Many BAT species across the united states are in population decline due to the degradation of natural roosting habitat (oshea ET AL 2003), and the emergent fungal disease that causes white-nose…

The University of Wyoming, through its Sponsored Programs department, was awarded a $149,500 Project Grant by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the White-nose Syndrome National Response Implementation program (CFDA 15.684). The grant will fund a vaccination efficacy trial for endangered Northern long-eared bats in the Bearlodge Mountains of Wyoming. Key activities include capturing bats at water sources and summer roosts, administering oral white-nose syndrome vaccines or placebo treatments, and monitoring the survival and status of maternity colonies using infrared cameras and acoustic detectors. This work aims to boost immunity and survival in peripheral populations of the Northern long-eared bat, which has suffered catastrophic declines due to the white-nose syndrome fungal disease. The project period runs from March 2024 to December 2025.

Many BAT species across the united states are in population decline due to the degradation of natural roosting habitat (oshea ET AL 2003), and the emergent fungal disease that causes white-nose syndrome, pseudogymnoascus destructans (ford ET AL. 2011). The northern long-eared BAT (myotis septentrionalis) has suffered catastrophic population declines in portions of its range following the arrival of white-nose syndrome (frick ET AL. 2015). In december 2022, the united states fish and wildlife determined the northern long-eared BAT warranted up-listing to endangered species status, primarily due to the impacts of white-nose syndrome across a majority of the species range (united states fish and wildlife service 2022). Endangered species act protections for northern long-eared bats are centered on limiting disturbance to summer day roost trees and known hibernacula. Monitoring summer maternity sites is critical for documenting population declines, particularly because overwintering sites (or hibernacula) at the western edge of the species range are largely unknown. Treatment options for white-nose syndrome are limited however, a virally-vectored vaccine improved survival in little brown bats infected with pseudogymnoascus destructans during experimental trials (rocke ET. AL 2019). Vaccination against white-nose syndrome may increase survival rates of northern long-eared bats in populations that are within 2-4 years post-invasion of white-nose syndrome, and allow populations to develop natural immunity (rocke ET AL. 2019). We propose to conduct a vaccination efficacy trial of endangered northern long-eared bats in the bearlodge mountains of wyoming. Bats will captured at water sources and summer roosts and administered oral white-nose syndrome vaccine or placebo during august 2024 and 2025. Treated northern long-eared bats will be PIT tagged to allow comparison of survival between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Additionally, we will monitor the status of maternity colonies post-treatment, using infrared cameras and acoustic detectors. Boosting immunity and survival in peripheral populations of northern long-eared bats will be critical to future recovery of the species.