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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

White nose syndrome in Alabama (1 Viewer)

Nice synopsis of what is faced by bats, caves and cavers these days:
http://www.caves.org/WNS/Fern%20Cave%20Graffiti.pdf
As if WNS in Alabama isn't bad enough, there is a restriction on caving as a reaction to WNS, which means only 1 narrow group actually enters the caves: jackasses! (with caving gear)
And nobody is there to stop or deter them now....kind of like rhinos being taken by poachers, less eyes makes easier prey. Fern cave, and a few others in the Southeast US, have a treasure trove of archeological/palentological items that are just irreplacable.
 
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Our browns are being monitored for WNS here. Had a close friend that passed recently. Was a native american who dealt with problems of looting ancestral artifacts. Huge amount of money involved that promotes illegal impetus. Cable television shows about gold digging, treasure finding with metal detectors, even the "falling star" guys will only make it worse. Any public legal initative will be ruthlessly overturned by politicians who will not stand for money or power being taken from their authority.

One big reason Im so cynical regarding Ivory-billed woodpeckers.
If that bird was still around, folks would be auctioning at cybersite for it.
 
Any public legal initative will be ruthlessly overturned by politicians who will not stand for money or power being taken from their authority.
Oh so 21st century, huh. Seems everybody in the US has this entitlement attitude that the world is theirs for the taking. No humility, no grace. Shame
 
Oh so 21st century, huh. Seems everybody in the US has this entitlement attitude that the world is theirs for the taking. No humility, no grace. Shame

We have (perhaps should say had) karst geological formations here in abundance. Grew up in the middle of it. Live currently on the fringe of it. Not just the bats that have suffered. Amphibians, Crustaceans, and Fish that had adapted to those specific enviroments are pretty much gone. Geological features specfic and unique have been hammered away for years. Now "cling tight" to personal collections throughout the midwest. Ongoing arguments of any public money or resources being set aside for Indiana brown bats is stronger than ever. That specific bat was much a part in an referendom that was defeated in a proposal involving a dam and impoundment that would of flooded much of that animals habitat. Politicians, lobbiest, and developers learned a huge lesson there about perogitive. Thats to say, voting public cant be trusted to exercise that perogitive in an alltogether fitting and proper manner. Towards that end and since that point in time the voters have felt the "new" exercise in perogitive "smartly". Conceal/carry referendom that was defeated by public perogitive was simply voted into law by legislature and "proper perogitive. A referendom that placed common sense restrictions on dog breeders and "puppy mills" was again voted into law by public who "thought" they were exercising proper perogotive were reminded its not the voting public that decides. Measure was overturned in legislature and breeders continue as they did before. So, entitlement and perogitive...you bet. The politicians right to take as much away from us as nessecary.
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/white-nose-fungus-reaches-bats-in-alabama-to-biologists-dismay/2012/03/13/gIQArUUiBS_story.html
I had hoped the warmer temps in Alabama would keep it north, but no such luck. Not good news for the bats (especially the grey bats).

I live in Austin. I can only hope that it doesn't gravely affect the population of bats here. It's a daily phenomenon here to go to the bridge downtown or in Round Rock and see the millions of bats take flight. It's devastating what is happening to them around the country.
 
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