Overview
- Scientists documented that the European fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) fluoresces a turquoise color when exposed to ultraviolet light, with peak emission between 465 and 515 nanometers.
- High-density fluorescent speckles concentrate on the salamander’s yellow flanks and belly and match the pattern of skin gland structures seen in UV photography and lab dissections.
- Laboratory tests found the glow in skin glands, glandular secretions and blood, and the secretions remained fluorescent for more than 24 hours after release.
- The specific molecule or molecules causing the fluorescence are not yet identified and the research team is conducting chemical analyses and planned behavioral studies to test whether the trait aids communication or reinforces the species’ warning coloration.
- The finding comes as the threatened salamander faces habitat loss, and researchers say understanding its visual signals could affect knowledge of night-time behavior and inform conservation strategies.