My Hedgehog is FLUORESCENT!

[Chloethehedgie7]

Maybe he anointed something and it got on his back. It probably stained. :P

[Annie&Tibbers]

It's a few entire scattered quills. If it were annoiting, I would expect splotches and more quilll tip-not-base.

[chemistry nerd]

Hi,

another person in a German chemistry forum observed the same thing, but even stronger. Here: http://illumina-chemie.de/fotos-scho...3356-s426.html

We found out that the fluorescent stuff is probably a porphyrin. There seems only to be one single study on this phenomenon from 1925 (in French) and they thought it is probably a porphyrin. Interestingly, hedgehogs seem to be the only mammals that have porphyrins in their integument (skin). Red fluorescent porphyrins are also known from brown eggshells.

[nikki]

This thread is 5 years old. Do not post on old threads.

[chemistry nerd]

Can you explain why? The discussion wasn't finished because there wasn't an explanation for this phenomenon. Also, if you search for this phenomenon in the web, you will find this thread and no answer. I didn't post this info to communicate with the original poster but to close a knowledge gap for people who use search engines for the same observation of fluorescent hedgehogs.

I read the forum rules and there ist no rule that says one shouldn't post on old threads "because they are old", but because it would either be annoying or useless. If there is an open question of general interest, is it annoying or useless? If so, please just delete my post.

[nikki]

As stated in the forum rules - Read the date the thread you are replying to was posted. Dragging up year or two old threads is not only annoying but pointless as often the original poster is no longer an active member.

Bringing up old posts just causes confusion as the OP is often no longer on the forum. We ask members to start their own new thread with a question. This has always been a forum rule.