In the United States and Canada, Bats Use One of Two

question 49

Multiple Choice

In the United States and Canada, bats use one of two strategies to survive winter: They either migrate south, or they hibernate. Recently, those that hibernate seem to have come under attack by a fungus, Geomyces destructans (Gd) , an attack that is occurring from Missouri to southern Canada. Many infected bats have a delicate, white filamentous mat on their muzzles, which is referred to as white-nose syndrome (WNS) . The fungus invades the bat tissues, causes discomfort, and awakens the bat from its hibernation. The bat fidgets and wastes calories, using up its stored fat. The bat then behaves abnormally, leaving its cave during daytime in winter to search for food. Their food, primarily insects, is scarce during the winter, and the bats ultimately starve to death. Since 2007, it is estimated that up to 1 million bats have perished from WNS.
-Gd is a cold-loving fungus. Thus, which characteristics of normal bat behaviour can be most expected to favour the spread of this fungus to uninfected bats?

• A)southward migration during the winter
• B)communal roosting in tightly packed clusters during hibernation
• C)reliance on fat reserves for calories during hibernation
• D)much-reduced metabolic rate during hibernation
• E)hibernating in parts of the cave that are farthest away from the mouth of the cave

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