"Distressing" disease spreading throughout U.S. and Canada, expert says. One of North America's most common bats will go extinct in the northeastern U.S. within two decades if a deadly disease continues to spread unchecked, scientists warn in a new study.Aug 5, 2010
Are bats dying off?
Why are bats dying in North America? An estimated 6.7 million bats have died since 2006 because of an outbreak of white-nose syndrome, a fast-moving disease that has wiped out entire colonies and left caves littered with the bones of dead bats.
Are bats endangered species in the US?
More than half of the bat species in the United States are in severe decline or listed as endangered. In addition to loss of habitat, one of the most dire threat comes from white-nose syndrome, a disease that has decimated bats in the U.S. and Canada.
Can the world survive without bats?
Lonely Planet To lose bats would be to lose 20 percent of the global mammal population. Biodiversity is important for several reasons. Primarily, it is because species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms.
How many bat species are endangered in the US?
In 1994 the federal government designated 24 species or subspecies of bats in the United States (U.S.) and its territories as Category 2 candidates for listing as Endangered or Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
What animal kills bats?
Mammals. A variety of mammals eat bats when they can. Animals such as weasels, minks and raccoons climb into areas where bats roost and eat them while they sleep during the day. These mammals also lie in wait just outside a bat roosting area to pounce on bats as they enter and exit the roost.
What kills a bat?
Bats can be killed by getting hold of them in steel or super glue bat traps. The bats once captured cannot escape from these traps and as a result die of hunger and exhaustion. These traps are available commercially and are used to exterminate Huntsville bats, but this procedure seems inhumane.
Are bats protected in all states?
Are all bats protected? Unfortunately, not all bats are protected by these two US Federal laws. In fact, there are only six species under its protection – The Northern Long-Eared Bat, The Indiana Bat, The Grey Bat, The Florida Bonneted Bat, The Virginia Big-Eared Bat, and the Ozark Big-Eared Bat.
Why are bats protected in the US?
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which regulates the country's Endangered Species program, actually calls bats “misunderstood.” Per the government agency, bats save the U.S. an estimated $1 billion annually on pesticide and crop damage fees, since bats are actually pollinators (fun fact: they are the only species that …
What happens if all bats go extinct?
This could lead to the loss of habitat for other animals, and the slow decrease of rainforest trees. Other forests around the world would start to disappear too. Without these important animals, fruits would be damaged, and without bats to pollinate them, fruits may even disappear from grocery stores.