NWRA News

US Fish & Wildlife News

Monday, June 4, 2012

Wildlife Conservation in Mexico

Through its Wildlife Without Borders program, US Fish and Wildlife Service is partnering with 24 conservation organizations in Mexico to conserve wildlife and its habitat. Mexico comprises only one percent of the Earth’s land surface, yet contains ten percent of all species known to science. By working together with the Government of Mexico, shared ecosystems and nearly 600 threatened US species that depend on habitats in Mexico for survival can be protected, including sea turtle nesting sites. For more information on the Service’s Wildlife Without Borders program, visit www.fws.gov/international.

 

White-nose Syndrome in Endangered Gray Bats

Unfortunately, US Fish and Wildlife Service has confirmed the presence of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in federally listed endangered gray bats (Myotis grisecens) in Hawkins and Montgomery counties in Tennessee. Gray bat habitat is principally in the Southeastern US. Thus far, gray bat mortality linked to WNS has not been observed. White-nose syndrome is documented in six hibernating bat species, including another federally listed endangered species, the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). Significant mortality has been documented in many colonies of hibernating Indiana bats in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Additional information on WNS: www.fws.gov/whitenosesyndrome; information on gray bat: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/mammals/grbat_fc.html.