Wildlife Disease News Digest

TOP STORIES

White Nose Syndrome
The Times-Tribune - thetimestribune.com
10 Apr 2009
Image Credit: AP Photo/Mike Groll

Bats are dying off in caves from West Virginia to the northern reaches of New England — and scientists don’t completely understand why... According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Web site, it is now believed that the fungus, a member of the genus Geomyces, is responsible for White Nose Syndrome. Geomyces members are “cold-loving” fungi, and this particular species can’t grow above 68 degrees — making caves the perfect home for the fungus, and hibernating bats the perfect victim.

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New rare orangutan find in Borneo

BBC News - news.bbc.co.uk
12 Apr 2009
Image Credit: AP
Area: Borneo

A hitherto unknown population of orangutans numbering perhaps 1-2,000 has been found on the island of Borneo, conservation researchers say. Members of the reclusive endangered species were found by scientists acting on tip-offs from local people. Much of the orangutan's tropical forest habitat in Indonesia and Malaysia has been cut down for timber extraction and to create palm oil plantations.

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Depletion of Prey Fish may be Starving the Oceans
Environmental News Network - www.enn.com
7 Apr 2009

Scientists are finding evidence of widespread malnutrition in commercial and recreational fish, marine mammals, and seabirds because of the global depletion of the small fish they need to survive, according to Oceana's new report, "Hungry Oceans: What Happens When the Prey is Gone?" These "prey fish" underpin marine food webs and are being steadily exhausted by heavy fishing, increasing demand for aquaculture feed, and climate change.

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Are Bait Shops an Environmental Threat?
Aiken Standard - aikenstandard.com
12 Apr 2009
W Gibbons

The advent of the spring fishing season brings amphibian diseases, according to a release issued this week by the National Science Foundation (NSF). "Infectious diseases are affecting populations of amphibians, from frogs to salamanders," states the release, and "biologists have discovered that amphibian diseases are spread by bait shops."

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Related Article
>>>Tiger of the vernal pool

Cited Article
>>>Amphibian commerce as a likely source of pathogen pollution.
Conserv Biol. 2008 Dec;22(6):1582-9

Officials say finches dying at Maine bird feeders
CTV News - ctv.ca (Source: Associated Press)
12 Apr 2009
Image Credit: CTV
Area: Maine, USA - Map It

A large number of finches have been reported sick or dead at feeders across the southern and central portions of Maine.

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Sonar Doesn't Appear to Deafen Dolphins

ScienceNOW Daily News - sciencenow.sciencemag.org
8 Apr 2009
C Thomas
Image Credit: TA Mooney

Sonar has long been blamed for harming dolphins, whales, and other underwater creatures that use sound to navigate, but it may not be as dangerous as previously believed. In the first controlled study in dolphins, biologists show that, although sonar can cause temporary hearing loss, marine mammals have to either be very close to the source or in an area of the sea where the sound can get trapped to be hurt by it.

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OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH NEWS