Why are there no green mammals?

[Australis]

Green-ish

Lavia frons

 

[jack]

there is an explanation of why mammalian fur is not green. i read about it a few years back. it is to do with the physics of light interacting with the protein structure of hair. i can't remember all the details, so jfgi

 

[bump73]

Its not actually green, In reality the fur is olive grey, but it is grizzled with silver, yellow and black hairs, which makes it appear green

Technically you may be right, but if someone asked me what colour it was i'd say green :lol::lol: And if someone said it was olive grey i'd tell them to get their eyes checked. In my books if it "appears" green it is green..

Ben

 

[battla]

Fur only has 2 types of pigment. One gives reddish yellow colour and one gives black brown. By mixxing them in different ratios and strengths you can get a lot of different colours but none of them will be bright green

 

[Melusina]

There is a bacterium that feeds on the beta-keratin protein- a protein which is found in the feathers of birds and also the fur of mammals. The bacteria 'feeds' by hydrolysing this protein, which makes up for most of the mass of fur/feather structures. I have only ever heard of this bacteria on the feathers of birds, but if it can be found feeding on the beta-keratin protein in the feathers then it's likely to also be found feeding on fur. Research into feathers shows that the bacteria is more prevalent in bright colours and there is a correlation between the bacteria and adverse effects on the health of a bird. So basically bright= bacteria= chance of ill health. If most mammalian colouring is quite dull, then there will be less of this bacteria feeding on the fur structure and possibly affecting the health of the mammal. Perhaps far back down the evolutionary path, when birds became brighter for whatever purposes, selective pressure forced most mammals to take a far less bright aesthetic route due to a beta-keratin protein-eating-bacteria. That's the only explanation I could think of. Or perhaps it's really simple, and that most mammals are found in grassy or wooded areas that require the fur to be brown/yellow for camouflage.

 

[AnimalCollector6]

Colugos are kinda green.

 

[Nagraj]

Why have none of them gone there- except by the extarodinary lengths gone to by the previously mentioned green ringtail or sloths?

That's evolution for you. Either a random green mutation has never occurred or if it did it has never survived to pass on it's genetics. Given the success of mammals in general I would consider that it hasn't been a major handicap.

 

[Waterrat]

Looks like the whole green-blue-purple spectrum is missing in mammals. Something to do with reflectiveness?

 

[SteveNT]

Colugos are kinda green.

Thanks cobber. I'd never come across colugos before and they are great looking little guys. I bet they'd be green if they could be

 

[Sdaji]

It's not easy being green.

 

[Bax155]

Green is for snot its just a cruel joke when animals are that colour!