Friday, August 6th, 2010

Bad Days for Bats

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Bats across the northeastern United States are dying and no one knows why. We visit an abandoned mine in upstate New York, one of the largest bat hibernation spots in the Northeast, with several bat researchers looking for clues. (Credits: Music by SYNTHAR - www.synthar.com. Images courtesy of FWS, Al Hicks, NY Department of Environmental Conservation. Filmed and Produced by Flora Lichtman) Viewed 13513 times. See More Videos

The 'White Nose Syndrome' disease affecting bat populations has put one species of bat at risk of 'regional extinction' within the next 20 years. Writing in the journal Science, researchers report that the little brown myotis could become extinct in the northeastern United States within the next 16 to 20 years or so. The little brown myotis once was among the most common bat species in North America. We'll get an update on the spread of White Nose Syndrome, and talk about the future of bat populations.

Guests

Winifred Frick
Post-doctoral fellow
Boston University
University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California

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Segment produced by:Christopher Intagliata

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Image: Bats in the Northeast are under attack by a mysterious illness called White Nose Syndrome.
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Image: Bats in the Northeast are under attack by a mysterious illness called White Nose Syndrome.
$relatedimages[storys].alttext
Image: Bats in the Northeast are under attack by a mysterious illness called White Nose Syndrome.
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