News Animals

Bat syndrome’s telltale white nose-mold new to science

Newly cultured fungus a suspect in deadly white-nose syndrome striking New England bats

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

A mold that gives hibernating bats fuzzy, white noses turns out to be a previously unknown form of cold-loving fungus. And it may be a cold-blooded killer too.

A little brown bat's moldy white nose marks it as suffering from the recently described white-nose syndrome that's killing hundreds of thousands of hibernating bats in New England. Researchers now know that the white fungus is a novel Geomyces form.
WORRISOME WHITE A little brown bat’s moldy white nose marks it as suffering from the recently described white-nose syndrome that’s killing hundreds of thousands of hibernating bats in New England.