Derek Muller teamed up with Dr. Carl Kloock of California State University Bakersfield to try to find out why scorpions glow a neon-green color when they are under ultraviolet light, either natural moonlight or artificial blacklight.
Photo Credit: Unsplash,Leon Pauleikhoff
Dr. Kloock said he has about six different hypotheses about why scorpions fluoresce.
In the video below, he says,
“What we don’t know is why they want to detect ultraviolet light so badly that they’ve turned their whole body into a photon detector.
The suspicion is that it has to do with determining whether or not they should come out at night.”
Check it out to get the whole story and to see how they conducted their research.
Other reasons?
The fluorescence works as a type of sunblock that protects the arachnids during the daytime. It actually allows them to detect and avoid harmful UV rays. Also, the way that they glow might allow them to recognize another scorpion easier.
Whatever the reasons may be… I have to say… any animal that glows looks really cool!