Believe it or not, these scientists aren’t “kitten” around.
Veterinary researchers have discovered that cats “glow” in the dark, according to a new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
Nightclubgoers will be familiar with the trippy sight of their white shirt, bleached teeth or neon tiki drink seemingly aglow in the dark of the dance floor — an example of fluorescence under black [UV-A] lights.
Turns out, cats, too, shine bright in the night — no club lights required.
Scientists in Australia analyzed a museum’s collection of mammals to see how many glow in the dark with a UV light turned on. They also tested the glow to see if it was actually fluorescence and not a different phenomenon.
Lead author Kenny Travouillon, a paleontologist and acting curator of ornithology at Western Australian Museum, tested frozen and preserved mammal specimens. The findings were then sent to Curtin University in Perth for analysis under a range of UV lights.
They found that 125 species had the fluorescent properties that allow them to glow in the dark under a UV light, including the domestic species of cat (Felis catus).
“We report fluorescence for 125 mammal species, from half of all mammalian families and representing almost all clades in the mammalian phylogeny,” the scientists wrote.
Other mammals that were found to illuminate under UV lights include bats, platypus, koalas, polar bears, zebras, dolphins and humans.
“The only major mammalian clade missing from our dataset is the lemurs… [and] we predict this clade will also contain fluorescent species,” the authors added.
While there are various forms of fluorescence, all include the absorption of light and a low-level emission, which often results in a glow.
“Fluorescence was most common and most intense among nocturnal species and those with terrestrial, arboreal and fossorial habits, with more of their body being more fluorescent,” the authors wrote.
Photographs showed that 125 species — 54 nocturnal and 71 diurnal — glowed under some sort of UV light, and the most fluorescent animals were typically white or pale yellow in color.
“While the amount and location of fluorescence varied between species, all exhibited some form of apparent fluorescence. Areas of fluorescence included white and light fur, quills, whiskers, claws, teeth and some naked skin,” the scientists said.
However, it’s not yet clear whether or not the mammal glow evolved as a biological function for communication or safety, though it could help animals see each other in dark lighting or in night.
“It remains unclear if fluorescence has any specific biological role for mammals. It appears to be a ubiquitous property of unpigmented fur and skin but may function to make these areas appear brighter therefore enhance visual signaling, especially for nocturnal species,” study authors said.