Springhares fluoresce hot pink

DesertRhino150

DesertRhino150

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Following fairly recent discoveries that platypus and Tasmanian devils fluoresce under ultraviolet light, researchers have now discovered another mammal that glows. Both species of springhare (the East African and Southern) glow pink and orange; the discovery was made when scientists at the Field Museum in Chicago were looking for signs of biofluorescence in flying squirrels and other gliding mammals. In all, examination covered 14 museum specimens and 6 captive-bred springhares (5 living and 1 deceased), with all these animals glowing under the light.

Unlike all other fluorescent mammals, springhares have patchy and variable patterns of colour on their bodies. This may be due to light exposure. Research is still required to discover the function that this UV glowing could actually play.

More information is included in the link below:
Weird rodent glows under UV light with disco swirls of pink and orange | Live Science
 
birdsandbats said:
It makes you wonder how many more mammals can do this. Any what it is used for.
Click to expand...

So far they apparently don't know other than it is likely somehow related to the nocturnal / crepuscular activity of these animals but they are finding this more and more with mammals and particularly marsupials.

According to the article the researchers suggest several hypothesis like it affording some kind of camouflage to the species to avoid predation, some weird chemical byproduct of grooming and perhaps something relating to interspecial communication.
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
Had no idea this was your favourite.

Out of curiosity, why is it your favourite species ?
Click to expand...

Ha! It's not my favorite - that would be cheetahs ;) - but it's up there. I'm pretty fond of rodents in general, and there was something so striking about them when I saw them for the first time at Omaha. I generally know how I'm going to feel about a new species, but these guys really hooked me in!
 
TinoPup said:
Ha! It's not my favorite - that would be cheetahs ;) - but it's up there. I'm pretty fond of rodents in general, and there was something so striking about them when I saw them for the first time at Omaha. I generally know how I'm going to feel about a new species, but these guys really hooked me in!
Click to expand...

I've only ever seen them as taxidermy specimens but I totally agree they are really interesting looking, they look like some kind of cute chimera of different animal species with a bit of marsupial, bit of squirrel, bit of lagomorph, bit of rodent etc.
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
I've only ever seen them as taxidermy specimens but I totally agree they are really interesting looking, they look like some kind of cute chimera of different animal species with a bit of marsupial, bit of squirrel, bit of lagomorph, bit of rodent etc.
Click to expand...

Exactly, all things I love :) I love mara (especially Chacoan) as well, they also look like a bit of a bunch of species.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top