White-Nose Disease Could Kill Off Gray Bats

Another species of bat is suffering from white-nose syndrome—and the fungus threatens the animal's extinction within just two years. Unlike other species suffering from the disease, gray bats live in caves throughout the year, and the disease "could spread exponentially through the cave," a Missouri wildlife official tells the Washington Post. It's not just devastating for the bats: They're essential to farmers, gobbling up some 223 billion insects every year.

That means the bats' loss could hurt the economy, not to mention the environment, notes a Missouri wildlife official. If gray bats disappear, farmers will need to use more pesticides. The situation is particularly tragic given that the endangered species had been "well on its way to recovery," the official says. Already, 6.7 million bats of various species have been killed by white-nose syndrome in just six years. But there's hope: Big-eared bats in Virginia are doing just fine even with the disease in their caves. (More white nose syndrome stories.)