I found a bat in the garage. At first, I thought it was dead. But when I threw it out it made a very shrill noise. It flopped around on the grass. I was going to take a picture of it but the dog got it. Isaac
Thousands of Tennessean bats are being threatened by a mysterious illness being called "white nose syndrome." Tennessee authorities have closed off some caves to the public to try to prevent further spread of the disease.
The disease emerged during the 2006-2007 winter further north in the United States, but now has moved southward. Transmission is believed to be from bat-to-bat, but humans are being excluded from Tennessee bat habitats in case the disease is being accidentally spread by people. The disease is affecting the endangered Gray Bat species, which lives in Tennessee. The disease was first noticed in 2006 in New York state, and has since spread.
The disease is called white nose syndrome because affected bats have snouts that appear to have a powdery white substance on them, which is a fungus. However, it is still not known if the fungus is the cause of the deaths and bizarre behaviour noted in bats which have the fungus prior to their deaths. Affected bats have been observed flying during the daytime.
Aside from affecting tourism, the disease has been affecting certain bat populations in the Eastern United States. The disease has hit bat species that hibernate, and is thus threatening diversity, as over 50% of the bat species in the United States hibernate to survive the winter. While the role of bats in the ecosystem is not fully known yet, we do know that bats play important roles in the pollination and reproduction of some plants as well as insect control.
The disease emerged during the 2006-2007 winter further north in the United States, but now has moved southward. Transmission is believed to be from bat-to-bat, but humans are being excluded from Tennessee bat habitats in case the disease is being accidentally spread by people. The disease is affecting the endangered Gray Bat species, which lives in Tennessee. The disease was first noticed in 2006 in New York state, and has since spread.
The disease is called white nose syndrome because affected bats have snouts that appear to have a powdery white substance on them, which is a fungus. However, it is still not known if the fungus is the cause of the deaths and bizarre behaviour noted in bats which have the fungus prior to their deaths. Affected bats have been observed flying during the daytime.
Aside from affecting tourism, the disease has been affecting certain bat populations in the Eastern United States. The disease has hit bat species that hibernate, and is thus threatening diversity, as over 50% of the bat species in the United States hibernate to survive the winter. While the role of bats in the ecosystem is not fully known yet, we do know that bats play important roles in the pollination and reproduction of some plants as well as insect control.
