Greening Austin Daily

Vampire Bats Coming to Texas Because of Global Warming? Eww!

21st February, 2012 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

The Statesman had this scary article, which I’ve excerpted:

To the growing list of unwelcome effects of global warming or climate change or whatever your politics dictate you call the phenomenon, you may add this: Vampire bats are threatening to invade Texas.

The bats are native to South and Central America and Mexico, and a move north is a distinct possibility in coming decades, Texas State University biologist and wildlife disease expert Ivan Castro-Arellano said.

Vampire bats can’t survive for long in temperatures below 50 degrees. But if Texas continues to experience mild winters, colonies of the nonmigratory species could find homes here.

Weather models show temperatures could go up an average of 2 to 11 degrees in the next century, and Castro-Arellano said the much-maligned creatures of the night may emigrate from Mexico to the Lone Star State in half that time or less.

It’s an issue for ranchers and others with livestock because vampire bats can injure and even kill their prey — mostly sleeping mammals — with repeated feedings. Vampire bats cost Mexican ranchers millions in losses every year, Castro-Arellano said. The U.S. Census Bureau places the value of Texas’ livestock at more than $14 billion.

Castro-Arellano is one of more than 40 scientists in the Texas State System working with the Institute for the Study of Invasive Species in Huntsville to deal with the potential threat.

There’s a lot of fear of and misinformation about the creatures, however. Vampire bats don’t suck; they lap, daintily. They are no more likely than other bat species to carry rabies — about 0.5 percent carry the disease — although they do have a higher likelihood of transferring rabies because of how they feed.

I like bats more than most people, but I prefer the insect eating ones we have in Austin now.  Check out the whole article!