It has often been seen in science that when scientists were going to do something, by chance a completely new discovery or invention happens which was not expected. Something similar was seen once again recently, when some zoologists were doing experiments on bats. They were surprised when they discovered bats with glowing claws. Bat researchers are completely surprised by the latest discovery of this hairy flying mammal.
These scientists have found the feet of Mexican free-tailed bats glowing in the dark, which is a first in the world. Scientists made this discovery when they were trying to prove the migration of bats in southern Mexico City. Animal scientists hoped that they could study the movement of bats between two places by using powder that glows in ultraviolet light.
“We failed at that,” said biologist Fernando Gual-Suárez (part of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City). But what he found was far more impressive. After asking a colleague if the presence of claws was “normal,” Gual-Suárez took a closer look at Mexican free-tailed bats (officially known as Tadarida brasiliensis).
Researchers had sprinkled bats from the north with a special powder that glows in UV light. The hope was to test animals in the south and identify the same powder. But, astonished scientists noticed that the hairy claws of Mexican free-tailed bats began to glow.
This is the first time that the claws of a bat species have been found to glow. (Symbolic picture: exican free-tailed)
It turns out that the hairy structures on the mammals’ feet are capable of UV-induced photoluminescence, which makes their paws appear to glow. This surprising discovery is not the first time glow-in-the-dark animals have been discovered. Wasp nests, platypuses and flying squirrels all glow like Christmas trees under UV light. But, this is the first time bats’ external glow has been revealed in such an interesting way.
According to experts, the furry Mexican mammals can absorb UV light and re-emit it at a different wavelength. Researchers found the glowing structures on 25 Mexican free-tailed bats caught across the city
Tags: Amazing news, Bizarre news, OMG News, Weird news
FIRST PUBLISHED : September 3, 2024, 07:51 IST
