Brown bats displaying white-nose syndrome

Federal agencies and their allies are reinforcing the fight against the scary and, yes, tricky disease that’s been wiping out bat populations…All told, FWS will provide $1.5 million in this newest round of grant funding, which comes at a seemingly propitious time…

Caused by a soil-based fungus named Pseudogymnoascus destructans, white-nose syndrome was discovered in New York in the winter of 2006-2007. Since then, it’s been responsible for the deaths of millions of bats (Greenwire, July 17, 2017).

The fungus invades the skin of bats. Infection leads to bats waking up more — and for longer periods of time — during hibernation and eventual depletion of the fat reserves they need to survive winter.

One of my favorite species. Bats provide a helluva lot more good than bad…to our whole environment. The sort of beneficial research nature can always use.