Whitenose syndrome continues to emerge in the western united states and canada with impending spread into mexico

This federal Project Grant award, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the White-nose Syndrome National Response Implementation program (CFDA 15.684), provides $340,771 to Bat Conservation International, Inc. (BCI) to consolidate efforts for colony monitoring and Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) surveillance across the range of Myotis velifer (cave myotis) in five U.S. states and two Mexican states. The key objectives are to 1) build a summer and colony count data pipeline to assess white-nose syndrome (WNS) impacts, and 2) investigate patterns and drivers of variability in WNS progression and impacts across the range of Myotis velifer. This work aims to contribute to foundational knowledge of WNS ecology in the Southwest, identify WNS refugia for Myotis velifer, and inform management strategies for the disease. The project period runs from March 1, 2025 to March 31, 2027.

There is increasing evidence that whitenose syndrome can cause mortality in western BAT species, but the factors that drive whitenose syndrome manifestation or that limit disease mortality in western BAT populations are not well understood. In 2020, a whitenose syndrome driven mass mortality event occurred in central texas in myotis velifer, discovered opportunistically via public encounters with dead bats on the landscape. Estimates of mortality pieced together from historical observations at myotis velifer maternity colonies suggests that whitenose syndrome driven declines were comparable to the most highly impacted species e.g., myotis lucifugus from the midwestern eastern united states whose populations have declined by greater than 90%. In contrast, hibernating myotis velifer colonies in north texas and oklahoma have persisted with pseudogymnoascus destructans for over seven years without any indication of whitenose syndrome mortality. Our proposal consolidates efforts for colony monitoring and pseudogymnoascus destructans surveillance across the range of myotis velifer in five of the united states arizona, new mexico, kansas, oklahoma, texas and two mexican states coahuila nuevo leon to 1 build a summer and colony count data pipeline to assess whitenose syndrome impacts, and 2 to investigate patterns and drivers of variability in whitenose syndrome progression and impacts across the range of myotis velifer. This work will contribute to building foundational knowledge of whitenose syndrome ecology in the southwest, including identifying areas of whitenose syndrome refugia for myotis velifer and the factors leading to disease suppression or population vulnerability, and inform whitenose syndrome management strategies. Importantly, this work also builds a foundation for assessing whitenose syndrome impacts to myotis velifer in conjunction with status and trends efforts led by the north american BAT monitoring program and any future species status assessments.