Researchers announce discovery of first fluorescent frog
At first glance, the South American polka-dot tree frog doesn't seem especially extraordinary, but scientists recently discovered it possesses an entirely remarkable trait, notes The Guardian.
When exposed to UV light, the brownish creature glows a blue-tinged green.
That finding makes the small amphibian the first reported frog imbued with the power of fluorescence.
Image: Julián Faivovich and Carlos Taboda
The team, which hails from various institutions in Argentina, suspected a glow of some kind was possible, but, due to the presence of the pigment biliverdin, they were expecting red, as that's how it manifests in some bugs.
Though they've traced the green hue to a handful of molecules, the researchers are still uncertain about what end the fluorescence serves.
One theory is that it helps the frogs identify one another in times of darkness.
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