It was Fungus, in the Cave, with the Fat-Eating

Scientists have (finally!) definitively identified the fungus that is infected bats all across North America with white-nose syndrome, a deadly disease that kills millions of bats each year.

This Scientific American article goes into more detail, but the basic gist is that this fungus, which is common in the UK, affects out bats more severely because ours are smaller. When the fungus attacks, our bats don't have enough body mass or insulation to survive. The fungus eats it all up!

What's the solution? Unclear. But knowing is half the battle, so this should give scientists a fighting chance to knock out white-nose syndrome for good.

Then can they tackle colony-collapse disorder? Because we need bees as well as bats to pollinate our crops.