White Nose Syndrome is Killing Bats

White Nose Syndrome is Killing Bats

Maura Bennett
Maura Bennett

Conservation organizations and government departments in the US and around the world have been celebrating Bat Week and trying to spread the word that these little flying mammals are important to agriculture and the ecosystem and they at risk.

Jeremy Siemers, a zoologist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program in CSU has been studying the little mammals for years and says in a program video, a disease known as White Nose Syndrome is putting them in danger.

There are 18 species of bats known to live in Colorado according to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department. Some live year round and some migrate through the state. They can be found pretty much everywhere from the high mountain forests and western deserts to the eastern plains and in rural areas to downtown centers. They all eat insects and play an important role in helping control insect populations. Little brown bats have been known to catch and eat more than 150 mosquitoes and crop pests in under 15 minutes. And they also pollinate plants and crops.

White Nose Syndrome has not been found in Colorado,but it has been found on bats in western South Dakota, far eastern Wyoming, south central Kansas, the panhandle of Texas, and in western Washington state likely spread by a cavers who carried the fungus on clothing or gear.

It is likely to be found in Colorado in 2019 or 2020. Visitors to Colorado caves are required to practice decontamination procedures to avoid the accidental spread of the fungus.

Worldwide, there are more than 1,300 species of bats, which is almost 20 percent of all mammal species.

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