ML12171A429

Fws 2010 the White-Nose Syndrome Mystery

ML12171A429
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	05/31/2010
From:	Tennessee Valley Authority, US Dept of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service
To:	Justin Poole Watts Bar Special Projects Branch
Poole J
References
Download: ML12171A429 (2)

Text

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service The white-nose syndrome mystery Something is killing our bats In February 2006 some 40 miles west the bulk of the survey work in bat of Albany, N.Y., a caver photographed hibernacula. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife hibernating bats with an unusual white Service is supporting and coordinating substance on their muzzles. He noticed the partnership.

several dead bats. The following winter, New York Department of Researchers are exploring a variety Environmental Conservation biologists of avenues they hope will lead to documented what they called white- solving this wildlife health crisis.

nose syndrome after seeing bats Despite the continuing search to find behaving erratically, bats with white the source of WNS, the cause of the noses and a few hundred dead bats bat deaths remains unknown. People in several caves. More than a million in agencies and organizations are hibernating bats have died since then, committed to finding answers and are making WNS the worst wildlife health doing everything they can within their Marvin Moriarty/USFWS crises in memory. resources to stop WNS.

Bat death zone Identification of the fungus Geomyces Biologists have found sick, dying and destructans found on affected bats dead bats in unprecedented numbers may be one step toward an answer.

in and around caves and mines from The fungus thrives in the cold and New Hampshire south to Tennessee humid conditions characteristic of bat hibernacula. The fungus may not be Bat affected with white-nose syndrome and in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. WNS is suspected readily visible on the bats, especially in states as far west as Oklahoma. In after they leave the hibernaculum and can determine how to stop it entirely.

some hibernacula (caves and mines groom themselves. Many federal and state agencies, where bats hibernate in the winter) 90 organizations, and private individuals to 100 percent of the bats are dying. Spreading WNS have closed caves on land they own.

WNS is transmitted primarily by bat-In a hibernaculum, affected bats to-bat contact. Biologists believe that As a precaution, biologists and usually have white fungus on their people are inadvertently contributing researchers wear protective clothing muzzles and other parts of their to the spread since some caves used by when visiting WNS-affected bodies. They frequently lack adequate people have WNS-affected bats, while hibernacula, although there is no body fat to survive until spring. These other, nearby caves not used by people known human health risk associated bats may exhibit uncharacteristic are not affected. Biologists have found with WNS.

behavior such as moving to cold parts the fungus in caves that no longer have of the hibernaculum, and flying during bats. The future of bats the day and during cold winter weather Until we discover how to eradicate when the insects they feed upon are The Service issued a cave advisory in WNS, we face the real possibility of not available. 2009 asking people to stay out of caves losing entire bat species. The majority in affected states and adjoining states. of bats dying in the Northeast has Working together to find answers The advisory also asks cavers - when been little brown bats, one of the most A broad partnership of nearly 100 visiting caves outside of the affected abundant bats in the United States.

federal and state agencies, academia, and adjoining states - to refrain from Other affected bat species include researchers, non-government using clothing and gear that has been tri-colored, northern long-eared, big organizations and international used in affected and adjoining states. brown, small-footed and endangered partners are working in concert The Service hopes that compliance Indiana bats. Cave myotis and to solve the WNS mystery. State with the cave advisory will help slow endangered Virginia big-eared and biologists are on the front line, doing the spread of WNS until researchers gray bats may be affected.

Losing huge numbers of bats could affect the remaining bats ability to survive and adapt in the future through loss of genetic variation.

Insect-eating bats are voracious predators of insects such as beetles, moths, aquatic flies and mosquitoes.

The number of moths and beetles that damage our forests and crops could increase as we lose the bats that eat them. Increased pesticide applications might be needed to protect them from insects like forest tent caterpillars.

Backyard gardeners may see increases in moth caterpillars or beetles preying on their gardens and may need to use pesticides or handpick pests from their plants.

The many people who enjoy watching the silent flight of bats through the trees or over wetlands in the night sky may no longer have that privilege.

With lower numbers of bats, our environment is already changing. We have no idea what our world could be like with a complete absence of bats.

For more information see http://www.

fws.gov/WhiteNoseSyndrome U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 300 Westgate Center Drive Hadley, MA 01035 413/253 8200 Federal Relay Service for the deaf and hard-of-hearing 1 800/877 8339 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD http://www.fws.gov May 2010