Glow-in-the-Dark Amphibians Are Way More Common Than Scientists Thought

Whether it’s the spots on their backs or the slime on their skin, more amphibians glow in the dark than researchers realized.

By Leslie Nemo
Feb 27, 2020 8:01 PMFeb 27, 2020 8:02 PM
glowing salamander - Lamb Davis
Credit: Jennifer Y. Lamb and Matthew P. Davis

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You’d be lucky enough to spot a wild alpine newt in the first place. But if you were to catch a glimpse of the spotted amphibians right at dusk, you might be shocked to see a neon green belly glowing up at you.

Under the right circumstances, alpine newts glow in the dark. So do at least 31 other amphibian species — something researchers didn’t know until a herpetologist and ichthyologist decided to literally shine a special light on them and watched as skin, mucus, bones and more lit up in green and orange.

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