Around a quarter of all mammals in the world are some type of bat.
This statistic may seem surprising at first, but comprising over a thousand different unique species and located almost everywhere in the world, bats are a common and crucial part of nearly every ecosystem. These creatures are an invaluable asset to our environment due to their insect diet, lessening the need to use chemical pesticides in crop treatment by their ability to eat up to 4,000 insects a night. On top of all of this, bats are also pollinators, taking the "night shift" while morning pollinators like birds and insects are asleep. Without bats, our ecosystem would take a massive hit, one it likely would not be able to recover from.
This is why scientists are so concerned about a new disease emerging in North-American bat populations. This disease is easily transmittable by both bats and humans alike, rapidly spreading, and incurable. This disease, of course, is White-Nose Syndrome.
First discovered in upstate New York in 2006, White-Nose Syndrome is the biggest threat facing bat populations in the state of Maine and much of eastern North America.
The disease is fungal in nature, initially introduced to North America through what many experts assume was inadvertent human transmission. White-Nose Syndrome comes from the fungus Pseudoymnoascus destructans, known to scientists as "Pd." This fungus best thrives in cold, dark areas. Over time, the effects of this fungus became visible in the bat population with symptoms displaying themselves as wing tears, lesions, and the eponymous white nose. Since its discovery in 2006, almost 7 million bats have fallen victim to White-Nose Syndrome, wiping out entire colonies and leaving caves across the country littered with bones
But how exactly does this disease kill bats? Scientists believe it's all linked to hibernation cycles.
The state of Maine is home to eight different species of bats. Five of these species are hibernating bats, the class of bat most susceptible to White-Nose Syndrome. When a bat comes into extended contact with the fungus "Pd" (something easily accomplished when bats are in hibernation) they grow irritated and confused, waking from their sleep. When bats are allowed to complete their hibernation cycles, they have droves of food waiting form them that built up over their period of rest. When this hibernation is interrupted, though, they are made to burn themselves out and die of starvation.
What is even more concerning than what scientists have learned, however, is what scientists still have not.
For one, scientists still aren't exactly sure where White-Nose Syndrome came from, or how "Pd" can be present in caves outside of North America without causing these devastating effects. Moreover, scientists have noticed that not all North American bats are susceptible to the disease-- and they even speculate some are resistant to the disease-- without any concrete understanding of why.
The most devastating news, however, is just how long it will take the bat population to recover from the disease.
Bats are slow-reproducing animals, with females only giving birth to one bat a year. According to Dr Timothy Carter at Ball State University, "For every year that 'white-nose' impacts bat populations, it will take approximately a hundred years or more to offset those losses." This means that even if White-Nose Syndrome were to disappear tomorrow completely, we would not see bat populations recover for another thousand years.
Faced with this rather unfortunate reality, it is easy for one to feel hopeless. But bat populations depend on normal people not falling victim to this hopelessness. There are many ways that humans can avoid contributing to the spread of White-Nose Syndrome, but one of the most important is learning how to properly disinfect and de-contaminate gear and clothing if you are a frequent cave-explorer. There are also always events that can be attended in Maine to learn more about bats and their role in the environment.
Among the most sage advice one can offer to protect bats, though, is to leave them alone entirely. While many species of bats are at risk of serious population decline due to illness, it is important to recognize that bats also carry diseases that can be incredibly harmful and even deadly to humans. Bats benefit greatly from scientists intervening-- and civilians ignoring-- their colonies and homes. As long as proper safety and decontamination practices are followed when entering into bat habitats, the average person can safely say they are doing their part to stop the spread of White-Nose Syndrome.