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Furry, Fluffy, and Glowing
Scientists have discovered that some mammals give off a glow!
J. MARTIN, NORTHLAND COLLEGE
This flying squirrel glows under ultraviolet light.
One night in May 2017, Jonathan Martin carried a special ultraviolet (UV) flashlight into his backyard. He heard a flying squirrel squeak. The animals appear brown and white in regular light. Under Martin’s UV light, the squirrel’s belly glowed neon pink!
Martin is a forestry scientist in Ashland, Wisconsin. He knew that many animals—including some birds, fish, frogs, insects, and lizards—can fluoresce (flu-RESS). This means they soak up invisible UV light and release visible light in bright, glowing colors. But this ability had almost never been seen in mammals, like flying squirrels.
It was a spring night in 2017. Jonathan Martin carried a special flashlight into his backyard. It shone ultraviolet (UV) light. He heard a flying squirrel squeak. The animals look brown and white in regular light. But in UV light, the squirrel’s belly glowed neon pink!
Martin is a forestry scientist in Ashland, Wisconsin. He knew that many animals can fluoresce (fluh-RESS). This means they soak up invisible UV light. Then they release visible light in bright, glowing colors. Some birds, fish, frogs, insects, and lizards can do this. But this ability had almost never been seen in mammals.
Rick & Nora Bowers/Alamy Stock Photo
This is how it appears under visible light.
To confirm this finding, Martin and his colleagues traveled to museums to study their collections. The team photographed preserved flying squirrels at the Science Museum of Minnesota under UV light. They all glowed hot pink.
At the Field Museum in Chicago, the team discovered even more fluorescent mammals. A springhare from Africa and a platypus from Australia glowed under UV light too.
Martin and his team needed to confirm what Martin saw. They traveled to museums. They studied the museums’ collections. The team photographed flying squirrels at the Science Museum of Minnesota under UV light. They all glowed hot pink.
All the fluorescent mammals the team found have something in common: They’re most active at night. The ability to glow could help mammals communicate. Scientists need to watch the animals in the wild to learn more.
Why is place value important when working with decimals?
What to Do
A place value chart shows the value of a digit based on its position. It can help you compare decimals.
Example
Which number is greater: 1.8 or 1.6?
• First, write the numbers in a place value chart. Don’t forget the decimal point!
• Next, compare the digits from left to right. Both numbers have the same value in the ones place, so we move to the tenths place. 8 tenths is greater than 6 tenths.
So 1.8 is greater than 1.6.
Now You Try It
The table shows fluorescence scores for a type of flying squirrel. These scores are how scientists measure an animal’s natural fluorescence. A higher score means a brighter glow. Use the table to answer the questions below.
Joel Sartore/Photo Ark
Source: Journal of Mammalogy
BODY PART
FLUORESCENCE SCORE
Abdomen
14.8
Chin and neck
2.5
Back
2.3
Tail
11.9
A. Write the fluorescence scores for the squirrel’s abdomen and tail in the place value chart below.
B. Which score is higher?
Does the squirrel’s tail fluoresce more or less than its chin and neck?
Which part of the squirrel fluoresces more—its chin and neck or its back?
Order the squirrel’s fluorescence scores from least to greatest.