THE endangered Eastern Quoll has been caught on camera glowing a neon blue in its natural habitat for the first time.
The creature might look unassuming at first, but Tasmanian photographer Ben Alldridge has captured it glowing in the bush.
Tasmanian photographer Ben Alldridge[/caption]
The blue glowing effect is due to the animal’s fur absorbing ultraviolet (UV) light and re-emitting visible colours, according to Alldridge.
But because the effect is invisible to the human eye, it has barely been studied.
It’s a phenomenon known to occur in various mammals, including the Tasmanian devil and wombats.
However, it has not been widely documented in the wild.
“Where their fur is normally fawn or black, under certain wavelengths of light, they exhibit a process referred to as biofluorescence – like nature’s version of a white shirt glowing at a disco,” Alldridge told the Daily Mail.
The snaps were taken on a camping trip last year, when Alldridge travelled to a remote area of Southwest Tasmania and was able to get close to a family of Eastern Quolls.
Alldridge, a former marine biologist, has been studying biofluorescence for years, so he happened to have the right UV equipment to capture their biofluorescence.
Why exactly some animals exhibit biofluorescence – or bioluminescence – is not fully understood.
Experts believe it’s biological purpose is likely related to communication, camouflage, or mating – especially in low-light conditions.
Many nocturnal animals can see UV light or have vision sensitive to blue and green wavelengths, so fluorescence might be a visual signal they can use while remaining less visible to predators.
“I’d say it’s likely a messaging or identifying system similar to our fingerprints, but that is wild speculation at best,” he said.
“For now we will just say they like to party.”
The remarkable photo is one of 12 finalists for the 2025 Beaker Street Science Photography Prize.
Alldridge captured the image using specialised UV-sensitive techniques to see the Eastern Quoll turn from grey to a neon blue.
He had previously captured images of the glowing marsupials at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, but never in the wild.
“This year’s finalists really capture what Beaker Street is all about. Making science visible, beautiful and emotionally resonant,” festival founder and executive director, Dr Margo Adler, said.
“These photographs let us see the world differently, and in some cases, quite literally reveal things we’ve never seen before.”
The blue glowing effect is due to the animal’s fur absorbing ultraviolet (UV) light and re-emitting visible colours, according to Alldridge[/caption]
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