Since it is October and Halloween is coming up, I thought I should share something about bats! Wildlife disease is my field of research and around the time I was entering graduate school, scientists were puzzled by a new pathogen that was affecting bat populations in the US:
Bats in North America are undergoing a decimating disease epidemic. White-nose syndrome, caused by a fungus, has been ripping through populations of hibernating bats in the eastern US since 2006. Many bats species that were abundant at the turn of the century (less than 20 years ago) are now being listed as endangered. From a wildlife-loving standpoint, this is heartbreaking.
Bats often have a bad reputation because they are perceived to be reservoirs for disease or because they may not be as cute as other mammals (I disagree!), but they are an essential part of our North American ecosystem. They provide billions of dollars in ecosystem services (pest management, pollination, etc). Bats benefit you, even though you may not realize it.
So, from a wildlife resources standpoint, this is a terrible epidemic as well.
For more information, visit:http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/white-nose_syndrome/
