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23 January 2019 Ultraviolet fluorescence discovered in New World flying squirrels (Glaucomys)
Allison M. Kohler, Erik R. Olson, Jonathan G. Martin, Paula Spaeth Anich
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Abstract

Fluorescence of visible wavelengths under ultraviolet (UV) light has been previously detected in a wide range of birds, reptiles, and amphibians and a few marsupial mammals. Here, we report the discovery of vivid UV fluorescence of the pelage in Glaucomys, the New World flying squirrels. Fluorescence in varying intensities of pink was observed in females and males of all extant species (G. oregonensis, G. sabrinus, and G. volans) across all sampled geographic areas in North and Central America and a temporal range of 130 years. We observed fluorescence in museum specimens (n = 109) and wild individuals (n = 5) on both dorsal and ventral surfaces. Museum specimens of three co-occurring, diurnal sciurid species (Sciurus carolinensis, S. niger, and Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) were also examined but did not fluoresce. The ecological significance of this trait in the nocturnal–crepuscular flying squirrels warrants further investigation.

©2019 American Society of Mammalogists, www.mammalogy.org
Allison M. Kohler, Erik R. Olson, Jonathan G. Martin, and Paula Spaeth Anich "Ultraviolet fluorescence discovered in New World flying squirrels (Glaucomys)," Journal of Mammalogy 100(1), 21-30, (23 January 2019). https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyy177
Received: 30 December 2018; Accepted: 20 December 2018; Published: 23 January 2019
KEYWORDS
crepuscular
fluorescence
flying squirrels
Glaucomys oregonensis
Glaucomys sabrinus
Glaucomys volans
museum specimens
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