December 28, 2010

Extinction Countdown News and research about endangered species from around the world As white-nose syndrome wipes out little brown bats, groups petition for emergency protection

Jonathan D. Reichard have now By John Platt submitted their own indepen- dent little white bat status review More than one million bats have (PDF) to the FWS showing just been killed by the deadly fungal how badly the species is at risk. infection known as white-nose In some bat caves where WNS is syndrome (WNS) since the present, mortality nears 100 per- condition fi rst turned up in 2006. cent, according to their report. One of the hardest hit species, the once-common little brown bat Emergency listing for a species (Myotis lucifugus), might now does happen, but not very often, face extinction as a result of the says Ann Froschauer, national disease. As a result, scientists white-nose syndrome com- and conservation groups fi led an munications leader for FWS. emergency request on December "Given the urgency of white-nose 16 with the U.S. Fish and Wild- syndrome and recent informa- life Service (FWS) to protect the tion about predicted declines in little brown bat under the Endan- little brown bat populations, the gered Species Act. Service is committed to quickly reviewing scientifi c information, "The little brown bat is in im- both published and provided by minent danger of extinction in organizations such as these, in Photo: Little brown bat with white- its northeastern core range due assessing the status of little brown nose syndrome. By Al Hicks, New to white-nose syndrome, and bats and other bat species affected York Dept. of Environmental Con- the species is likely in danger by WNS," she said in a prepared servation, courtesy of U.S. Fish & of extinction throughout North statement. Wildlife Service America," Boston University biologist Thomas H. Kunz said in So what would adding the little the conservation groups behind the a prepared statement. Earlier this brown bat to the endangered spe- emergency request. Her answer is year, Kunz published a study that cies list actually do for the spe- long, but worth reproducing in full: predicted the little brown bat's cies? I asked Mollie Matteson, extinction within 16 to 20 years. conservation advocate at the Cen- First of all, listing means that the Kunz and fellow BU bat scientist ter for Biological Diversity, one of federal government is required to take conservation measures to pre- ment of a recovery plan. This is vent harm, and support recovery. a "map" for how the species will Without listing, there are few reg- be protected and nurtured back to ulatory mechanisms to compel the a stable, healthy population level. government to pro-actively protect The attached paper also addresses and restore particular species. It how species with recovery plans is especially important to have fare better than those without. this tool for species conservation when the species is controversial, Fifth, species listing simply puts obscure, or underappreciated, or more of a spotlight on the plight when protecting the species could of a particular species, and in this inconvenience someone or cost way, helps to garner more concern money. The law provides a means about its survival, and more atten- of protecting those (in this case, tion to its needs. Increased public imperiled species) that would awareness is an important benefi t otherwise have no "voice" in our of species' listing. political and legal system. Meanwhile, a new study published Second, this accountability means this month in the journal BMC that the government must show Biology reveals more about why what it is doing to protect the spe- WNS is so deadly. It found that cies, and in order to take action, the WNS fungus is disrupting the usually some amount of resources skin membranes on bats' wings, must be devoted to the effort. and with it many bodily functions Listing usually brings funding for critical to the animals' survival conservation measures. In the case during hibernation. "A bat's wings of the little brown bat, one of the are obviously critical for fl ying, most pressing needs is research on but they also play a vital part in white-nose syndrome, and to date, essential functions such as body this has been inadequately funded, temperature, blood pressure, water at best. balance and blood and gas circula- tion and exchange," lead author Third, critical habitat for the spe- Carol Meteyer with the U.S. Geo- cies is usually designated. Species logical Service National Wildlife need places to forage, reproduce, Health Center told the Albany and carry out other vital aspects Times Union. The study found of their life cycle. In the case of that WNS has many similarities to the little brown bat and other bat the deadly chytrid fungus that is species affected by white-nose devastating amphibian populations syndrome, they need safe places around the world. to hibernate. Designation of criti- cal habitat for the little brown bat Can the little brown bat be saved would protect crucial sites for from this killer fungus and eventu- its survival and recovery. As the al extinction? Only time will tell. attached paper describes, critical habitat is a great aid to species' recovery.

Fourth, listing of a species is often followed by the develop-