Bats Magazine – White Nose Syndrome in Texas
White-nose Syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that has killed millions of North American bats in the past decade. WNS disrupts natural hibernation cycles, causing bats to die from the disease during winter. The fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, often called “Pd,” grows in cold, dark, damp places where bats hibernate, causing a white fuzz on their faces. The fungus rouses bats from their torpor, causing them to burn the fat they need to survive the winter and decimating entire populations of bats. WNS currently impacts bats in 40 states, including Texas. There’s no known cure, although scientists are studying how it spreads in the hopes of controlling it.