Global Glow

Biofluorescent Springhares

Pop quiz: What hops. . . and glows?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We’ve told you about glowing platypuses in Australia. And there are possums in the Americas that glow too! This glow-in-the-dark feature is called biofluorescence. Where else in the world can we

Continue reading

Global Glow

Biofluorescent Springhares

Pop quiz: What hops. . . and glows?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We’ve told you about glowing platypuses in Australia. And there are possums in the Americas that glow too! This glow-in-the-dark feature is called biofluorescence. Where else in the world can we

Continue reading

That Platypus Glow

Fluorescent platypus seen under UV light

What has fur and GLOWS brighter than a Tyra Banks Smize?! (That’s a smile with your eyes.) This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Some animals really light up a room…BUT only under ultraviolet light. This is called biofluorescence. Scientists believe mammals like possums use it

Continue reading

Glowing Sharks

Lions and tigers and glowing sharks, oh my? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: We’re gonna need a bigger boat! Lots of ocean-dwelling animals glow. Biofluorescence allows a marine animal–say, a shark–to take in light and convert it to a different color. What color?

Continue reading