J. Ant?nez Glez (CC BY-NC); Royal Society Open Science
For the first time, fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) have been shown to biofluoresce, absorbing and re-emitting light at different wavelengths.
In this instance, 10 fire salamanders in Catalonia, Spain, gave off a blue-green glow after being exposed to ultraviolet light (Royal Society Open Science, ).
This ability had never been recorded in fire salamanders before, despite being a very well-studied species.
The fluorescence, which was produced by secretions from the salamanders’ skin glands, appeared primarily on the side and underside of their bodies.
The researchers behind the work believe that this biofluorescence may help the animals to attract mates, or perhaps even protect themselves from predators.
