World News – AU – Shocked scientists discover Tasmanian devils glow in the dark

Posted: 03:49 GMT, Aug.. December 2020 | Updated: 04:50 GMT, Jan.. December 2020

Scientists have discovered that Tasmanian devils mysteriously glow in the dark under ultraviolet light – just weeks after the same phenomenon was discovered in other Australian animals.

US researchers at the Toledo Zoo in Ohio found that parts of the legendary Australian animal’s face turned a scary light blue when exposed to UV light.

The scientists said they believed they uncovered the first case of bio-fluorescence in Tasmanian devils when they revealed their results on Saturday.

Scientists have discovered that Tasmanian devils mysteriously glow in the dark (pictured, their faces under ultraviolet light) as part of a phenomenon called biofluorescence

« In the case of the Tasmanian devil, the skin around the snout, eyes and inner ear absorbs ultraviolet light and emits it again as blue, visible light, » wrote the zoo in a Facebook post.

‘It is unclear whether this biofluorescence serves an ecological purpose or is simply accidental. ‘

Toledo Zoo conservation technician Jacob Schoen said his team was inspired to test how the Tasmanian devil reacted under UV light after it was found to be found in platypus and bilbies.

« When platypus was recently discovered to be biofluorescence, we were quite excited to see it in other animals, particularly Australian mammals, » he said.

Upon discovery, scientists at the Western Australian Museum tried to verify the claims made by their counterpart and were shocked to discover it was true.

Under the light, the platypus’s fur glows green and blue instead of its normal brown skin color.

Scientists in the US have accidentally found that platypus (pictured) glow under UV light

In the Western Australian Museum (picture)

the ears of a bilby glow brightly under UV light.

The scientists also experimented with the Bilby and found that their ears and tails glowed brighter under the UV light.

Study co-author Paula Anich, a North American squirrel researcher with the Science and Environment Center at Northland College in the United States, said it was an « amazing » discovery.

Wombats that glow under UV light according to tests by scientists at the Western Australia Museum (picture).

‘It is possible that it actually picks up the ultraviolet light prevailing at dusk and dawn, which somehow makes it disappear, so that any predator that enters ultraviolet light cannot see the platypus because it is friendly to itself camouflage. ‘

Dr. Travoullon agreed with Dr. Anich admitted, explaining that it could be that they can see and get close to their species from a distance knowing that this animal is safe to walk towards. ‘

The team at the Western Australian Museum will conduct further studies and examine other marsupials to determine if there are specific patterns in nocturnal mammals.

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Tasmanian Devil, Toledo Zoo, Tasmania, Ohio, Marsupials