Threatened Bat Species in Vermont Now Endangered as Deadly Fungal Disease Cuts Population Down

In Vermont, a deadly fungal disease has reduced the population of a threatened bat species, changing its status to "endangered."

The northern long-eared bat's status was changed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service from threatened to endangered on Friday, March 31, 2023.

The northern-long-eared bat was given a state endangered status in Vermont in 2011 as a result of the swift and severe declines brought on by the deadly fungus known as white-nose syndrome. After the disease had dispersed throughout the Northeast but not affecting the entire range of the bat species, it was given federal threatened status in 2015.

Deadly Fungal Disease

The northern long-eared bat has undergone similarly sharp population declines throughout the majority of its range since the spread of white-nose syndrome across North America. This formerly common species' underground hibernation locations, where it spends the winter, have decreased by 98% in Vermont. Reclassification by the USFWS is a reaction to this pattern.

Since 2006, more than 5.7 million bats have died in the northeastern United States as a result of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. All six species of cave bats in Vermont have been impacted by this illness. The term "cave bats" refers to bats that spend the winter hibernating in caves and mines. In hibernating bats, a newly discovered fungus invades the skin and causes tissue damage. This fungus is linked to WNS.

Since the disease was discovered in Vermont, the population of cave bats has drastically decreased. The little brown bat and the northern long-eared bat, also known as the northern myotis, two of Vermont's most prevalent bat species, have seen over 90% declines in population.

According to Vermont Invasives, over the past few years, scientists have found the suspected origins of the deadly fungal invasion in numerous European nations and are now even further east in China. However, there has been no associated mortality among the native bat species. According to phylogenetic data from Europe and Asia, the fungus has likely been present there for a very long time, but fungal specimens from North America are a recent addition.

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Endangered Bat Species in Vermont

The USFWS earlier this month released a planning tool and interim guidance in preparation for the reclassification of the species to federal endangered status taking effect. These resources cover potential effects on projects that need federal approval, have received federal funding, or are carried out by a federal agency beginning in April 2023. Additionally, they discuss possible effects on construction, infrastructure, and land-management plans in the range of the northern long-eared bat. The USFWS planning tool will allow non-federal projects to assess potential effects on the northern long-eared bat.

By April 2024, the USFWS is anticipated to release the definitive advice. The reclassification may also update the distances between known northern long-eared bat roosts and hibernacula in Vermont.

The Northern Long-Eared Bat Population in Vermont is being actively tracked by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and its partners, who have also put protective measures in place like the 2011 state endangered designation. The reclassification of the bat species to federal endangered status is not anticipated to have significant effects on Vermont landowners, land managers, or developers as a result of this proactive effort, iBerkshires.com reports.