"Animals around the world could be
scared away from power cables because these give off UV flashes invisible to
humans, scientists have said.
Several species' vision was studied by an international team to identify this ultra-violet (UV) sensitivity.
The findings, published in the journal Conservation Biology, claimed habitats and migration could be disrupted.
The flashes, or corona, occur when charge builds up in a cable and is released into the air.
The international team, including scientists from University College London and the Arctic University of Norway, measured the spectrum of light emitted by these bursts of charge.
They worked out that although the light was invisible to us, it contained wavelengths seen by many other mammals.
"Most mammals will let some [UV light] into their eye," explained UCL vision expert Prof Glen Jeffery, one of the lead researchers in this project.
"We're weird - us and monkeys - because we don't see UV. Most animals do." "
To read the entire article visit: http://www.bbc.com/news/26548483
*Excerpt from BBC website
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