Bats suffering from white-nose syndrome first have fuzzy white spots of fungus appear on their noses. The spots quickly spread to exposed skin on their wings and tail. The fungus strikes in winter, when bats enter a sleepy state called torpor, which includes a drop in heart rate and body temperature. Normally, a bat stays in torpor throughout the winter, waking up only a few times to briefly sip water. But the fungus disrupts this cycle by causing bats to become dehydrated and wake up more than they should. When awake, bats quickly burn the fat stored in their bodies and are not able to survive the winter.
In addition, as humans use more and more land, bats are pushed out of their natural habitats. Wind turbines—a fast-growing source of clean, green, renewable energy—are trouble for bats, too. As migratory bats travel between winter and summer roosts, they often collide with turbine blades and get hurt or killed.
“With all of these problems, other threats like light pollution are added stressors on bats trying hard to survive,” says Frick. Fortunately, people are taking action to make the spaces we share more bat-friendly—because what’s good for bats is good for us too.