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Mysterious Glowing Mammals: An Unexpected Discovery Sparks a Scientific Investigation

By Maria Parrott-Ryan
Edition

Library edition

Publisher Lerner Imprint Millbrook Press ISBN

9781728460413

Mysterious Glowing Mammals: An Unexpected Discovery Sparks a Scientific Investigation

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SKU
9781728460413J

"One night a scientist discovered something surprising in his own backyard: a flying squirrel that glowed bright pink! Follow along on an investigation into flying squirrels -- and other mammals -- that glow when exposed to ultraviolet light"--



Late one night, ecologist Jonathan Martin was searching for tree frogs in his Wisconsin backyard when he made an unexpected discovery. As he shined an ultraviolet flashlight in the direction of a high-pitched chirp, Martin saw a flash of bright pink at his bird feeder. That pink glow was coming from a flying squirrel. What was going on?



You're probably familiar with some kinds of glowing animals. Fireflies light up summer nights. Bioluminescent jellyfish and other sea creatures fill our oceans. But some animals glow only under ultraviolet light. This is called biofluorescence. That flying squirrel Martin found turned out to be one of the first-ever recorded sightings of a biofluorescent mammal.



Follow along with Martin and his colleagues as they delve into the mystery of the flying squirrels and discover that they aren't the only glowing mammals out there!



Author’s note. Glossary. Source notes. Selected bibliography. Suggestions for further reading. Index. Full-color photographs, maps, and diagrams.
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Praise & Reviews

Gr 4 Up-When a scientist accidentally finds a glowing flying squirrel in his backyard, a whole chain of scientific events is set into motion. Did you know there are mammals that glow different colors under a UV light? Or that this is called biofluorescence, which differs from bioluminescence? How about what a naturalist, a chemist, and a biologist might have in common and what their specific roles are in a scientific discovery? This title answers all those questions and so many more. The narrative nonfiction format reads like an adventure novel, exploding with every text feature imaginable from maps and diagrams to an abundance of sidebars devoted to deep dives on things like how UV light works and differences between mammal species. The text is strongly aligned to curriculum standards, covering topics such as animal traits and classification while thoroughly exploring the scientific process through story and inquiry. Abundant full-color photographs are sprinkled throughout as well as a QR code which links to a YouTube video of the glowing flying squirrels. Young explorers are encouraged to think critically, look at the varying perspectives of a new discovery, and seek out their own observations. Parrot-Ryan urges, "Discoveries don't have to come in a flashy neon package to lead to some exciting science." An author's note, glossary, index, and suggested further reading are also included in the back matter. VERDICT A must-purchase for collections serving curious minds, suitable for upper elementary or middle grades.-Emily Beasleyα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Science Nonfiction Elementary Plus (Grades 2-6)

Science Nonfiction Elementary Plus

Science Nonfiction Elementary Plus (Grades 2-6)

For Grades 2-6

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Biographies, Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Reluctant Readers, Science/STEAM

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