…Have you ever seen an animal that glows in the dark?

As we all know by now, mother nature is amazing and she sure did not disappoint when she created the animal kingdom. From fluffy cats and dogs that are great for snuggles and cuddles, rare species that look marvelous, to animals that have the ability to glow in the dark, all we can say is WOW!

If you’ve ever wandered in the sea or even ventured beneath the surface in a submarine, there is a high chance that you’ve caught a glimpse of these small and flickering animals.

Even though you might think that they look a bit like aliens, the truth is that their glow serves as a way of communication with other members of the same species or they even use it to mess with their predators’ minds.

There are two major ways that help these animals glow in the dark. The first one is to take in the light that surrounds them and then release it back. In the scientific world, this whole process is called biofluorescence.

On the other hand, there are also other animals that have the ability to produce light on their own. Just like the other process previously mentioned, this one has a name as well: bioluminescence.

If you want to know more about these small creatures that can glow in the dark, keep reading about the following 6!

1. Jellyfish

According to scientists, the jellyfish is the most bioluminescent creature on the planet. Approximately half of the 2,000 species emit some type of glowing capability. 

The main reason why jellyfish use their light is to get rid of predators. There are jellyfish that release bright flashes to escape from carnivores, while others do this just because they want to.

2. Angler Fish

Besides looking like an angry and terrifying predator, the angler fish also has an impressive bioluminescent organ. These animals are named after their nature of predation, in which a reshaped luminescent fin ray has the role of a lure for other fish.

According to several sources, animals are attracted by the light the angler fish release, which makes them fall into the trap. In addition to that, the light helps females find convenient partners in the dark waters of the ocean.

3. Fungus Gnats

Fungus gnats are small insects that look like mosquitos and feed on fungi. They are also called dark-winged fungus gnats or mushroom flies and they have a special ability: they can glow in the dark during all the stages of their lives (except when they’re only an egg).

However, their light is the strongest when they are larvas. If you notice a lighting fungus gnat and you catch him by surprise, their luminous glow seems to suddenly turn off. That is because the insect tries to crawl into a crevice, masking its light.

4. Sea Firefly

Sea firefly is the name of a tiny crustacean that measures even less than an inch in length. This small creature can be found in the deep waters of Japan. When the mating season comes, the male splashes luminous dots of light to expose his location to females. During World War II, these creatures were used by soldiers to illuminate messages during the night.

…Number 5 is absolutely amazing! 

5. Tasmanian Devil

At the moment, the Tasmanian devil is one of the few land mammifers that has the ability to glow in the dark. This impressive discovery happened by accident in December 2020, when a zoo technician noticed that these mammals can shine under ultraviolet lights.

The Tasmanian devils’ skin shines around their eyes, snout, and inner ears due to the fact that it can absorb ultraviolet light, which is not visible to humans, and release it as blue, clear, and detectable light.

There are experts who believe that this amazing glow serves as a way of communicating. Besides the Tasmanian devils, other animals that have the ability to glow under UV light are springhares and flying squirrels.

…Did you know about these animals?

6. Krill 

Krill are another type of small marine crustacean and the majority of them measure a maximum of an inch or two in length. These tiny creatures serve as food for larger marine animals, such as whales, which can eat up to thousands of krill.

Even though they are small, they have an incredible ability to produce light straight from their own bodies. Some species of krill even have a more extraordinary rotatable lens which they use for directing the light straight to a particular area. Even though researchers don’t know exactly the reason why they emit this light, we can say that this is pretty amazing.

…If you want to know more about pets or wild animals, we came to the right place! Until next time, make sure to check this article out as well: 9 Reasons Not To Let Your Pet Sleep In Your Bed Tonight!