(from the TPWD website) Facts About White-nose Syndrome and Bats, State Parks and WMAs (June 2010)
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is aware of the serious potential threat posed by white-nose syndrome (WNS) to bat populations in Texas. We are coordinating with partner groups like Bat Conservation International (BCI) and others and taking actions to protect bats in Texas. TPWD plans to continue public viewings of evening bat emergences at sites like Stuart Bat Cave at Kickapoo Cavern State Park, Devils Sinkhole State Natural Area and Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area. But we intend to highly restrict entry into bat caves at TPWD sites. White-nose syndrome has not yet been detected in Texas to our knowledge. We are taking proactive measures to protect bat colonies here, since the syndrome has wiped out entire colonies of hibernating bats at infected sites in other states. WNS "has caused the most precipitous wildlife decline in the past century in North America," according to John Hayes, chairman of the University of Florida Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, a nationally-known bat expert. Since it was discovered in a New York cave in 2006, more than a million hibernating bats of eight species have been killed by the disease in 14 states. Five of these eight species range into Texas, which is home to 50 bat species total. White-nose fungus was confirmed in Oklahoma in May 2010, essentially putting it on Texas' door-step. The syndrome is named for a fungus (Geomyces destructans) typically found on the faces and wings of infected bats. Bats with WNS awaken often during hibernation and use up the stored fat reserves they need to get through the winter. Infected bats often emerge too soon from hibernation and freeze or starve to death. Significantly, so far white-nose syndrome has only affected hibernating bats that overwinter in colder climates. Most Texas bat species are migratory. This includes Brazilian free-tailed bats at the Congress Avenue bridge in Austin, who winter in Mexico. It is thus possible that Texas bats may be less vulnerable, but WNS is not thoroughly understood. Congress has allocated research funding to better understand it, and BCI is also focusing considerable attention on researching the syndrome. There is evidence that humans moving from infected bat caves and roosts can transport white-nose fungus, though bats also appear to spread it among colonies and roosts. Authorities are working with cavers, bat researchers, pest control agents and others, and taking steps to reduce potential human transmission of WNS vectors. Texas, including the cave-rich Edwards Plateau region in the central Hill Country, is one of North America's most important regions for bats. Texas has more public bat-viewing locations than any other state. That includes the largest known bat colony in the world, Bracken Cave near San Antonio. Our state also boasts the USA�s most famous urban bat colony, the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin. Bats are highly beneficial in several ways. Several bat species are important pollinators for native wild plants and for some cultivated crops. Bats also control insect pests and support nature tourism that benefits local economies across Texas. Recent research shows most Texas bat species eat large amounts of agricultural insect pests, saving farmers millions of dollars. In a 2006 article in the scientific journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, university researchers reported bats provided almost $1.7 million in avoided yield loss and avoided pesticide costs for cotton grown in the eight-county study region around Uvalde. Scientists say bat insect control benefits farmers up into the Midwest and Canada, and that this shows the need to protect large bat colonies and promote public education and bat ecotourism. Bats are worth millions of dollars in nature tourism to Texas communities. According to Bat Conservation International, an estimated more than 100,000 people visit the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin each year to witness the summer season evening bat flights, generating $10 million dollars in tourism revenue annually. More information about white-nose syndrome and bats is on the Bat Conservation International Web site (http://www.batcon.org). ____________________________________________________________ PMP Certification Prep 100% Online PMP Exam Prep course from Villanova University. Learn More. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/4c0e5308c04ef26a027st06vuc --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
