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Flying squirrels glow hot bright pink under uv lt

mrmike08075
Saw an interesting report that it was just discovered by accident that flying squirrels fluoresce a hot bright pink when exposed to black lite or UV lite

The pictures were unreal as they are super bright

What animals / predators see in UV - or is it a sexual display to other squirrels...

Why would this feature evolve...

Please check it out online and explain this to me.

Mike
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • Wild Turkey
    Could make night hunting a whole new game[:D]

    When they looked at flowers under UV light we got a whole new understanding of how bugs find flowers.
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  • droptop
    Article and video. Wish I's discovered hot pink furry squirrels? I'd have more than 15 minutes of fame.[:(]

    http://www.fox9.com/news/pretty-in-pink-researcher-discovers-glowing-attribute-in-flying-squirrel
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  • spasmcreek
    i bought two UV flashlights...at the lake place scorpions glow under it ..really helps find the little buggers at night...and you can tell if your undies really got a good wash
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  • mrmike08075
    Where is the evolutionary benefit from this adaptation - what took place to allow selective reinforcement of this genetic trait...

    I mean if they can see into this wavelength range and spot each other in the dark that might work - but I don't think they see that way...

    And why hot pink???

    Based on thermal output or is it a chemical projection...

    Mike
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  • mrmike08075
    I did some deep diving on this and it has been suggested that owls can see in this spectrum and that the when viewed on the right wavelength the squirrels appear to project a signature that is nearly identical to juvenile owls - possible a camouflage technique to mid direct diurnal / nocturnal predation

    I am intrigued...

    I think I remember that there are one or two other mammals that possess a similar attribute but it's not exactly my area of expertise by any means

    Or am I thinking of insects or fish...

    Please enlighten me.

    Mike
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  • kidthatsirish
    quote:Originally posted by forgemonkey

    zdN1UNNl.jpg


    Am I the only one who sees that and thinks of cotton candy?[?][:p]
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  • yoshmyster
    I was thinking if this was pee related since it's on the under belly side?
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  • remingtonoaks
    Don't do any psychedelic drugs well trying it out, you don't know what you'll see[:D]
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  • mrmike08075
    Scorpions...

    Damn how stupid of me - we learned that at USDA headquarters in fredericksburg when I got my produce inspector certification and we did the insect labs extension course work - we would get them in loads of sweet bell peppers and tomatoes coming from Mexico in reefer trucks...

    My quality control inspectors had black lights issued to them and we kept an epee pen under lock and key in the office in case somebody had an adverse or anyphylactic reaction to the venom

    We had a bounty system - if my staff found them on a load (30 pallets) we bought them pizza

    And don't worry about the big ones - or the colorful ugly ones - it's the tiny plain suckers that would kill you or rot your arm off (at least from Mexico and points south)

    I remember seeing that real estate folk in Colorado would do the black light thing when showing properties

    Again I wonder why that trait evolved - and what critter can see that unassisted

    I must have had brain freeze

    And no the pink squirrels is not a urine related phenomena - but that's sound thinking...

    I know it's not an earth shattering topic but I thought some of you might find it somewhat interesting

    And you southern boys eat squirrels and possum and muskrats and render down raccoons so you can cook your bacon in coon fat so you might know more about the topic than the rest of us

    Mike
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