NorthJersey.com: Fungus kills off 90% of N.J. bats


This bat died of white nose syndrome in an abandoned mine in Rosendale, N.Y., in January.
Photo credit: NorthJersey.com

A fungus has killed off about 90 percent of the state's bat population, according to scientists who recently conducted a count of hibernating bats. The devastation was shocking in the largest hibernation spot for bats in New Jersey - Morris County's Hibernia Mine. As many as 30,000 bats normally spend the winter, but a recent count found only about 1,700 alive - and many of those showed signs of infection, said Mick Valent, principal zoologist with the state's Endangered and Non-game Species Program. “The results we had from Hibernia Mine were certainly not good news,” Valent said.

Posted by WILDNEWJERSEY at 4/5/2010 1:00 PM
Categories: Bats
Tags: bat new jersey fungus white-nose syndrome
 

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