Extract from ABC News
Researchers at a US zoo have discovered Tasmanian devils glow under ultraviolet light, weeks after the same phenomenon was discovered to occur in platypuses, bilbies and wombats.
Key points:
- US researchers have discovered the Tasmanian devil's facial features glow blue under ultraviolet light
- Researchers at Toledo Zoo in Ohio were inspired by a recent study that found the same phenomenon occurred in platypuses
- Scientists say the discovery will help them learn more about how the Tasmanian devil interacts with the world
Toledo Zoo in Ohio posted the findings on their Facebook page, and said they believed they were the first in the world to document the glowing phenomenon in Tasmanian devils.
"In the case of the Tasmanian devil, the skin around their snout, eyes, and inner ear absorbs ultraviolet light and then reemits it as blue visible light," the post read.
"It is unclear whether this instance of biofluorescence serves any ecological purpose or is simply happenstance."
Biofluorescence is a glow-in-the-dark phenomenon, where light waves are absorbed and then re-emitted based on the properties of the fur or skin of the animal.
It has been known to occur in plants, some insects and marine life, but was unknown that it could occur in Australian mammals and marsupials until recently.
Jacob Schoen, a technician with the Toledo Zoo Conservation, said he understands it is the first time this occurrence in a Tasmanian devil has been documented.
"When platypuses were recently found to be biofluorescence, it got us pretty excited to try and discover this in other animals, especially in Australian mammals," Mr Schoen said.
The team at Toledo Zoo were motivated by the recent findings about platypuses showing biofluorescence under UV light, and started conducting their own tests.
When they were successfully able to observe the glow-in-the-dark phenomenon in platypuses they had on display in the zoo's museum, they moved onto another Australian mammal — the Tasmanian devil.
Mr Schoen said they were shocked to discover the phenomenon on their first go.
What does a glowing devil tell us?
Although it is early days, Associate Professor Menna Jones from the University of Tasmania said the discovery by the Toledo Zoo researchers was an exciting insight into how the Tasmanian devil perceives the world around it.
"I think it's a really exciting discovery because it indicates that Tasmanian devils could have a broader sensory spectrum that we, as humans, weren't aware of previously," she said.
Dr Jones said there was still much to discover as to why the glow-in-the-dark phenomenon occurred in Tasmanian devils and other Australian animals including platypuses, bilbies and wombats.
Hope for more answers
The zoo's researchers are hopeful that this documented case would be the first step in uncovering more about how the Tasmanian devil interacts with the world around it.
"We already know that bird species use biofluorescence to attract their mate, so it could indicate the devils signal to another species," Mr Schoen said.
The researcher said it would be an area that the zoo's conservation team would be keen to investigate further.
While they say it has been an exciting discovery, the team at Toledo Zoo remain cautious about their findings.
"Lots of inanimate objects show biofluorescence … so it's important to note that sometimes it can just be a happenstance, and not to draw conclusions too soon," Mr Schoen said.
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