Bats are in Trouble

A fungus is causing widespread bat declines

Imagine waking up from a deep, deep sleep and not even having the strength to pour yourself a bowl of cereal?! That is what it is like for bats these days…

Little Brown Bat with white-nose syndrome (USFWS photo)

In 2007, biologists were surveying bats in a cave system in the Albany, New York area. They found many bats with an odd, fuzzy-white appearance on their faces. Lab tests found it was from infection by a fungus previously unknown to science.

Little Brown Bats with white-nose syndrome (USFWS photo)

This fungus grows on bare skin areas of the bats. It most often grows around their nose and looks like powdered sugar. This led to naming the disease “white-nose syndrome”. In fact, when biologists looked at prior photos, some bats in this cave had white-nose syndrome in 2006. That is when scientists believe this disease began.

Tricolored Bat with white-nose syndrome (USNPS photo)

White-nose syndrome causes infected bats to be active in the winter, when they should be hibernating. This leads them to use precious stored body fat reserves that they had built up to last them through the winter. This leads to dehydration and starvation, often resulting in death. To date more than 7 million of bats have died from this since 2006.

Little Brown Bat (photo by Scott Knecht)

Bats are fascinating animals, and are the only flying mammals. They play a major role in the food web because they eat large numbers of insects. For example, a single bat can eat between 1,000-3,000 insects in a single night. Because they eat so many insects, they save the U.S. agricultural industry over $3 billion each year by controlling pests.

Lesser Long-Nosed Bat (not a Northeast species) covered in pollen (USFWS photo)

Most bats feed mainly on insects. But, there are many bat species worldwide that feed on nectar and are important pollinators. Bats help pollinate over 300 fruit species. These include peaches, bananas, mangos, and avocados, among others. Fun fact: Bats are the only pollinator of the agave plant, which is an important ingredient in tequila.

A fruit bat of American Samoa (USNPS photo)

Mainly found in tropical areas, fruit-eating bats are critical seed dispersers. Recent research indicates that they may be responsible for up to 95% of the seed dispersal in the regrowth of recently cleared rainforest areas.

Northern Long-Eared Bats (USFWS photo)

The Northeast is home to nine bat species. At least three of them have suffered devastating declines from white-nose syndrome: they are the Little Brown Bat, the Northern Long-Eared Bat, and the Tricolored Bat. Some populations have declined by more than 90% over the past 25 years. This equates to the death of over 7 million  bats, a staggering number that continues to grow each year.

Bats hibernating together (USFWS photo)

It is unknown where the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome came from. But, it was likely brought into the Albany area cave system accidentally on the clothes or shoes of a person walking in the cave. The fungus grows in cold, moist places and spores can survive on surfaces for very long periods of time; it is easily spread by humans and in bat-to-bat interactions.

Relative population size (red circles) of Little Brown Bats at hibernation sites and counties with white-nose syndrome detected in (gray) by year (source USGS)

White-nose syndrome started at the Albany, NY site in 2006. Researchers have since found it in 40 U.S. States and 8 Canadian Provinces. They also found it in Europe and Asia. It has been confirmed in 12 North American bat species.

Swabbing a bat to test for white-nose syndrome (USFWS photo)

Currently, there is no cure for white-nose syndrome. Scientists worldwide are studying the fungus that causes it. They aim to understand it better, to control its spread, and to learn why it affects some bat species but not others. They also hope to develop a vaccine or treatment.

Restricting human access to caves to protect bats (USFWS photo)

So far, researchers have not identified any other animals with white-nose syndrome, including humans. However, people can transport the fungus on their clothing. To best protect bats, people are urged to stay out of caves that bats may use.

Biologists surveying a bat cave wearing decontamination suits and using sterilized equipment (USFWS photo)

Scientists are doing everything they can to help save the bats. But it will take all of us; each of us doing our part can help give bats a fighting chance. See below for simple things you can do to save these amazing creatures.

How You Can Help

There are many ways you can help bats including installing a bat house(s), don’t use herbicides or pesticides, turn off outdoor lights at night, plant a pollinator garden, and much more which you can learn about here:

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Next Month’s Topic: Turtle Nesting

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Painted Turtle laying eggs (photo by Erika Pavamani)

Snapping Turtle laying eggs (photo by Jeff Tome)