Kitti's Hog-Nosed Bat: Craseonycteridae

Kitti's hog-nosed bats were once found only in Thailand. Most of these bat populations were located in Sai Yok National Park. In 2001 a second population of bumblebee bats was found in a cave in Myanmar.

Bumblebee bats have been found deep inside small, remote limestone caves, caves formed by water dissolving calcium carbonate rock. Hog-nosed bats appear to prefer caves with multiple chambers and domed roofs located near rivers or areas with water.

Kitti's hog-nosed bats feed on insects, including spiders, beetles, small flies, wasps, and bark lice. They hunt their prey (animals they eat) through echolocation (eck-oh-loh-KAY-shun), a technique in which the bats emit high-pitched sounds that bounce off objects. The bats then detect the objects around them by listening to the sounds' echoes. These sounds are too high pitched for humans to hear.

People have caused the population of hog nosed bats to decline by disturbing their habitats and food supplies. Much of the areas around the bats' caves have been cleared for agriculture. Recreation and tourism are also reasons for the disruption of the bat's habitat and the resulting decline in population.