Annual Halloween Week Observance Raises Public Awareness to
Help Reduce Human Disturbance to Endangered and Threatened Bats
In observance of the
internationally recognized Bat Week Oct. 24-31 to raise awareness about
the critical role of bats in the environment, New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today encouraged outdoor enthusiasts to
refrain from visiting caves and mines during the fall and winter months.
Bats spend the winter hibernating in these underground cavities where
relatively constant, warm temperatures protect these mammals from harsh
winter temperatures above ground. Bats' health is particularly vulnerable
to human visitation in the winter to these "hibernacula," and
especially harmful since the arrival of white-nose
syndrome, a fungus that has killed more than 90 percent of
bats at hibernation sites in the state.
"Bats are circling
around us this Halloween season, reminding us
all to do our part to protect these important flying mammals," Commissioner Seggos
said. "DEC is encouraging New Yorkers to help
protect bats by avoiding caves or mines to prevent any unintentional harm
to bats and safeguarding their habitats."
If bats are disturbed during
hibernation, they raise their body temperature, depleting crucial fat
reserves. This stored fat is the only source of energy available to the
bats until the weather warms in spring and insects become readily available.
The more frequently bats are disturbed, the less likely they are to
survive the long winter months underground without eating. DEC reminds
the public to follow all posted notices restricting access to caves and
mines. If explorers do venture out and discover bats hibernating in a
cave, DEC urges these visitors to leave quickly and quietly to minimize
disturbance.
Limiting tree removal to the
hibernation period can help protect bats from harm while they are out on
the landscape. Removing trees only between Nov. 1 and March 31 throughout
the state, or Dec. 1 through Feb.28 in Suffolk County, offers the best
protection for our hibernating bats. During the active season, bats roost
in trees and form maternity colonies to rear their pups, so tree removal
during this season can potentially harm bats using trees for these
behaviors.
Bat Week is observed each year
through Oct. 3 and is organized by representatives from conservation
groups and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada.
In recent years, scientists
have found evidence of recovery of the once-common little
brown bat throughout New York State. While this seeming
stabilization provides a hopeful outlook after more than a decade of
devastating population declines, similar evidence of stabilization has
not been seen for other severely affected bat species.
Two species of bats are
currently protected under federal and State endangered species law.
The Indiana bat, which is sparsely
distributed across New York, is a federally endangered bat listed before
white-nose syndrome later began affecting bat populations. The northern long-eared bat, is also listed as an
endangered species under federal and New York State law. The current
population for this formerly common bat is approximately one percent of
its previous size, making this species the most severely affected by
white-nose syndrome. Still, northern long-eared bats are widely
distributed in New York and their presence has been documented in most of
the state's approximately 100 caves and mines serving as bat hibernation
sites.
A third New York species, the
tri-colored bat, was proposed for endangered species protection by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Sept. 13, 2022. Although widespread in
distribution, tri-colored bats were rare in New York even before they
experienced a 98-percent population decline due to white-nose disease.
Anyone entering a northern
long-eared bat hibernation site from Oct. 1 through April 30, the typical
hibernation period for bats, may be subject to prosecution. Details about
the protection of the northern long-eared bat can
be found on DEC's website.
There is currently no
treatment for bats suffering from white-nose syndrome. Along with the New
York State Department of Health, DEC is partnering with researchers from
the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, and experts at
universities across the country to better understand the disease and
develop a treatment. This collaborative effort helped identify that
reducing disturbances at hibernation sites during the winter can help the
remaining animals survive. For more information about white-nose
syndrome, visit the White-Nose Syndrome Response Team website.
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