The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has reported the first case of white-nose syndrome in a Fringed Myotis bat. This finding brings the total number of bat species confirmed with the disease in North America to 13.

OLYMPIA – White-nose syndrome, an often-fatal disease of hibernating bats, has been confirmed for the first time in a fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes) in King County, Washington. This finding brings the total number of bat species confirmed with the disease in North America to 13.

First seen in North America in 2006 in eastern New York, white-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that has killed millions of hibernating bats in eastern North America and has now spread to 33 states and seven Canadian provinces. The disease does not affect humans, livestock, or other wildlife.

The disease is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which attacks the skin of hibernating bats and damages their delicate wings, making it difficult to fly. Infected bats often leave hibernation too early, which causes them to burn through their fat reserves and become dehydrated or starve to death.

The Cedar River Education Center near North Bend reported a dead bat outside its facility in April 2017. A biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) retrieved the dead bat and did a field test using Ultraviolet (UV) light to detect the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. Under UV light, bats with white-nose syndrome usually have an orange glow on their wings.

Vanessa Robinson added on her Facebook post that this marks the 13th species of bat to contract the disease in North America. The fringed myotis is a provincially blue-listed species here in BC. To date, no white-nose has been found in BC. If you find any dead bats this winter, PLEASE contact the BC Bats program at bcbats.ca ????

By the way, the fringed myotis is an interesting bat – it is known to eat flightless insects, meaning that it hunts both on the wing, and by gleaning from foliage.