Townsend's Big-Eared Bat

This species has stayed free of the mysterious White Nose Syndrome plaguing many bats, at least for now.

Photo By: Ann Froschauer / USFWS

Townsend's big-eared bats, like this one caught by scientists for observation in Colorado recently, so far have stayed safe from white nose syndrome, a mysterious disease that has spread rapidly through the country, leaving a wake of dead and endangered bats.

White nose syndrome has spread to at least 18 U.S. states and Canadian provinces since first appearing in New York in 2006. At least 10 species of bats are most at risk.

> Related: 7 Surprising Facts About Bats

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