Diggin It
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A conservation technician recently discovered that the zoo's Tasmanian Devils are biofluorescent.
That's when animals absorb high-energy light and re-emit it. It's believed to be the first documented case of the evolutionary phenomenon in Tasmanian Devils.
Jake Schoen, the technician, told the Toledo Blade, he made the discovery using a special camera, which revealed glowing blue eyes, ears and snout:
https://www.npr.org/2020/12/14/946189582/ohio-zoo-documents-1st-case-of-biofluorescence-in-tasmanian-devils
That's when animals absorb high-energy light and re-emit it. It's believed to be the first documented case of the evolutionary phenomenon in Tasmanian Devils.
Jake Schoen, the technician, told the Toledo Blade, he made the discovery using a special camera, which revealed glowing blue eyes, ears and snout:
"I have a modified camera flash that is filtered, so it only releases a very specific wavelength of ultraviolet light," he said.
In a dark area of their enclosure, staff lured the two devils, Bubbles and Spiderman, near Mr. Schoen using food rewards.
"The devils came right over for some food and I could take the photo just right over the barrier," he said.
University of Kansas biologist Leo Smith, an expert in biofluorescence, usually studies fish. He said though it's something more commonly found in fish, it's not a first for land mammals. There are biofluorescent platypuses, squirrels and possums.In a dark area of their enclosure, staff lured the two devils, Bubbles and Spiderman, near Mr. Schoen using food rewards.
"The devils came right over for some food and I could take the photo just right over the barrier," he said.
https://www.npr.org/2020/12/14/946189582/ohio-zoo-documents-1st-case-of-biofluorescence-in-tasmanian-devils