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Rattlesnakes have White Fungal Disease

Report or discuss current events in the Catskill Mountains.
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dave
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Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: Acra New York

Rattlesnakes have White Fungal Disease

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Most people are now aware that bats populations have been drastically destroyed by the white nose fungal disease. But, it now appears that Timber Rattlesnakes are also being affected by the White Fungal Disease in an similar way that bats are affected. Both species have a different fungal disease, so we know that Timber Rattlesnakes didn't get the disease from catching bats with the disease. At this point scientist can only speculate how Timber Rattlesnakes now have a fungal infection.

The Fungal disease in Timber Rattlesnakes is called: Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola. Bats have a fungal disease called: Pseudogymnoascus destructans. The fatality rate for bats have been 90%. For Timber Rattlesnakes, the fatality rate is 100%. Bats suffer and die in the Winter months while hibernating in caves. Timber Rattlesnakes suffer in the summer months, when the temperatures are higher. Timber Rattlesnakes will exhibit problems with molting or ulcers on their skin. Both bats and timber rattlesnakes started to have this problem in the mid-2000 time period. Timber Rattlesnakes have been affected in multiple states, but it's health devastation is slower. This fungus has also affected other snake species (northern water snakes, eastern racers, rat snakes, timber rattlesnakes, Eastern massasaugas, pygmy rattlesnakes and garter snakes).

https://news.illinois.edu/news/15/0618s ... iller.html

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/7b1e7a13 ... t-9-states

http://cavingnews.com/20150626-snake-fu ... e-syndrome
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