"Potentially Catastrophic" Effects Of Warming On Bats; Skipping Hibernation, Born Too Early
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The researchers are concerned that mild weather in the south of Portugal is interfering with bat hibernation. They do not know if this will have negative impacts on bat populations.
If the bats emerge from hibernation too early, they struggle to find insect food for themselves and their young, particularly if there is a period of spring rain. This can lead to malnutrition and "huge mortality events". "We are completely in the dark," said Dr Rebelo. "We don't know if the loss of hibernation will be beneficial and bats will be overweight and more fit to reproduce or on the other hand they are having early births and they are not adapted to the spring rains."
He said bat roosts have increased in temperature by as much as six to eight degrees in past decades. "The increasing variability of weather conditions is potentially catastrophic for bats," said Dr Fiona Mathews of the University of Exeter.
"Although species in tropical regions do not hibernate, without any ill-effects, in temperate areas the situation is rather different as we cannot rely on there being good weather and plenty of food available in spring. "In the absence of hibernation, bats begin the process of pregnancy sooner, which can mean that babies are born at a time when their mothers cannot feed sufficiently to support them."
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http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43812484
= new reply since forum marked as read
glad that I'm 62 and will be dead before the shit really hits the fan. I worry for all of the innocent creatures doomed to a horrible death because of the greed, selfishness, and short-sightedness of homo sapiens, and that includes me. I don't always do everything I could do. We're all to blame.
What a way to start the week. 