Smithsonian Channel Documentary

Due to the importance of bats to their environment and the severity of White Nose Syndrome, the Smithsonian Channel has recently produced a documentary regarding White Nose Syndrome in Little Brown Bats called "Killer in the Caves". 

Below is a link to the Smithsonian Channel's website and page about the documentary as well as a schedule of when it will be aired next.

http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/site/sn/show.do?show=3374278

Here's a sneak peak at what the documentary is about:

Bat Houses!

A great way to support bat populations is to provide supplemental housing for them, especially in areas where their natural habitat is being destroyed.  Bat houses are relatively simple to make and can be placed in your backyard to encourage them to roost there instead of in your gutters, attic, or chimney.  Bats are a great asset to have in your backyard because they work as natural pest removers!  Bats like tight and warm spaces and they like it to be 80 to 100 degrees in July when they have their young with them. The bat houses should be placed in the sun and around 12 to 15 feet off the ground to prevent predators from getting them.

For plans to make your own bat house visit:
http://www.eparks.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/bats/bat_house.asp 
http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/bathouses/SingleChamberBHPlans.pdf 
http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/bathouses/FourChamberNurseryHousePlans.pdf

To order a bat house visit: 
http://www.lonestarwoodcraft.com/ 

Why are bats so important?

Very often bats are seen as disgusting, horrifying creatures that will get caught in your hair and suck out your blood.  The great thing is-none of that is true! Bats are such great flyers that there is no chance they will end up on a persons head, let alone tangled in your hair.  Only 4 species of bats drink blood and none of these species are found in the United States.  Bats are actually quite shy and very good mothers.  So, why are people so afraid of them? Is it because they are rarely seen and even less understood?  Bats are very beneficial to the environment and, as mentioned in the previous video, they even help stimulate the economy.  Here are some ways that bats work to help improve their environment. 

• Many types of bats are insect-eating and keep pests under control. It is estimated that bats save farmers over 3.7 billion dollars every years by eating crop-killing insects. Some types of bats can eat over 1,000 insects per hour!

• Among birds, bees, and other insects, bats are also pollinators and help to pollinate many important plants.

• Fruit-eating bats spread plant seeds when they eat fruits. This helps that type of plant grow more plants.

 Without bats, the country would have to spend billions of dollars to maintain the pest control that bats perform at no cost! Due to White Nose Syndrome, habitat destruction, and pest control measures bats are seeing a dramatic decline in population numbers.  There are plenty of things that can be done to encourage bats to live in harmony with human populations.  Here are a few things that you can do! 

• Purchase a bat house and put in outside your home
• Become a member of Bat Conservation International, or donate to them at www.batcon.org
• Teach others about bats and why they are so important
• Visit local caves and parks but make sure to be respectful of rules and regulations for bat species.  Waking them up during the winter can throw off their internal clock and cause damage to their bodies.  
• Encourage local parks to have "Bat Awareness Days" to help change the mindset that bats are disgusting and something to be feared

 

White Nose Syndrome and Its Impact on the Economy

Why should we care about whether or not bats go extinct in North America and Canada?
Dr. Leighton, the Executive Director of the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Center, discusses in this video how bat species impact the economy and influence our food production.  While many people find bats to be scary or disgusting, there is plenty to appreciate about this unique species of mammal!  

USGS Late March Map and Bat Devastation in Pennsylvania

The US Geological Survey posted an updated map on March 21st for the progression of White Nose Syndrome throughout the United States.  Since the last posted map, on March 1st, populations have been confirmed to have WNS farther west and south along with populations further west in Canada. 

 

 An article posted on April 1st indicated that Pennsylvania's second largest bat colony, located in an abandoned mine in Buck's County, has been dealt a devastating blow.  This population of Little Brown Bats, which once numbered over 10,000 bats, has been reduced to only 23 remaining individuals due to White Nose Syndrome.  Of those 23, more than half are infected with the fungus.  The entire article may be found at  http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/1134/20130401/cave-10-000-bats-23-survive-mysterious-disease-killing.htm.  This new finding is devastating news for biologists as the number of bats who have fallen due to WNS is now estimated to have reached 6.7 million bats. 

 

Determining bat relatedness using PCR

Within the past few years, biologists have begun to look for noninvasive techniques for studying bat genetics.  One of the methods that was considered was the use of PCR.  A study by Puechmaille et al., showed that by collecting bat droppings and extracting their DNA, PCR techniques could be used to study the genetic relatedness of individual bats within a large colony in a noninvasive matter.  One challenge with this technique is that dropping samples must be collected on a relatively clean surface.  So in their study, Puechmaille and colleagues removed a layer of soil and placed newspaper under a roosting bat colony.  In an effort to retrieve accurate data, the papers had to be checked and retrieved often so as not to become too densely populated with fecal material, thus compromising individual results.

Using PCR in soil samples

As discussed before, not only is WNS spread from one bat to the next but it is also transferred to new caves by means of human transport when individuals do not clean off their boots, equipment, and belongings.  How did biologists come to determine that humans were a means to transfer the disease further than simply speculating?  The use of PCR has helped biologists to determine this fact, with studies showing that the fungus G. destructans is present in soil samples within caves that have had confirmed cases of WNS.  From this evidence, biologists were able to determine that environmental reservoirs, such as soil, play a key role in the spread of WNS.