and body measure about 29–33 mm, or 2.9–3.3 cm. The answer changes if “smallest” means lightest: Guinness World Records identifies the Etruscan shrew as the smallest mammal by mass.
Which mammal is the smallest?
There is no single answer unless you specify how you measure. By head-and-body length, the bumblebee bat is the smallest mammal in the records cited by Bat Conservation International and Guinness World Records. By mass, Guinness names the Etruscan shrew. The distinction explains why both animals are sometimes called the world’s smallest mammal.
| Record | Animal | Reported measurements |
|---|---|---|
| Smallest by head-body length | Kitti’s hog-nosed bat, or bumblebee bat | 29–33 mm head-body length; 1.7–2 g mass; 130–145 mm wingspan. Figures reported by Guinness World Records. Bat Conservation International gives a 29–33 mm length and 2 g mass in its FAQ. |
| Smallest by mass | Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus) | 1.8 g average mass, with a reported range of 1.5–2.6 g; average body length 36–53 mm and tail length 24–29 mm. Figures reported by Guinness World Records. |
These measurements are not interchangeable. The bat’s 29–33 mm figure is its head-body length, not its wingspan or total length. The shrew’s body and tail are reported separately. So, if you mean the shortest body, the bumblebee bat is the answer; if you mean the lowest typical weight, it is the Etruscan shrew.
How small is a bumblebee bat?
At about three centimeters from head to body, a full-grown bumblebee bat is shorter than an adult’s thumb. Bat Conservation International says it weighs less than two Skittles. Those are comparisons to help picture its size; the reported measurements are 29–33 mm and about 2 g.
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Its wingspan is much wider than its body is long: Guinness World Records reports 130–145 mm. That is why a claim about the bat’s body length should not be mistaken for a measurement of its wings.
Where does it live?
The bumblebee bat’s known range is restricted, not spread broadly across Asia. Guinness World Records reports it in a few select limestone caves along the Khwae Noi River in Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand, and in southeastern Myanmar. It roosts in caves, where disturbance and habitat degradation can put pressure on the species.
What does the bumblebee bat eat?
It feeds on small spiders and flying insects, including mosquitoes, moths and beetles, according to Guinness World Records. Thai zoologist Kitti Thonglongya discovered the species in 1974; its scientific name is Craseonycteris thonglongyai.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the bumblebee bat endangered?
Guinness World Records reports that the species was listed as near threatened at its last review in 2019 and that its population trend was downward. The threats it names are habitat degradation and disturbance at roosting sites. That status is tied to the 2019 review, not a newly verified assessment, and the cited pages do not give a current population total.
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Best Value
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