Fungal Bat Disease Detected in Montana Area for First Time

You might be scared of them, but bats are actually an enormous help for the human population and your backyard.  Bat dung, or guano, has been used for ages as a fertilizer in different applications.

Bats are also beneficial in keeping insect populations in check.  They also are great at taking care of some of the mosquito population that we see in our Montana summers.  But those benefits could be at risk with a specific disease targeting the small creatures in the state.

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Fungal Bat Disease Detected in Montana Area for First Time

The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) announced that they have confirmed the presence of the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome on two bats captured at Libby Dam in Lincoln County.

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This is the first reported case of the fungal disease west of the Continental Divide in Montana.  The Libby Dam is also one of the largest known maternity roosts for bats in the state.

FWP Biologists Explain More About White Nose Syndrome in Montana Bats

This new find is concerning for several reasons according to Shannon Hilty, FWP’s state bat biologist:

Finding the fungus here is concerning because both Yuma myotis and little brown myotis, the species roosting within the dam's Visitor Center, are susceptible to white-nose syndrome

Hilty also stated that keeping updated is of utmost importance:

This reinforces the importance of monitoring populations to track trends as well as working to implement management actions that will either mitigate the effects of the disease or aide in population recovery

As for coming in contact with a bat that may have this fungus, MWFP has said that there isn't a threat to humans in regard to white nose syndrome in bats.  You can learn more about bats and the fungal disease here.