"It's caused one of the fastest declines of wildlife that we've seen in the US."
The Atlantic has an update on White Nose Syndrome -- the bat disease first identified in caves in the Capital Region in 2006 -- and it's not good: the disease, caused by a fungus, continues to spread, significantly cutting into bat populations and threatening agriculture (bats eat pests and help pollinate some crops). Even so, attention and funding to fight the problem has been slow to come along -- perhaps because bats have a(n unearned) bad rep.
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Their bad rep is unearned?? Dude, have you ever come face to face with one? Like you're sitting in your apartment minding your own business and one flies into your living room? Happened to us twice. They're essentially flying rats who aren't scard of people the way birds are. And their hissy sounds are so gross it makes nails on a chalkboard sound like Beethoven. Are they essential for the ecosystem and worthy of study? Of course. But they win the gold for nasty. I mean, that's just a FACT.
... said Basset Lady on May 9, 2013 at 11:37 PM | link