(CNN) — Glowing bats may sound like Halloween decor, but researchers in Georgia have discovered certain species of North American bats that are capable of the unusual trick .

When placed under ultraviolet lighting, six species of the critters were found to emit a green luminescence. It is the first record of the phenomenon in bats native to that part of the world, according to an October 20 news release from the University of Georgia .

The discovery adds to the growing list of mammals that share the trait. But scientists still don’t know why some furry animals glow while others do not. The findings were published in July in the journal Ecology and Evolution .

“What was already really established before this project, was that a lot of mammals glow under UV light. So, then the ques

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