texascavers Digest 8 Mar 2009 20:50:19 -0000 Issue 721
Topics (messages 10310 through 10320):
disappearing bats
10310 by: Mixon Bill
Re: heaters for bats
10311 by: Diana Tomchick
10312 by: Jim Kennedy
10313 by: Diana Tomchick
10314 by: Mark.Alman.l-3com.com
10315 by: wa5pok.peoplepc.com
Re: Texas bats
10316 by: Jim Kennedy
10317 by: wa5pok.peoplepc.com
Scientist study rare Alabama cave fish :
10318 by: JerryAtkin.aol.com
Re: Follow-up to 'cave house for sale'
10319 by: Mike Flannigan
Death in our comunity
10320 by: bob cowell
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--- Begin Message ---
"For other species, even the common cave myotis,
entire cave populations could be disappearing and we wouldn't even
know."
I agree, but that's not a very good statement about the environmental
importance of bats....
--Mixon
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benefactor the world has yet known. - Sir Richard Burton
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--- Begin Message ---
Actually, there has been quite a bit of recent research about the
white fungus found on bats, and it's been published. Please see the
following article published in Science:
Originally published in Science Express on 30 October 2008
Science 9 January 2009:
Vol. 323. no. 5911, p. 227
DOI: 10.1126/science.1163874
Bat White-Nose Syndrome: An Emerging Fungal Pathogen?
David S. Blehert,1* Alan C. Hicks,2 Melissa Behr,3
Carol U. Meteyer,1 Brenda M. Berlowski-Zier,1Elizabeth L. Buckles,4
Jeremy T. H. Coleman,5 Scott R. Darling,6 Andrea Gargas,7 Robyn Niver,
5Joseph C. Okoniewski,2 Robert J. Rudd,3 Ward B. Stone2
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a condition associated with an
unprecedented bat mortality event in the northeastern United States.
Since the winter of 2006*2007, bat declines exceeding 75% have been
observed at surveyed hibernacula. Affected bats often present with
visually striking white fungal growth on their muzzles, ears, and/or
wing membranes. Direct microscopy and culture analyses demonstrated
that the skin of WNS-affected bats is colonized by a psychro-philic
fungus that is phylogeneticallyrelated to Geomyces spp. but with a
conidial morphology distinct from characterized members of this genus.
This report characterizes the cutaneous fungal infection associated
with WNS.
1 National Wildlife Health Center, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 6006
Schroeder Road, Madison, WI 53711, USA.
2 New York Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway,
Albany, NY 12233, USA.
3 New York Department of Health, Post Office Box 22002, Albany, NY
12201, USA.
4 Cornell University, VRT T6008, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
5 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 3817 Luker Road, Cortland, NY 13045,
USA.
6 Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 271 North Main Street,
Rutland, VT 05701, USA.
7 Symbiology Limited Liability Corporation, Middleton, WI 53562, USA.
Present address: Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, 445
Easterday Lane, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]
Anyone who wishes a copy of this article as a PDF, write to me
personally and I will forward it to you. There are some cool photos of
what the fungus is doing to the poor little critters.
Diana
On Mar 6, 2009, at 9:31 AM, Jim Kennedy wrote:
Absolutely not!!!! Conservation money is in extremely short supply
right now, in this uncertain economy. Bat conservation is an even
lower
funding priority than almost everything else I can think of. One of
the
biggest hurdles in figuring out what is killing off 90% of all the
bats
in the East (and soon, likely, the rest of the country), is the LACK
of
money for necessary research. In fact, some of the very questions
being
asked (such as "Are the bats going in to hibernation with adequate
body
weight, or are they starving even before entering hibernation?" and
"Is
this fungus actually a new species, or is it widespread and just never
identified until now?") are pretty simple baseline types of
information
that we should have been collecting for years, if only we had
unlimited
budgets to do the research to answer those kinds of questions. But
the
reality is that we do not, and will not in the foreseeable future.
Even
in Texas I can't tell you how many bats of what species we have in our
caves, because NO ONE IS DOING THAT RESEARCH. Even for the big,
popular
freetail caves that obviously contribute to our environmental well-
being
as well as our economic health, we only have a rough idea of numbers
and
no clue about whether those populations are stable, declining, or
(unlikely) increasing. For other species, even the common cave
myotis,
entire cave populations could be disappearing and we wouldn't even
know.
So whatever efforts are being tried to stem the tide of WNS mortality,
you can bet there is at least a pretty good chance that it has a good
chance of success. We don't have the luxury of trying ideas that we
know are foolish.
Jim "Crash" Kennedy
Cave Resources Specialist
Bat Conservation International
... and passionate lover of all caves and their contents
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Bentley-Webmail [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2009 8:35 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] RE: heaters for bats
I think it is more about feeling good, than actually doing good...
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Diana R. Tomchick
Associate Professor
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Department of Biochemistry
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Rm. ND10.214B
Dallas, TX 75390-8816, U.S.A.
Email: [email protected]
214-645-6383 (phone)
214-645-6353 (fax)
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
No problem, Bill. I wasn't singling you out. But WNS, and bat
conservation I general, is a serious business that is increasingly
difficult. It's not a problem to make appropriate jokes, as humor can
ease tensions in these stressful situations. But to insinuate that the
suggestions being made are frivolous just made me realize that I haven't
been spreading the bat word very well around my fellow cavers. I mean,
BCI (and me) are right here in Texas, yet I often overlook my role in
providing the educational outreach with all the other crises that are
going on. What I really need to do is to forward more news releases and
so on to CaveTex, and write more little awareness emails myself.
-- Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Bentley [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2009 1:05 PM
To: Jim Kennedy
Subject: Re: heaters for bats
Sorry Jim I did not intend to make anyone mad... Me thinks I should have
kept my mouth shut...Foot in mouth disease...
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--- Begin Message ---
Even
in Texas I can't tell you how many bats of what species we have in our
caves, because NO ONE IS DOING THAT RESEARCH. Even for the big,
popular
freetail caves that obviously contribute to our environmental well-
being
as well as our economic health, we only have a rough idea of numbers
and
no clue about whether those populations are stable, declining, or
(unlikely) increasing.
Given the relatively high number of cavers in Texas and the relatively
low numbers of publicly accessible caves, wouldn't it be possible to
put some of those cavers to use as volunteers for bat monitoring?
I'd love to do this kind of volunteer work, but I don't know who to
contact in the bat research field. Maybe someone at BCI would know?
Diana
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Diana R. Tomchick
Associate Professor
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Department of Biochemistry
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Rm. ND10.214B
Dallas, TX 75390-8816, U.S.A.
Email: [email protected]
214-645-6383 (phone)
214-645-6353 (fax)
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
This sounds like a great project idea, Jim!
Is there anything like this occurring?
Is this something the TSA could get involved in?
Sounds like a great program at the Convention, huh, Diane?
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: Diana Tomchick [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2009 1:38 PM
To: Jim Kennedy
Cc: Bill Bentley-Webmail; [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] RE: heaters for bats
> Even
> in Texas I can't tell you how many bats of what species we have in our
> caves, because NO ONE IS DOING THAT RESEARCH. Even for the big,
> popular
> freetail caves that obviously contribute to our environmental well-
> being
> as well as our economic health, we only have a rough idea of numbers
> and
> no clue about whether those populations are stable, declining, or
> (unlikely) increasing.
Given the relatively high number of cavers in Texas and the relatively
low numbers of publicly accessible caves, wouldn't it be possible to
put some of those cavers to use as volunteers for bat monitoring?
I'd love to do this kind of volunteer work, but I don't know who to
contact in the bat research field. Maybe someone at BCI would know?
Diana
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Diana R. Tomchick
Associate Professor
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Department of Biochemistry
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Rm. ND10.214B
Dallas, TX 75390-8816, U.S.A.
Email: [email protected]
214-645-6383 (phone)
214-645-6353 (fax)
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--- Begin Message ---
Contact Meg Goodwin with the TPWD. She is the Texas Bat
Biologist. Even in here Houston there are several known bat roosts
that are monitored regularly by volunteers including me and some of
my students. There are two roosts within 3 miles of my home and
school.
There is also an educational program contained in a hugh foot
locker available to schools. Something fun is sit around with a "bat
detector." This one I use with an external speaker added to it.
http://home.netcom.com/~t-rex/BatDetector.html
I tell my neighbors it is an "Alien Detector." Let the fun begin.
Later, ~F~
> > Even
> > in Texas I can't tell you how many bats of what species we have in
> > our caves, because NO ONE IS DOING THAT RESEARCH. Even for the big,
> > popular freetail caves that obviously contribute to our
> > environmental well- being as well as our economic health, we only
> > have a rough idea of numbers and no clue about whether those
> > populations are stable, declining, or (unlikely) increasing.
>
> Given the relatively high number of cavers in Texas and the relatively
> low numbers of publicly accessible caves, wouldn't it be possible to
> put some of those cavers to use as volunteers for bat monitoring?
>
> I'd love to do this kind of volunteer work, but I don't know who to
> contact in the bat research field. Maybe someone at BCI would know?
>
> Diana
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> Diana R. Tomchick
> Associate Professor
> University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
> Department of Biochemistry
> 5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
> Rm. ND10.214B
> Dallas, TX 75390-8816, U.S.A.
> Email: [email protected]
> 214-645-6383 (phone)
> 214-645-6353 (fax)
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail:
> [email protected] For additional commands,
> e-mail: [email protected]
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Meg has not worked for TPWD for about 2 years now.
________________________________
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Fri 3/6/2009 6:06 PM
To: TSA Cavers
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] RE: heaters for bats
Contact Meg Goodwin with the TPWD. She is the Texas Bat Biologist.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Thanks Jim, too bad, she is a great person. I have an alternative
person to contact for the lastest info. I'll get on that.
Later, ~F~
>
> Meg has not worked for TPWD for about 2 years now.
>
>
>
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Fri 3/6/2009 6:06 PM
> To: TSA Cavers
> Subject: Re: [Texascavers] RE: heaters for bats
>
> Contact Meg Goodwin with the TPWD. She is the Texas Bat Biologist.
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Cave home to one of world's rarest fish
By _Dennis Sherer_ (mailto:[email protected])
Staff Writer
Published: Friday, March 6, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 11:10 p.m.
There are lots of caves around the world, but only one where the Alabama
cavefish lives.
Key Cave, which overlooks Pickwick Lake, is the only place on Earth where the
small, colorless fish has been found.
Scientists from around the Southeast descended into the limestone cave west
of Florence on Thursday, searching for Alabama cavefish and other aquatic a
nimals.
While high water levels in the cave caused by last week's rain made it
difficult for scientists to dive in the cave's pools, they were able to locate
two
Alabama cave fish and several cave crayfish.
"The water in the cave is up about three feet. The cave passages are narrow
at the top, and when the water is this high, there's not much room left to
snorkel," said Bernie Kahajda, collections manager for the Department of
Biological Sciences, Biodiversity and Systematics, at the University of Alabama
in
Tuscaloosa. He spent more than an hour diving in the chilly water of the
cave's pools.
The recent rain also clouded the water in the cave, making it more difficult
to spot the cavefish. The fish Kuhajda spotted escaped into the murky depths
before he could capture them.
Just seeing the two Alabama cavefish was cause for optimism among the
scientists. The Alabama cavefish, which is listed as a critically endangered
species by the U.S, Fish and Wildlife Service, is one of the rarest fish in the
world.
While unsure how many Alabama cavefish live in Key Cave, some scientists
estimate there are fewer than 100. Kadhajda said no more than 10 have ever been
found during a single visit to the cave.
"We're not sure if the population is 50, 100 or 1,000," Kadhajda said. "We
just don't know."
Rob Hurt, a biologist for Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur, which
oversees Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge, said about 12,000 feet of the
tunnels in Key Cave have been explored, but many passages have not because they
are filled with water. He said geologists are unsure how far the tunnels
stretch.
While additional Alabama cavefish could live in parts of the cave that are
inaccessible to humans or in the aquifer beneath the maze of caverns, Kahajda
suspects most live near the entrance. He said the fish, which have no external
eyes and rely on chemical sensors along their bodies to locate food and
other cavefish, feed on tiny aquatic animals that live in the cave's pools.
The
small crustaceans that provide food for the fish and crayfish feed on bacteria
that grows on feces of bats that live in the cave.
"The bats are a main input of energy for the cave. One of our main concerns
is that if anything ever happened to the colony of gray bats, it could disrupt
the food chain of the cave," Kahajda said.
A chain-link fence around the mouth of the cave helps protects the bats and
fish. The cave is not open to the public.
Additional risks are urban sprawl and chemical spills around the many
sinkholes in the area that drain into the cave.
Tennessee Valley Authority biologist Damien Simbeck said if some chemicals
made their way into the cave's pools, it could affect the cavefish's ability to
feed and reproduce.
"The chemicals could throw off their system and they would not be able to
find food or each other," he said.
In addition, if the woodlands and fields in the area around the cave were
bulldozed and paved, it could reduce the amount of water draining into the
caverns and harm the fish, Kahajda said.
Kahajda said there is no reason to ban development around the cave, but it
needs to be monitored. He said building a subdivision equipped with a storm
sewer system near the cave could harm the cave's pools. But building a
subdivision where rain water was allowed to flow and drain naturally would not
be a
major threat.
"You can still have development. It just needs to be smart development."
The 1,060-acre Key Cave Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1997, helps
protect the cave from pollution and development. Several of the cave's known
passages lie beneath the refuge.
_http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090306/ARTICLES/903065026/1011/NEWS?Title
=Cave-home-to-one-of-world-s-rarest-fish_
(http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090306/ARTICLES/903065026/1011/NEWS?Title=Cave-home-to-one-of-world-s-rarest-
fish)
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Maybe it was a bad idea to live in a mine
in the first place.
I could be wrong, but I predict that house
will be gone within 20 years. There will be
another house built just outside the mine.
Maybe then the mine space will be used for
something it's better suited for.
People figured out thousands or millions of
years ago that, while it has some advantages,
there are disadvantages to living in a cave
(or mine).
Mike
On Mon, 2 Mar 2009, [email protected] wrote:
>
>They've put it back up for sale on eBay. Maybe NSS should buy it and
move their headquarters there.
>
>http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=18244526>1=35000
>
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On Friday Margaret Bamberger died in her sleep. Margart wife of J David
Bamberger (Selah Ranch, home of the first man made cave designed to research
bats.) Margaret underwent a long boute of cancer, never ending the fight. She
had a treatment and came home to sleep never awakening. Margaret will be buried
in a green funeral on the ranch with the imediate family in attendence. Please
no flowers anyone may send donations to the ranch care of the Margaret
Bamberger Educational Fund.This hyper link is Margarets have a look leave your
comments. She was a great lady and a good friend http://brp-journal.blogspot.com
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