Imagine a lamp that needs no switch. Some animals carry one inside their bodies! They make their own light. This is called bioluminescence (say: by-oh-loo-mih-NES-ens). It is a long word. Can you clap it out, one beat at a time?
Fireflies: flying lanterns
Fireflies are not really flies. They are beetles! Their light is cold. It gives off almost no heat.
Fireflies flash to find each other. Each kind of firefly has its own flashing pattern. It is like a secret code!
If you ever see fireflies, watch them quietly. Do not catch them. Let them glow and fly free.
In Purushwadi, a village in Maharashtra, the forests twinkle with fireflies. This happens when the monsoon begins. People travel there to see the show.
Lights in the deep sea
The deep sea is very dark. Sunlight cannot reach it. It is darker than your room at night with the lights off. So many animals there make their own light.
The anglerfish has a glowing lure on its head. It looks like a tiny lantern. Small fish swim close to the light. Then the anglerfish gulps them up!
Why do animals glow?
Animals glow for different reasons.
- Some glow to find a partner.
- Some glow to catch food.
- Some glow to warn enemies to stay away.
Some tiny sea creatures glow too. When waves shake them, the sea shines blue at night!
Wonder about: If you could glow, what colour would you choose? What would you use your light for?