Bat populations across North America have been decimated by White-Nose Syndrome, caused by a relatively unknown fungus that grows on the bats' faces and noses. We last told you about the disease on Underreported in October, but now that the hibernation season for most North American bats is over, we thought get an update on how bats are faring this year. We’ll be joined by Mylea Bayless, a conservation biologist with Bat Conservation International.
A map showing the spread of White-Nose Syndrome is available here.
A map showing the spread of White-Nose Syndrome is available here.
Guests:
Mylea Bayless,
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Comments [8]
Jerry,
Bats prefer to be in the sun/ heat, not in a tree. Go to Batcon.org to get info on how to build a successful bat house.
I live in Austin and am familiar with Bat Conservation International, the organization your guest works for. They are all over this issue and have a good, informative site where you can learn more, donate to the cause, etc...
www.batcon.org
Excellent interview, by the way. Thanks for staying with this underreported story.
Pls tell us how we can help. Any organizations to donate to for example?
Could you ask your guest about the incidence of rabies in our local bats and if "contact" with a bat (e.g in your house while sleeping) requires you to get the rabies vaccine?
hi.
i'm lucky enough to have an apt with a backyard in williamsburg - is there anything i can do to encourage bats to move into a bathouse if i put one in a tree?
thanks
Jeremy
Might this be why the mosquito population in NYC seems to have gotten SO bad in the last few years?
We were camping in the Catskills.
This might not have anything to do with the white nose syndrome but while camping last weekend, we saw many bats out in the middle of the day. One was flying low and fell into the lake, swam to the side and when it climbed out of the water, the bats face was covered with a mossy growth.
Do bats swim?
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