Abstract
Since its 2009 detection in Virginia hibernacula, the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans causing White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has had a marked impact on cave bats locally. From 2008-2013, we documented numeric and physiologic changes in cave bats through fall swarm (FS), early hibernation (EH), and late hibernation (LH) capture and banding surveys at 18 hibernacula in western Virginia. We coupled active surveys with passive biennial winter counts in 2009, 2011, and 2013. We compared individual body mass index (BMI) across years for FS, EH, and LH hibernation to determine if WNS impacts on extant bats would be manifested by changes in body condition (as anecdotally observed elsewhere for WNS-impacted bats) as well as a population reduction. To estimate percent declines in bat presence or relative activity, we used FS capture per-unit-effort data, and the winter hibernacula absolute counts. We captured 4,524 bats of eight species, with species-specific capture success declining by 75-100% post-WNS. Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) exhibited the greatest declines in winter hibernacula counts (AVG. = 99.0% decline), followed by tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus; 89.5% decline) and Indiana bats (M. sodalis; 33.5% decline). Graphical analyses of captures-per-trap-hour in FS showed declines for little brown bats, tri-colored bats, and northern long-eared bats (M. septentrionalis), but suggest a modest rebound of Indiana bat numbers. Fall swarm trends in BMI suggested some drops post-WNS exposure, but these trends were not consistent across sexes or seasonal time blocks. Our inconclusive BMI metrics and little brown bat band recapture data suggest little competitive advantage or selection for surviving bats. Lesser (but apparent) declines in Indiana bat numbers mirrors trends seen elsewhere regionally, and band recoveries do show that some individuals are persisting. Additional surveys will determine if bats in Virginia will persist or face extirpation due to presumed low recruitment and survivorship. Key words: Bat, hibernaculum, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, Virginia, white-nose syndrome.
Highlights
White-nose Syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by the fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has caused the collapse of some bat populations in the eastern United States (Blehert et al, 2009; Frick et al., 2010; Lorch et al, 2011; Turner et al, 2011)
In comparing 2013 counts to average pre-WNS counts, little brown bats declined by 99.0%, tri-colored bats by
When we examined hibernaculum counts using localized regression, declines in little brown bats were evident from 2009 to 2013, and absolute declines were noted in the tri-colored bat and the Indiana bat (Figure 1)
Summary
White-nose Syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by the fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has caused the collapse of some bat populations in the eastern United States (Blehert et al, 2009; Frick et al., 2010; Lorch et al, 2011; Turner et al, 2011). Since its detection in New York in 2006, total bat mortaliy associated. With this pathogen is estimated at approximately 6 million individuals (USFWS, 2013). In Virginia, WNS was first documented in three hibernacula in the Ridge and Valley province (Bath and Giles counties) in February
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