{"id":195929,"date":"2025-06-19T02:01:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T02:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/195929\/"},"modified":"2025-06-19T02:01:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T02:01:13","slug":"wildlife-photographer-blown-away-by-rare-marsupials-fur-glowing-in-the-dark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/195929\/","title":{"rendered":"Wildlife Photographer Blown Away By Rare Marsupial’s Fur Glowing In The Dark"},"content":{"rendered":"

At first glance, eastern quolls seem like ordinary marsupials. Native to Tasmania, Australia, they\u2019re the size of house cats and have brownish gray or black coats with white spots.<\/p>\n

Ben Alldridge<\/p>\n

But behind eastern quolls\u2019 unassuming appearances, they\u2019re hiding a secret: Their fur glows.<\/p>\n

Ben Alldridge<\/p>\n

Eastern quolls exhibit a fascinating trait called biofluorescence. As the Australian Museum<\/a> explains on Facebook, \u201cBiofluorescence is when certain chemicals on the surface of an organism, like proteins, absorb light and re-emit it as visible color, often in vivid colors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Biofluorescence is invisible to the naked human eye and can only be seen with the help of a UV light.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnimals can naturally perceive that if they have that sort of light spectrum in their eyes,\u201d photographer Ben Alldridge<\/a> told The Dodo. \u201cTechnically, it\u2019s always going on, but simply because our eyes aren\u2019t designed for it, we can\u2019t specifically see it in isolation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben Alldridge<\/p>\n

Last year, Alldridge was on a camping trip in a remote area of Southwest Tasmania when out of nowhere, a family of eastern quolls appeared. Alldridge held his breath as the small animals got closer and closer to him.<\/p>\n

Alldridge has been studying biofluorescence for years, so he happened to have his specialized UV strobe flashlight with him. After testing his UV light on the animals to make sure it didn\u2019t bother them, he began taking pictures. As a wildlife photographer, it\u2019s incredibly important to ensure you\u2019re not disturbing the animals you\u2019re photographing.<\/p>\n

When Alldridge saw the images he’d captured, he was blown away.<\/p>\n

Ben Alldridge<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wouldn’t actually expect this sort of gray fur to glow this interesting golden sort of peachy color with really intense reds,\u201d Alldridge said.<\/p>\n

Alldridge had previously captured images of eastern quolls\u2019 biofluorescence at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, but it felt extra special to get to photograph them in the wild.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe this is the first fluorescence documented in the species in a wild setting, or at the very least would be amongst the clearest imagery,\u201d Alldridge wrote on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ben Alldridge<\/p>\n

Biofluorescence<\/a> is not exclusive to eastern quolls and has actually been observed in many organisms. But because it\u2019s invisible to humans, the phenomenon has barely been studied. In fact, we still have no idea why it happens. It could be protective or have to do with communication or mating rituals \u2014 but much more research is needed to know for sure.<\/p>\n

Ben Alldridge<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, eastern quolls are endangered. Due to climate change, habitat loss and car accidents, their numbers have greatly dwindled.<\/p>\n

Alldridge hopes that the photos he\u2019s captured will inspire more eastern quoll conservation efforts. Already, his incredible images have sparked curiosity about the unique animals and biofluorescence in general.<\/p>\n

To learn more about eastern quolls, you can check out Alldridge’s\u00a0web page<\/a> about them. To keep up with Alldridge’s photography work, you can follow him on Instagram<\/a>.\"Shelter<\/a>Shelter Dog Has Given Up On Humans After Waiting 5 Years For Someone He Can TrustCan you change his mind?<\/a>