Other hypothesis for the different levels of susceptibility among different species include differences in behavior, body size, fat stores, and the micro-biology of their wings and other hairless tissues. In contrast big-brown bats, which can tolerate near-freezing temperatures during hibernation, often hibernate in areas where the fungus does not flourish and have been less affected by the disease. Little brown bats, for example, prefer hibernation locations in the same temperature and moisture conditions conducive to Pd growth and have experienced widespread population declines. One hypothesis is that some species are more vulnerable to WNS because their preferred hibernation locations are most suitable for growth of the fungus. Species vulnerable to WNS experience variable population effects, which biologists are seeking to understand. Other species, including the silver-haired bat and red bat have been documented to have Pd on their bodies, but do not develop the symptoms associated with WNS seen among the vulnerable species. The five species of bats in Iowa that are vulnerable to WNS are those that hibernate in cool, dark places like caves and abandoned mines during winter. Since then, millions of bats in North America have died due to WNS, leading to widespread population declines in some species. The Pd fungus, which scientists now know to be found throughout Eurasia, was first described in 2008 as researchers sought to understand what was causing hundreds of bats with white growth on their hairless noses and wings too die in New York starting in 2006. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease found among North American hibernating bats after they are exposed to the exotic, disease-causing fungus called Pseudogymnoascus destructans, or Pd. Three additional species, little brown bats, big brown bats, and tri-colored bats, are also affected by WNS leading to increased concerned for the health of their populations in Iowa and throughout North America. before their population began to decline after introduction of WNS. The northern long-eared bat was once a relatively common bat in the eastern U.S. The Indiana Bat is an endangered species that has been on the decline throughout its Midwestern range due to habitat loss for many years, and is increasingly threatened by the exotic fungal disease called White-nose Syndrome (WNS). Two of Iowa’s bats species are listed on the federal Endangered Species Act and are therefore the focus of special monitoring and conservation in Iowa. That inconspicuous lifestyle is also the reason many Iowans don’t understand or appreciate bats or know the challenges their populations face. Many bats live alongside Iowans in every county, though they often go unnoticed because of their nocturnal lifestyle.
During winter when insect prey are no longer available, bats disappear from sight, with some species retreating deep into caves or abandoned mine shafts to hibernate, some taking shelter in attics or barns, and others leaving the state entirely to spend the winter in warmer southern climates. Any tight space close to good insect food sources near forest edges, openings, or waterways, invites bats. Mothers raise their young in the foliage of trees, in or on buildings, around transportation infrastructure like bridges, in hollowed out trees, or in rock crevices. Iowa’s bats spend their summers in landscapes with trees generally near water, with some species preferring the interiors of forests and others prone to flying about city lights in search of food. Bats are thus an extremely important part of our ecosystems, helping control populations of problematic insects like beetles, including corn rootworm, and mosquitoes. All of these bat species are aerial insectivores, using their skilled echolocation to hone in on flying insects in forests, fields, and over water. Nine species of bats are found regularly in Iowa’s fields and forests.
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