The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking Pennsylvanians for their help with an emerging threat to wildlife health. PGC biologists are seeking assistance in a regional monitoring effort to collect data on bat maternity.
The monitoring is in response to record numbers of hibernating bats that are dying from White-Nose Syndrome in the northeastern United States, including Pennsylvania. The syndrome is named for the white fungus evident on the muzzles and wings of affected bats.
"WNS primarily kills during the winter, but the true impact of WNS on bat populations cannot be determined using estimates from winter hibernacula alone," said Calvin Butchkoski, PGC wildlife biologist, in a prepared statement. "Pennsylvanians can help us more fully gauge the impact of WNS on the landscape by hosting a bat count this summer. We are especially urging people who have ever conducted a bat count for the Game Commission in the past to redo a count this year."
The two most common bat species in Pennsylvania are the little brown bat and the big brown bat. Both are threatened by the disease. They typically roost in buildings, abandoned houses, barns, church steeples and sometimes in occupied structures.
Monitoring these bat maternity colonies enables biologists to understand how bat populations are faring from year to year.
Summer colonies can be monitored by conducting a "bat count." Participants count bats as they exit their summer roost at dusk in early and late summer, to see how the colony has grown as pups begin flying.
A multi-state wildlife grant was awarded and is being administered by the PGC to investigate and respond to WNS. As part of this project, the Appalachian Bat Count contributes to a nationwide effort to collect data during summer months through maternity colony monitoring, wing assessments and acoustic sampling.
To obtain applications and information on how to participate, visit www.pgc.state.pa.us and click on "Wildlife" in the menu bar at the top of the homepage, scroll down and choose "Pennsylvania Bats" in the Mammal section, and then click on "Appalachian Bat Count" in the Reference listing.
First Published: July 3, 2011, 4:00 a.m.
