‘Spooky,” says Northeastern student James DiBurro.
“Mysterious,” says his friend Ghalia Ammar.
“Terrifying,” adds Zoey Chao.
They’re talking about bats, animals they associate with Halloween and vampires. Boston native, Mariam Jameel explains, “We barely hear about them, we don’t see them on social media, like we do penguins or pandas. Those are really cute animals that eat and walk funny— but with bats, there’s a question mark.” On the contrary, Dr. Kate Langwig, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Virginia Tech says, bats are “survivors” who are smart and persistent. She admires how they have evolved to fly, as well as the ability to coexist with humans. Langwig explains that these animals actually provide important benefits to us and the environment, such as reducing the number of insects. According to a study by MassWildlife, up to 15 tons of insects are eaten by the big brown bats who live along Route 128.
White Nose Syndrome
Dr. Aryn Wilder, a researcher at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, explains, "Insectivorous bats are known to eat the equivalent of their body weight in insects during the summer, including human and agricultural pests. Some species are important pollinators… and frugivorous bats provide seed dispersing ecosystem services." Bats serve a critical purpose to our environment, but because of disease and actions taken by humans, we might not be receiving the benefits they present to us. A fungal disease called White Nose Syndrome that was first discovered in a cave in New York in 2006, has caused the bat population to dwindle. Bats common to Boston, such as the Little Brown Bats, are currently recorded as endangered in Massachusetts. It is clear when bats have this disease, as they appear to have a white powdered dusting around their noses. According to MassWildlife, the syndrome has killed an estimated 6.7 million bats since 2016. Wilder reveals that White Nose Syndrome affects bats during hibernation, especially those that hibernate in caves. Bats lower their body temperatures according to their environment, and because of this action, their metabolic functions become weak, which makes them “susceptible to the fungus, [eventually] disrupting their hibernation cycles and physiological balance.”
What can we do to help?
During the summer, colonies of bats may be found roosting in trees, farms and, on occasion, attics. Although having bats in your home is not ideal, Wilder suggests that it is best if we generate as little pressure on these animals as possible. Creating bat houses as summer roosts can be very helpful in easing such impacts from White Nose Syndrome on bats. Langwig says, “Giving them an alternative place to go is great.” She mentions that these installations need to be 12 to 20 feet above the ground and should be painted black to absorb heat to keep bat babies warm. She adds that the most important aspect of building these bat homes is to be very careful when excluding them, so that they do not trap mothers and their young. Having these alternatives can be helpful. According to Wilder, bats are not able to recover as fast as other animals. Because they only have one pup per year, their population growth does not catch up to the massive decline of from White Nose Syndrome. Small efforts in aiding these creatures can add up to a big change in the survival of their species.
Despite this hurdle, Langwig still believes that they are intelligent, ultimate survivors that are capable of withstanding any event that may come in front of them. Instead of being frightened, it is more valuable if we reverse our negative thinking of bats and try our best to aid them. Presented with the benefits bats bring to the environment, Mariam Jameel reconsidered: “I would support the idea of helping them…. It’s like a web– if one species of an animal dies, it can negatively affect another species, leading to a downward spiral in the environment.” Ghalia Ammar exclaimed, “I’m all for it.”
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