Hairs on the toes of Mexican free-tailed bats light up under ultraviolet light, but the reason is unknown, Jason Bittel reported in “Mexican free-tailed bats’ toes glow in the dark” (SN: 8/28/24).
Reader Eleanor Peterson asked if the glowing toes might attract prey.
It is unlikely, but it is a logical thought, says biologist Fernando Gual-Suárez of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City. Many organisms, such as some anglerfish and cave insects, use photoluminescence to lure prey. But unlike those life-forms, which are sit-and-wait predators, bats “are active aerial hunters,” Gual-Suárez says. What’s more, the photoluminescent toe hairs would be difficult for potential prey
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