FUN FACT FRIDAY: HOW TO MAKE SCORPIONS GLOW IN THE DARK

Posted by Ryan on Fri April 17, 2015 in Fun Fact Friday.
Scorpions flouresce under UV light during evening bush walks at Bushwillow Collection, near Hluhluwe, South Africa

Did you know that all scorpions fluoresce or glow under ultraviolet light?

Scorpions show up brightly under UV light after dark, this can make them quite easy to find. Even small scorpions can be seen as far as 15 meters away with the help of a UV torch. Scorpions have a special section in the exoskeleton called the hyaline layer, that gives off this eerie glow. Depending on the species this colour can show up as fluorescent green, yellow or purple. Scorpions that have recently shed their skin do not glow until their exoskeleton hardens.

It is not yet fully understood how or why scorpions fluoresce. One theory is that it may serve for attracting and identifying mates.

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