New study finds six bat species emit a green glow under UV light.
New study finds six bat species emit a green glow under UV light.
It may sound batty, but University of Georgia researchers have confirmed that North American bats glow under ultraviolet light.
The new study from the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources found that six different species emit a greenish light when exposed to UV rays.
This is the first discovery of such a phenomenon for bats located in this part of the world. The tricky thing now, the researchers said, is figuring out why.
“It may not seem like this has a whole lot of consequence, but we’re trying to understand why these animals glow,” said Steven Castleberry, corresponding author of the study and a professor in wildlife ecology and management. “It’s cool, but we don’t know why it happens. What is the evolutionary or adaptive function? Does it actually serve a function for the bats?”
Read More: University of Georgia
