These Bats Mysteriously Survived a Killer Fungus | National Geographic

in Pennsylvania were looking at about a

in Pennsylvania were looking at about a 99.9 percent decline of all of our cave

99.9 percent decline of all of our cave

99.9 percent decline of all of our cave hibernating bats most of that is from

hibernating bats most of that is from

hibernating bats most of that is from the little brown bat which is our most

the little brown bat which is our most

the little brown bat which is our most common bat in the state prior to white

common bat in the state prior to white

common bat in the state prior to white nose syndrome this fungus actually

nose syndrome this fungus actually

nose syndrome this fungus actually digests the live cells of the bats

digests the live cells of the bats

digests the live cells of the bats primarily in the wings and causes these

primarily in the wings and causes these

primarily in the wings and causes these bats to arouse more frequently than they

bats to arouse more frequently than they

bats to arouse more frequently than they should which depletes their energy

should which depletes their energy

should which depletes their energy stores to make it through the whole

stores to make it through the whole

stores to make it through the whole winter hibernating and that ensues with

winter hibernating and that ensues with

winter hibernating and that ensues with mortality at that point

and so we really kind of switched our

and so we really kind of switched our focus here to survivors specifically

focus here to survivors specifically

focus here to survivors specifically with the UV technique we had been

with the UV technique we had been

with the UV technique we had been working on yep

so you get a batwing

so you get a batwing but you don’t see anything with with

but you don’t see anything with with

but you don’t see anything with with light light you see no visible damage

light light you see no visible damage

light light you see no visible damage but you see it with UV light and as you

but you see it with UV light and as you

but you see it with UV light and as you can see when they’re first infected

can see when they’re first infected

can see when they’re first infected they’re just heavily heavily infected

they’re just heavily heavily infected

they’re just heavily heavily infected all that yellow orange color across all

all that yellow orange color across all

all that yellow orange color across all of that when use infection

we started tracking the populations

we started tracking the populations across time seven on the tragus and

across time seven on the tragus and

across time seven on the tragus and we’re seeing for some reason that

we’re seeing for some reason that

we’re seeing for some reason that there’s less infection occurring and we

there’s less infection occurring and we

there’s less infection occurring and we don’t know if that is because of the

don’t know if that is because of the

don’t know if that is because of the bats learning ways to avoid it you know

bats learning ways to avoid it you know

bats learning ways to avoid it you know microflora on the bats wings are

microflora on the bats wings are

microflora on the bats wings are increasing resistance if the bats

increasing resistance if the bats

increasing resistance if the bats themselves are increasing resistance

themselves are increasing resistance

themselves are increasing resistance it’s a variety of reasons why that may

it’s a variety of reasons why that may

it’s a variety of reasons why that may be happening I don’t think there’s

be happening I don’t think there’s

be happening I don’t think there’s anything that’s gonna stop this from

anything that’s gonna stop this from

anything that’s gonna stop this from spreading I think we slowed it down with

spreading I think we slowed it down with

spreading I think we slowed it down with decontamination protocols but bats are

decontamination protocols but bats are

decontamination protocols but bats are gonna spread this from site to site and

gonna spread this from site to site and

gonna spread this from site to site and this will spread to probably all of the

this will spread to probably all of the

this will spread to probably all of the sites in North America where bats

sites in North America where bats

sites in North America where bats hibernate right now our big goal is

hibernate right now our big goal is

hibernate right now our big goal is locating where the survivors are at so

locating where the survivors are at so

locating where the survivors are at so that is the good news we have the

that is the good news we have the

that is the good news we have the survivors we know they’re adapting in

survivors we know they’re adapting in

survivors we know they’re adapting in some ways to deal with this and our

some ways to deal with this and our

some ways to deal with this and our emphasis in the future is likely going

emphasis in the future is likely going

emphasis in the future is likely going to be trying to figure out where these

to be trying to figure out where these

to be trying to figure out where these survivors are hibernating because the

survivors are hibernating because the

survivors are hibernating because the bulk of the places that we monitor we’ve

bulk of the places that we monitor we’ve

bulk of the places that we monitor we’ve seen these massive declines and very few

seen these massive declines and very few

seen these massive declines and very few of them seem to be the places where

of them seem to be the places where

of them seem to be the places where they’re aggregating

they’re aggregating

they’re aggregating we gotta try and find where those

we gotta try and find where those

we gotta try and find where those survivors are at so that we can protect

survivors are at so that we can protect

survivors are at so that we can protect those bats and give them the best chance