Why Do Animals Like Pink Squirrels and Green Sharks Glow Under UV Light?

Quick Summary

• Numerous animals, including flying squirrels, scorpions, rays, sharks, hawksbill sea turtles, and geckos display photoluminescence-reflecting or re-emitting ultraviolet (UV) light.
• Photoluminescence has been found in 90% of studied snake species from Colorado to Peru. Variations in UV coloration are speculated to be linked to factors like predator-prey interactions and habitat camouflage.
• Other glowing animal observations include 92% of frog species tested and 95 species of coral reef fish wiht the ability to reflect UV light.Mammals also demonstrated photoluminescent properties with studies revealing glowing fur in up to 95% of certain species tested across varied environments.
• Scientists debate it’s purpose; reproduction is a common reason for fluorescence in nature (e.g., bird plumage or neon puffin beaks enhancing mate selection), but no strong preference was observed during experiments involving mammals.
• Marine organisms may use biofluorescence more effectively due to underwater UV-focused environments; researchers recently developed tools like shark-specific cameras revealing vibrant colors visible only among marine creatures.

Images included:

1. Flying squirrel glowing shining pink under UV light

!Flying squirrel

1. Opossum illuminated pink-purple under UV

!Opossum glows

Indian Opinion Analysis

The pervasive presence of photoluminescence across terrestrial and marine life challenges traditional assumptions about animal coloration’s rarity under ultraviolet observation-and opens intriguing biological questions such interdependent eco vs-level trait-opening