USGS announces cause for WNS

[BrianC]

Each experiment is like a little arrow indicating an answer to a larger question, and it is our job (you, me, all interested people; not just Dr. Blehert's or Dr. Barton's job) to figure out which which way most of the arrows are pointing. Put in context with all the data regarding the pattern of spread, the history of the outbreak, and what we DO and DON'T know, this arrow reinforces a hypothesis that WNS is harder to spread than what some people may think. A hypothesis and an opinion. Not a theory, and definitely NOT an established fact. Someday... if we're lucky.

Some very good thinking indeed Dean! In perspective many folks have every bit as much intellect (if not more) than those with Phd. before their name, just that they have pursued other avenues with their lives. Those same individuals can give insight into reality, that can be very meaningful if observed. Or NOT!

[PYoungbaer]

One state biologist's perspective on the formal announcement:

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20111109/NEWS03/711099920

[BrianC]

One state biologist's perspective on the formal announcement:

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20111109/NEWS03/711099920

While Mr. Herzog said he and his team had investigated potential contaminants and reduced food supplies, neither could fully explain the deaths.

Carl J. Herzog, DEC wildlife biologist in Albany, said the announcement confirmed what local researchers had suspected for the past few years.

The test did not explain the deaths, as I don't think any of the bats submitting for this test have died! The result from this test does show that Gd is spread from bat to bat though!

Bats with WNS have been nurtured back to full health without mortality.

[Cheryl Jones]

In the meantime, Mr. Herzog said, researchers have reached “dead ends” in their efforts to handle the illness.

“It’s going to be up to the bats,” Mr. Herzog said.

And not up to the cavers!

[Buford]

I have today (Monday the 14th) corresponded with Dr. Jeff Gore with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) re WNS and hibernating bats in Florida’s Panhandle. That region contains two caves known to be cold traps and bat hibernaria, one of which is used by the gray bat and the other by tricolored bats. He recorded temperatures last winter of less than 10 C for an extended period, “easily cold enough for Geomyces to flourish.” He also writes, “it appears that the impact of WNS is influenced not just by cave temperature but by the duration of hibernation.” He is hopeful that Florida’s short hibernation period plus the relative scarcity of cold caves will stave off WNS in the Sunshine State.

He has also offered to send me an early copy of a paper on the status of the gray bat that contains some temperature data, plus keep me apprised of FWC’s temperature data via occasional short summaries. As he does so, I will pass this information along to the NSS caving community. In the meantime, please use your FL caving kit only in FL, and do not bring kit from other areas into FL. And, it’s always a good idea to avoid roosting bats whenever possible, particularly during winter and the April – June maternity season. Thanks!

The take-away from this is that gray bats (and possibly tricolored bats) will migrate into FL caves from WNS-affected areas and that they will bring Gd to FL, but that our short winters may or may not be sufficiently long enough for WNS to kill FL bats.