Bats – TINA CHIARELLI, PHD, FRGS

Dispelling Wildlife Myths- Halloween Edition

October 23rd, 2012tinalc0 Comments

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought it the perfect time to address some common misunderstandings about wildlife. We have all heard them. Whether they are called myths or Old Wives Tales most false accusations conjure up fear that sometimes result in the persecution and death of many innocent species. How many times have you heard someone say that toads give people warts? I myself have been told this on more occasions then I care to remember. The idea that touching or just looking at a toad can cause a skin malady is simply not true. Although some species, …

Chrysosporium in the Massasauga Rattlesnake

March 26th, 2012tinalc0 Comments

A deadly threat has been identified in a Southern Illinois population of Massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus). In 2008, biologists found 3 eastern massasaugas with disfiguring lesions on and around their head. In addition, the snakes had multiple growths and ulcers, and experienced swelling that extended throughout the skin and skeletal muscle. Another massasauga with a similar condition was documented in the same area in 2010. Unfortunately, all snakes died. Cultures taken from infected individuals identified the disease causing pathogen as Chrysosporium, a soil dwelling fungus commonly found in pet reptiles but rarely seen in the wild. To date, Chrysosporium has …

Habitat Preservation and the Discovery of New Species

November 29th, 2011tinalc0 Comments

It is hard to believe that in a world where the human population now exceeds 7 billion, that there are still unexplored wild areas, and new plant and animal species being discovered. I think it is easy to understand the importance of preserving oceans, jungles, rainforests, grasslands, and deserts (yes, even deserts) for the known species that inhabit them, but what about the places that are home to creatures yet to be discovered? What about the plants, bacteria, or fungi in those wild areas that could lead to new breakthroughs in medicine? And, although hard to imagine, should we not …

Snakes, Spiders, and Bats…Oh My!

October 23rd, 2011tinalc0 Comments

In preparation for my favorite holiday, I was recently perusing through the Halloween decorations at a local megastore. For me, Halloween standards are carved pumpkins, bed sheet ghosts, and candy; lots of candy. However, for others, the scariest of holidays is all about fear. Some of the most iconic Halloween characters that makes ones blood run cold and stand frozen in fear, i.e., bats, spiders, and snakes, are the same creatures I find most fascinating. Unfortunately, it is this very fear that has served as a death sentence for those same misunderstood species that actually do a great deal to …

White-nose Syndrome: Silent Killer of America’s Bats

September 4th, 2011tinalc0 Comments

Growing up as a kid in the Northeastern United States I was enthralled by the night sky; watching hundreds of bats hunt winged insects with deadly precision. As if it happened only yesterday, I can still remember the sound of the tiny chirps and pips of the bats as they communicated to each other and located prey. Sadly, in my adult years, to see a single bat is a rarity; the night sky is now empty and silent. Since the initial discovery in 2006 in a single cave in New York, White-nose Syndrome (WNS), or Geomyces destructans, has been the …