White Nose May Destroy 5/6 Of PA Bat Species - Zoologists Find 6 Bats In Cave W. 1,000 Population

[hatrack]

Bats have lived down their vampire mythology - just in time to disappear. White nose syndrome threatens to wipe out five of Pennsylvania's six bat species, according to bat biologist DeeAnn M. Reeder of Bucknell University, Lewisburg.

Bats are dying by the hundreds in Pennsylvania outside caves where they hibernate. A white fungus is the suspect. Reeder and Pennsylvania Game Commission biologist Greg Turner confirmed white-nose syndrome in Pennsylvania a year ago at a Mifflin County cave. They counted six live bats. The cave usually has 1,000.

Turner is keeping an eye on caves across the state, including one in Franklin County and another in Bedford County, but the fungus hasn't showed up there yet. "Presumably it will get there within the next year," Reeder said.

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"There's always a hope there will be survivors," Reeder said, "but the numbers may be so small it's not genetically viable. It may not be sufficient to rebuild the species." A bat may live 30 years. A female has one pup a year. Recovery might take a decade. Reeder is testing a drug that kills the fungus to evaluate its effectiveness on captive bats. Applying any treatment successfully in the wild would be another obstacle for scientists. "The loss of one species is a big deal," Hart said. "The loss of a whole suite of species is a catastrophe. It scares biologists." They joke about taking up a career that has a future, like computer science.

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http://www.publicopiniononline.com/localnews/ci_14243648

[NCarolinawoman]

1. This is so sad.

Bats have never had it easy. I had a bat house once, and all I got were hornets.x(

[virgogal]

2. Terribly sad,but the mosquitos will love it.

[depakid]

6. There'll be banner years for mossies

and mossie borne disease.

[Lorien]

3. Bats are like bees; if they go, we go.

Fruit bats are responsible for "planting" a significant number of species of flora in all ecosystems that they inhabit-including critical rain forest tree species. Plus, as San Antonio found out the hard way, insect populations explode to biblical proportions when bat populations are significantly reduced. This isn't just an "oh, that's sad" bit of information, this is a "HOLY FUCK!" story with enormous implications for all of us.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

4. Agree. This is not good news for the bats or humans.

Canoe Creek State Park near here has one of the largest bat colonies in the state. They have special "bat walks" during the summer that stop at an old church beside the park. These are extremely vital animals in the overall scheme of nature. To go on one of these walks and sit there while thousands of bats fly past you is something that is unforgettable. The person in charge does a great job of explaining why the bats are so important and the dangers of this disease decimating the colonies. I only hope that I will be able to continue with the walks and that they will somehow find a cure to save these remarkable animals.

This is of course known as "The Bat Church"



Bat Viewing: The Frank Felbaum Bat Sanctuary is one of the largest nursery colonies of little brown bats in Pennsylvania. On warm summer evenings, visitors attend bat programs and watch the exit of the bats. A deep limestone mine is a hibernaculum (where animals hibernate) for almost 30,000 bats of six species, including the federally endangered Indiana bat.

More info. on the colony.

Each little brown bat eats about 3,000 insects per night. The Canoe Creek bat colony, numbering almost 17,000 bats, eats 60 million insects each night. The ecological services provided by this colony are enormous! Because bats are the single most important factor in maintaining balance in the forest ecosystem, they are known as a keystone species.

[stuntcat]

5. yes

yes. Humans spent centuries not caring for them.. fearing them. No one understands why they matter.