Bats of New Hampshire
A new threat to New Hampshire's bats: White Nose Syndrome
Photo: Al Hicks, New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Hibernating bats are suffering from a new, mostly fatal syndrome called White Nose Syndrome (WNS). It was discovered in the winter of 2006-7 in 4 caves in New York. This past winter (2007-8), WNS was found in caves in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Most hibernating New Hampshire bats hibernate in these other states. Bats banded in Peterborough, N.H. were found dead of WNS in a cave in Vermont and a mine in New York. From earlier banding, we know that the Peterborough bats also hibernate in one of the New York caves that has been affected by the syndrome.
In some caves in New York and Vermont, up to 97% of bats have died from WNS. WNS seems to have the biggest impact on the little brown bat, which is common in N.H. The Eastern small-footed bat (state endangered in NH) has also been affected, as have all hibernating bat species. We don't yet know what causes WNS, and we don't know what effect losing all these bats might have on our insect populations. A dozen research labs are currently studying WNS and trying to learn more about what it is, how it is transmitted, how to prevent it, and so forth.
CLICK HERE for the latest on WNS from the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
What you can do
If you have bats roosting in your barn or shed and can leave them there so they can breed, that would be very helpful. If you would allow a researcher to come study the bats in your barn or shed, please contact Emily Brunkhurst at emily.brunkhurst@wildlife.nh.gov.
Bat Aid - build a bag! – Bat researchers need bags to hold the bats while they are banding them. This year (May 2008), they need a clean cloth bag for every bat they handle – so we need LOTS of bat holding bags. Do you sew? Download these instructions (PDF, 230 KB) and please sew and send us as many bags as you can! On behalf of the bats and the researchers...Thanks!
If you see a sick or dead bat, contact Emily Brunkhurst at emily.brunkhurst@wildlife.nh.gov.
DO NOT HANDLE ANY BAT, DEAD OR ALIVE, WITHOUT THICK GLOVES.
Related articles:
Mysterious Ailment Could Wipe Out U.S. Northeast Bats (PDF, 39 KB) By Brian Handwerk, National Geographic News, May 14, 2008
'What are these bats telling us about the environment we
live in?'
Labs race to unravel deadly illness that may have broader impact. (PDF, 28 KB) By Beth Daley, Boston Globe, May 4, 2008 |
New Hampshire is home to 8 species of bats. The first 6 in this list are "of conservation concern":
- Eastern red bat
- Silver-haired bat
- Northern myotis
- Eastern pipistrelle
- Hoary bat
- Eastern small-footed bat (state endangered)
- Little brown bat
- Big brown bat
For more about New Hampshire's bats, click here to download Batting 4,000 (PDF, 928 KB) by bat researcher Dr. Scott Reynolds, from the Sept./Oct. 2007 issue of N.H. Wildlife Journal magazine.
Bats in Need of Conservation
The bat species in the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan include three that use the foliage of trees for maternal roosts, two that use cavities in trees, and one that uses rock crevices. Three overwinter in caves or mines, and the others migrate to southern states.
For more information on N.H. bats in need of conservation, click here to download the Mammals section of the Wildlife Action Plan (PDF, 1.8 MB).
Summer breeding
Eastern red bats and silver-haired bats roost in taller, more mature trees, while Northern myotis bats need older forests surrounding them. The Wildlife Action Plan lists increasing the amount of late successional or old-growth forests as an important strategy to protect these and other species. Since all the tree-roosting species, including the Eastern pipistrelle and hoary bat, seem to return to the same roosts summer after summer, the loss and fragmentation of the forests can severely diminish their populations by removing the all-important maternity roosts. None of these bats produces many young per year – between one and three are born, but not all make it to maturity.
Eastern small-footed bats spend the summer in rock crevices, in rocky outcrops. Some human-made structures like dams and riprap slopes can provide habitat, but measures must be taken to avoid harming the bats during routine maintenance of those structures.
Winter hibernacula
Eastern pipistrelles, Northern myotis, little brown bats and state-endangered Eastern small-footed bats hibernate in caves or mines. They are highly vulnerable during winter, surviving only on the fat they have stored in their bodies. Spelunkers – people who explore caves – may not even see the bats, but can easily disturb them with lights and noise. Even casual visitors to caves in the winter have a big impact, because the disturbance causes bats to use up precious stored energy.
Other threats
The three migrating bats – Eastern red bats, hoary bats and silver-haired bats – are exposed to many obstacles during their migration. A new and emerging threat is the rotating blades of wind turbines on top of ridges, since bats and other migrating species follow rising air above ridgelines for flying ease.
For more information on bats in New Hampshire, contact Emily Brunkhurst at emily.brunkhurst@wildlife.nh.gov. |
