[Pollinator] Fwd: White Nose in Indianna

[Dennis Krusac]

I am the current Forest Service lead for white-nose syndrome (WNS) and 
this is just the tip of the iceberg.  I suspect all hell is going to break 
loose in the next six weeks.  If the pattern from the past 3 years holds 
true, we will start seeing mass mortalities reported from mid-February 
until the end of March.  There are already numerous reports of bats flying 
during the day in the dead of winter in New England and mid-Atlantic 
states.  This is one of the indicators of a WNS affected hibernation site. 
 Two recently published studies from New England indicate a 73% decline in 
summer bat activity when compared to pre WNS levels.  This is almost 
identical to the winter population declines documented over the past 3 
winters.  Some sites have lost 99.9% of the wintering bats. 

There is also a growing body of evidence suggesting the fungus that causes 
WNS is an invasive species from Europe.  European bats have been observed 
with white fungus on their noses in winter for decades and their bats are 
perfectly healthy.  Genetics research is indicating the North American 
fungal samples and European fungal samples are identical.  Bats don't fly 
across the Atlantic so it is highly likely this came over on a human. I've 
attached the latest map of the fungus if you are interested in the spread. 
 We have already added 3 counties this winter.



Dennis L. Krusac
Endangered Species Specialist
USDA Forest Service, Southern Region
Suite 816 North, 1720 Peachtree Road, NW
Atlanta, GA  30309
404-347-4338;  404-347-4154 (fax); 404-660-4377 (cell)
dkrusac at fs.fed.us

"What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put 
it on?"   Henry David Thoreau





Ladadams at aol.com 
Sent by: pollinator-bounces+dkrusac=fs.fed.us at lists.sonic.net
02/03/2011 05:35 PM

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[Pollinator] Fwd: White Nose in Indianna






From: Clock-Rust.Mary at epamail.epa.gov
To: lda at pollinator.org
Sent: 2/2/2011 11:25:11 A.M. Pacific Standard Time
Subj: White Nose in Indianna
 

Not sure if this has been sent around yet....
.....bummer.




http://www.theindychannel.com/news/26696889/detail.html
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