Science Screen Report

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Bats in Crisis

Researchers in Canada are tracking echolocation calls from bats in the New York Hudson River area in order to track bat populations. Spring and Summer recordings from 2007-2009 are grim. According to the results, there is a 78% decline in bat activity.

An article published in the journal of Science predicts a 99% probability of “regional extinction” over the next 15 years. After more than one million bat deaths, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is calling this “the worst wildlife health crisis in memory.”

Source:

http://bangordailynews.com/2011/10/08/environment/prognosis-for-bats-%e2%80%98grim%e2%80%99-as-researchers-in-maine-northeast-study-killer-fungus/

Interested in teaching your students more about bats? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, episode: Ecology - Bats: Creatures of the Night. Interested in speaking to students about bats? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com

How to Safely Remove a Bat

“Barbara shows you exactly how to safely and humanely remove unwanted bats that have slipped into your home. She also offers tips on how to keep them from coming back.”
http://www.batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/removing-a-bat.html

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

White Nose Syndrome, With a European Twist

We’ve discussed, on this blog, the detrimental effects White Nose Syndrome is having on bats in North America. But did you know that European bats are not dying from WNS? There is documentation that WNS may have occurred as early as 1983 on European bats. The first documented case of WNS in North America was in 2006. WNS, also known as Geomyces destructans, is present in eight European countries.

Researchers are now studying the differences between North American and European bats to find out how European bats are living with this mold. Several treatments have been proposed, to include a vaccine, an anti-fungal spray, and introducing bacteria to the bat that would protect them against the fungus.

Source:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/01/european-bats-resistant-to-deadly-fungus.php

Monday, October 17, 2011

“To the (gated) batcave!”

To keep destructive humans out of bat caves, especially during hibernation, many wildlife professionals install cave gates. Not all caves are recommended for gates, and year-round gates are not always necessary since bats hibernate from October to March.

As a whole, caves where endangered species of bats hibernate are recommended for gating in the winter. If bats are disturbed during hibernation, they run the risk of burning up crucial (already low) fat reserves. If bats dip below 50-70% of their fat reserves, their very survival is at risk. Cave gates may also help prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome, which could help protect bat populations as well.

Source:

http://www.cavern.org/acca/cavegating.php

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

"Blind" as a Bat

Many people have heard the saying “blind as a bat.” What many do not know is that all 1,100 species of bats actually have pretty good vision. Bats likely received this misleading association by not having as keen of vision as other night-hunting animals.

There are two main groups of bats. The Megachiroptera group of bats hunts fruits, nectar, and sometimes small animals or fish. This group has good vision and can see in color. They are, however, unable to fly during moonless nights since they rely on their daylight vision.

The second group, Microchiroptera, makes up about 70% of all bats. This group uses echolocation for navigation and food identification. Scientists have found that these “micro bats” do have both rod and cone photoreceptor vision cells in their eyes, though the rods are poorly developed. Rods are the cells responsible for night vision, thus establishing the need for the echolocation these night hunters rely upon to help while hunting in the dark.

Source:

http://www.misconceptionjunction.com/index.php/2011/02/bats-are-not-blind/

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Yellowstone Bracing for White Nose Syndrome

Biologists at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming are examining bats to search for signs of White Nose Syndrome. This fatal condition in bats is wiping out entire covens on the East Coast of North America. Scientists in Yellowstone are examining bats to establish a baseline so they can better detect the condition, if White Nose Syndrome strikes the Yellowstone covens.

White Nose Syndrome is a fungus that strikes hibernating bats. It erodes bat’s skin, and causes them to increase activity, which leads to a depletion of stored fat more rapidly than would normally occur. Cases have been documented as far West as Oklahoma. To date, the condition has killed more than 1 million bats since 2006.

Source:

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_6b563ebd-0938-5ae6-b4e9-13f166ad9aa1.html?oCampaign=hottopics