An endangered species of bat commonly found in southern Ontario and Quebec has formally been added to Ontario's list of species at risk.
The Eastern Small-footed Myotis bat will be added to the Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) list, following a released on March 28, the province's Ministry of Natural Resources said in a posted to its environmental registry last week.
The bat, recognized by its small feet and black face mask, is the smallest bat found in the eastern parts of North America. It ranges from southern Ontario and Quebec to northern Alabama and eastern Oklahoma, and hibernates in caves and mines.
According to the report, the bat is at high risk due to "White-nose syndrome," a fungal disease that began to appear in Ontario in 2010. The fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans is believed to be the cause of WNS. The white fungus grows around the muzzles and the wings of hibernating bats.
The disease, which has a very high mortality rate, causes bats to awaken too frequently from their hibernation. This can cause the bats to exhaust their fat supplies in mid-winter, and starve to death through excessive activity.
Since being first documented in New York during the winter of 2006-2007, the disease has spread rapidly. The syndrome is present in Ontario, and the disease has been shown to cause a decline in the species throughout the northeastern U.S.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, WNS has been linked to the death of more than 5.5 million bats across the U.S. and Canada.
Along with the bat, seven other species have been added to the SARO list. They are the Mottled Duskywing butterfly, Riverine Clubtail dragonfly, Lilliput mussel, Threehorn Wartyback mussel, Bank Swallow bird, Eastern Wood-Pewee bird and Wood Thrush bird.
