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Bats
Order: Chiropetra “hand wing”
20% of all mammalian species 1240 bat species
Smallest bat is 2 grams and fits on a finger largest bat has a 5’6” wingspan
20 year lifespan
Slow birth rate
“Most overlooked yet economically important, nondomesticated animals in North America”
Chireoptera Suborders
Megachiroptera
Microchiroptera
MegaChiroptera
Fruit eating bats
About 30% of bats some tropical plants depend entirely on bats for seed distribution
Microchiroptera
The more highly specialized group like echolocating
70% of bats are insectivores
Bat populations in North America
Canada has 19-21 bat species, and about 45 species live in Canada and the US
50% are in a severe population decline
6 bat species are endangered
25 species rely on hibernation
Bat Economics
A single colony (n=150) of big brown bats consume 1.5 million insects a year
pest suppression value of bats (12-173/acre)
Value of bats to US agriculture industry 22.9 billion a year
White Nose Syndrome
emerging infectious disease
Affects hibernating cave dwelling bats in North America
Fungal infection - Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd)
First documentation in 2006
Mortality 6 million bats in North America
Bat Species affected by WNS
12 bat species (skin lesions) + 9 species (DNA) (how we detected it)
3 species have declined > 90% duse to WNS
northern long eared bat
Little brown bat
Tricoloured bat
Regional extirpation
northern long eared bat
Signs of WNS
white fungus on body
Flying outside in the day in cold temps
Bats clustered near the entrance of hibernacula
Dead or dying bats on the ground, buildings, trees during cold months
Pseudogymnoascus destructans
fungal infection of the skin
not systemic
Temperature growth range
4-20degrees
Psychrophile
Active bats: 37-40 degrees body temp
Hibernating bats 1-16 degrees body temp
WNS originS
Probably from a European tourist
Is there a cure fro WNS
Maybe vaccine, of maybe cooling the bats so they are no longer within optimal temp