Biofluorescence in tiger salamanders documented in Rocky Mountain National Park for the first time

Abstract/Summary

Recent work has shown that many amphibians are biofluorescent. Biofluorescence describes an organism’s ability to absorb visible and ultraviolet light and re-emit it at a lower energy level (e.g., blue light re-emitted as green fluorescence). However, the function of fluorescence in amphibians is unclear. We observed paedomorphic western tiger salamanders at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park and obtained the first images recorded at this park of biofluorescence in these animals in response to blue light.