environment

Move over, colony collapse disorder; the new mystery plague is “white nose syndrome.” Yes, I know it sounds like a disease involving celebrities and cocaine, but it’s actually attacking bats in New York and Vermont, where they’ve been dying in droves. Researchers are calling it “the gravest threat in memory to bats in the U.S.,” according to the AP:

"This is definitely unprecedented," said Lori Pruitt, an endangered-species biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Bloomington, Ind. "The hugest concern at this point is that we do not know what it is."A significant loss of bats is chilling in itself to wildlife experts. But — like the mysterious mass die-offs around the country of bees that pollinate all sorts of vital fruits and vegetables — the bat deaths could have economic implications. Bats feed on insects that can damage dozens of crops, including wheat and apples."Without large populations of bats, there would certainly be an impact on agriculture," said Barbara French of Bat Conservation International of Austin, Texas.You may not be crazy about bats, but I bet you’re even less fond of mosquitos. Fewer bats equals more bugs, and that could have devastating consequences for our own health, too.Scientists are trying to figure out whether it’s a virus, a bacteria, or some toxin in the environment that’s killing the bats. The white fungus that appears on the dead bats’ noses has never been seen before, and may only be a symptom, not a cause. “Whatever it is,” the AP reports, “afflicted bats are burning through their winter stores of fat before hibernation ends in the spring, and appear to be starving.”

(originally posted on takepart.com)