Species and Locations
CREDIT: Michael Schirmacher/BCI
White-nose Syndrome is a disease that is killing hibernating bats across much of North America.
The impact of this disease is unprecedented. Since bats are the primary predators of night-flying insects, we can expect to see significant ecosystem changes in the coming years. The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) was once the most common bat in North America; today, it is being considered for protection under the US Endangered Species Act. The northern long-eared bat (M. septentrionalis) has recently been listed as Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, due to losses incurred from WNS.
More than half of the 47 species of bats that live in the U.S. hibernate in caves and mines to survive the winter. Four of these bats are federally endangered (Indiana, gray, Virginia and Ozark big-eared bats) and live within or near WNS-affected areas.
A total of ten species of bats have been diagnosed with the disease in North America. Seven additional species (†) have been found with the fungus, but have not yet developed the disease.
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Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
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Eastern small-footed myotis (Myotis leibii)
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Gray bat (Myotis grisescens)*endangered
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Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)
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Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis)*endangered
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Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis ) *threatened
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Tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus)
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Southeastern bat (Myotis austroriparius)
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Cave myotis (Myotis velifer)
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Yuma Bat (Myotis yumanensis)
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Silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)†
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Virginia big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus)†
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Eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis)†
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Rafinesque’s big-eared bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii)†
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Ozark big-eared bat (Plecotus townsendii ingens)†
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Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii)†
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Western small-footed bat (Myotis ciliolabrum)†
White-nose syndrome has been confirmed in bat hibernation sites in 33 states and 7 Canadian provinces: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec
In addition, the fungus that causes White-nose Syndrome, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has been found in three additional states: Mississippi, South Dakota, and Texas.
Further Reading
White-nose Syndrome - Memoirs from the Front Line
Endangered Species Day
White-nose Syndrome Fungus Detected in Central Texas
Fungus Causing White-nose Syndrome Spreads into Central Texas
The fungus that causes White-nose Syndrome (WNS) in bats, detected for the first time in Texas in early 2017 in the P...
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