A Wonderleaf question
Why do fireflies glow?
a real page from the book
Fireflies glow because chemicals in their bodies react with oxygen and release light. They can control the flash by managing oxygen in a special light-making part of the abdomen. The glow is cool, not fiery, so nearly all the energy becomes light instead of heat.
Most flashes are messages. Males and females of the same species recognize one another by timing and pattern, while the glow can also warn hungry animals that the insect tastes bad. Some fireflies even imitate another species' signal to lure a meal closer.
Wonder words
- luciferin
- oxygen
- enzyme
- signal
Try it out
Sit outside at dusk and make quiet blink patterns with a flashlight, taking turns copying each other's code.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- Why do whales explode into giant feeding frenzies together?
- How do dung beetles steer by the stars?
- How do spiders spin webs?
One more wonder: Why is space so dark?
And the next question?
Ask anything — Wonderleaf writes and illustrates a picture book for it. That's the whole idea.
Ask your own questionThe next wonder, by email
A new question goes up every Sunday evening. We email it to you Monday morning, free to read that week.
One wonder a week, nothing else, ever. Unsubscribe in one click.