I have always loved bats, I think they are some of the coolest critters God created and I am well aware of the extremely important role they play in maintaining a healthy environment and the serious threat they face from loss of habitat and from WNS. This from WJAC / Johnstown, PA and be sure to check out the links at the end of this post for more information on bats, WNS and how to help these fuzzy little creatures....
Wildlife experts highlight bat conservation at Lincoln Caverns' Bat Fest
HUNTINGDON CO., Pa. (WJAC) — November saw the northern long-eared bat declared an endangered species.
The years-long Bat Fest tradition at Lincoln Caverns took the opportunity on Saturday to educate the public about the species and other types of bats.
To some, bats can be a nuisance, frightening, or even part of your superhero origin story. But, like all animals, we rely on them more than it would seem. That was one of the main messages of Lincoln Caverns' 17th annual Bat Fest.
"It's a great way to reach out to the public and get them interested and informed about bats and especially what we're doing here in the state," Mike Scafini, an endangered animals specialist for PA Game Commission, shares with 6 News.
However, experts tell us they're concerned for the future of certain bat species.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in November lifted the northern long-eared bat to "endangered." For some, like bat researcher Luke Fultz, it's foreshadowing.
"The little brown bat and the tricolored bat are ones that are looking to possibly be uplifted at some point as well," the wildlife biologist and ecologist for Apogee Environmental & Archaeological tells 6 News.
Two of the main reasons behind the dropping numbers is: habitat and the disease known as white-nose syndrome (Pseudogymnoascus destructans), "which is caused by a fungus that was brought over, they think from Europe," Fultz explains. "It spores and it thrives in caves."
"It was introduced to New York in 2006," Scafini notes. "And it's since spread up and down the East Coast, and now is making its way across the entire United States."
Fultz says the fungus affects the exposed skin areas, which can wake up the bats from their hibernation, forcing them to consume their fat and energy to get them through winter.
"That takes a lot of energy to bring that metabolic rate back up, that body temperature back up, the breathing rate and everything back up," he points out. "And if that happens too many times, the bats tend to starve."
So, how do we actually conserve bats — especially from WNS?
Aside from protecting habitats and people putting up bat boxes in their yards, Scafini says there are two primary methods for combatting WNS.
"One is cooling hibernacula, we call it hibernacula manipulations, where we're either open up a second entrance to help get colder air in and get the site to a temperature, where the fungus does not grow as well," he says.
Hibernacula (sing. hibernaculum) is the scientific term used for the habitats where animals hibernate.
Scafini adds that "another option is the spraying of Polyethylene glycol 8,000, which is a substance that slows the fungus down from growing."
While they may freak you out, bats are vital to our ecosystem.
"So, they play a major role ecologically through seed dispersal, pollination, and pest control," Fultz explains. "In a lot of ways, they fill the ecological niche, nocturnally, that birds and bees and butterflies and things do during the day."
"You may have noticed that the insect numbers have risen dramatically," says Scafini. "You probably can't go for a hike anymore without getting a cobweb in your face cuz bats eat spiders and you might be more annoyed by the flies and mosquitoes cuz bats are the predominant eater of those."
"The benefits of bats are pretty endless," he adds.
The PA Game Commission, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have information for what to do when encountering bats and if you would like to help conserve bats.
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