Bats are in danger of extinction...

[Syreth]

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/12/white-nose-syndrome/5/

Or so this article seems to imply. Long story short, there is a sychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus that infects bats while they hibernate. The fungus is a mutant that's developed enzymes for digesting their flesh, much like the demon worms in Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke (a comparison actually used in the above article). In the Appalachians, the fungus has gotten into hibernation caves and killed about 90% of the bat population in each respective cave.

This has the potential to be a significant ecological disaster.

I'd like you to consider a few questions of interest. What concerns you more: Seeing a species die in and of itself? Or are you more concerned with how it could directly impact your life? Or do you not care?

[Atria35]

Both. I mean, seeing a species in and of itself go is very, very sad, but I also know they play a surprisingly important role in the ecosystem, and that affets me.

[TopazRaven]

The bats! Oh no! Not to mention, this is very concerning for them and for us! This fungus sounds scary. 0.o Poor bats...

[Radical Dreamer]

This is really sad! I've always kind of liked bats, and they're pretty fascinating creatures. I hope they can find a way to kill the fungus that's causing this disease. I agree that any species reaching extinction is always sad, but I'd say that the ecological effects this could have are pretty concerning, too. So where your poll is concerned, yeah, I'd say both.

[ChristianKitsune]

Aww poor bats! I always love to watch them fly, it's really fascinating...

Like everyone has seemed to agree on, the sadness of losing this species is really sad, but the ecological effects could be devastating. Is this just in one area or all over?

[TGJesusfreak]

Even though they are disgusting rodents of the air... they are still God's creation and are still cool to look at. Both 1 and 2.

[ShiroiHikari]

Maybe it's just the bats' time to go? Where did this fungus come from anyway?

[Syreth]

Aww poor bats! I always love to watch them fly, it's really fascinating...

Like everyone has seemed to agree on, the sadness of losing this species is really sad, but the ecological effects could be devastating. Is this just in one area or all over?

It's mostly in the Appalachian Mountains, but the fungus is highly virulent, which means it can spread extremely quickly.

I hope they can find a way to kill the fungus that's causing this disease.

I do too. The trouble is that all of the medicines that we currently have also act as neurotoxins and have other negative effects on bats. It's a pretty common issue when dealing with fungal diseases, because at a basic level, fungi are pretty similar to mammals, so its difficult to develop an approach that kills the fungi and not the host.

[Dante]

But... Bats are awesome! Why bats? Why not, mosquitoes or hookworms, leeches or the virus responsible for the common cold, that and while we're at it, whatever plants are adding to my allergies?

[Furen]

But... Bats are awesome! Why bats? Why not, mosquitoes or hookworms, leeches or the virus responsible for the common cold, that and while we're at it, whatever plants are adding to my allergies?

because that's not how life works... sucks sometimes XD

[mysngoeshere56]

Wow, this is pretty sad... I feel bad for the bats, not to mention wonder just what an impact it could have on the ecosystem. I haven't done a whole lot of research on bats, but I do remember a bit from all my years of watching those animal shows for kids when I was young. XD

But seriously... This is just sad. Both 1 and 2.

[ABlipinTime]

I like bats, and I appreciate them as one of God's gifts to humanity. However, I'm not quite sure how widespread this disease is, so it's alittle early for me to be sad over losing a few bats ("few" being relative to all bats in the US).

[QuirkyIceHeart]

That's awful, and very depressing... I really pray that they find a way to stop it. Poor bats...