Bats devastated by deadly fungus
the most common bat species in north america, the little brown bat, could be facing
extinction because of a fungus. the fungus, called white-nose syndrome, grows on the
exposed skin of bats as they hibernate in cool caves or mines. infected bats develop lesions
(sores) on their wings, which play important roles in water balance, circulation and heat regulation.
these lesions on a bat’s wings or on its nose cause the bat to wake up during hibernation.
waking up early forces the bat to use up the energy it has stored as fat for its long
sleep, exhausting the animal and eventually killing it.
in some infected caves, 90 percent to 100 percent of bats die. on average, the disease
takes out 73 percent of the bat population at a given hibernation site. if infection continues
at current rates, the researchers predict that the little brown bat population will drop below
0.01 percent of its current numbers by 2026.
the loss of the little brown bat would be harmful for humans because bats eat their
body weight in insects each night. many of these bugs are agricultural pests or carriers of
human disease.
one way to decrease the spread of the disease would be for the researchers who visit
infected caves to decontaminate their clothes and gear with antiseptics. it has also been suggested
that a small number of these bats could be placed in an artificial hibernating area
and medicated to protect them.
describe one way that an infection with the white-nose fungus can cause death in little brown bats.