The conclusion from our last field season is that White-nose Syndrome (WNS) is spreading rapidly in New Brunswick.
By the time we finished our final cave visits in April, 9 of the province’s 11 caves that we visited were visibly infected (3 of the ‘caves’ are actually abandoned mines). Of the 2 that looked clean, one has never had a bat in it, at least to our knowledge, and the other cave actually tested positive for Geomyces destructans, the fungus that causes WNS, from the swabs I took from bats in the cave.
According to my estimates, a minimum of 6,300 bats have died in New Brunswick because of WNS since it was first discovered in the province in 2011.
Our work continues to focus on looking at the culture samples we took from the caves. So far we have found 50 different types of fungi on bats from the past winter.
[PHOTO CREDIT: KAREN VANDERWOLF/NB MUSEUM]
Note the white fungal growth on the bat’s muzzles.
[PHOTO CREDIT: KAREN VANDERWOLF/NB MUSEUM]
You can see the white fungal growth on the bat’s wings.
[PHOTO CREDIT: KAREN VANDERWOLF/NB MUSEUM]
Again, note the white fungal growth on the bat’s muzzle.
Karen Vanderwolf
Karen has been interested in the natural world for as long as she can remember, and she always knew her career would take her into the field of biology. Karen received her Masters of Science at the University of New Brunswick, where she studied bats and the pre-white-nose syndrome fungal flora that occurs on them. She completed her Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in biology at the University of Western Ontario. Karen has previously worked with Ontario Parks, performing plant and salamander field work; assisted in preparations for a Karner Blue Butterfly reintroduction; and worked with Swift Foxes, Wood Turtles and waterfowl.
