The mystery continues

April

Scientists don’t seem to be any closer to figuring out what is killing hundreds of thousands of bats from Vermont to Virginia.

I’m referring to white-nose syndrome, the affliction that seems to be affecting the bats. The name refers to the white fungus found on the faces of many affected bats, almost all of which are emaciated. It’s still unclear whether the fungus is a cause of the ailment or one of its symptoms.

According to Bat Conservation International:

Bats are primary predators of night-flying insects, including many that are costly pests of crops and forests. The loss of bats could have serious ecological consequences.

Diane Sawyer points out at the end of this Good Morning America segment that she’s worried about an explosion in the mosquito population.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 12:00 pm by Mike Risinit.
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The Nature of Things

A blog about nature and the environment