[neilep (OP)]

I know I would normally just  post these to the Science Piccys Of The Week Thread but they are so amazing I wanted to bring special attention to them:

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=957.msg395230#msg395230



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[RD]

Taste the printer cartridges ? ...

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1099282/Pete-purple-squirrel-leaves-animal-lovers-baffled.html

[CliffordK]

Hmmm
There is even a wikipedia page about Purple Squirrels.

Apparently a few have been caught, but nobody seems to have spent the effort to determine the exact cause.

This article is suggesting it may be  brominated trihalomethanes,, and like everything else, blaming it on hydraulic fracking of natural gas.

[RD]

If the purple squirrels occur on both sides of the Atlantic then the most likely explanation is that the colouring is innate,
 cf albino, otherwise there would have to be a rare environmental factor common to both continents. [ e.g. eating a purple ornamental plant, or maybe the consumed substance is not purple but one of it's breakdown products is ]

update: Purple fur on 3rd continent ...

SCIENTISTS in Australia have confirmed the existence of a mysterious purple wallaby which until now was considered nothing more than an Outback legend.

Almost 80 years ago a French-born Australian biologist, A S Le Souf, first described the existence of a wallaby with purple fur around its face and neck that had been seen in a remote part of Queensland near the mining town of Mount Isa. Scientists refused to believe that the animal existed and the claim, made in 1924, was discredited.

More recently, wildlife experts have become aware of the existence of rock wallabies with strange purple colouring in their fur, but assumed that the colour was some sort of natural dye that had rubbed off on the animals by accident, possibly from plants or natural minerals.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/1360104/Legend-of-the-purple-wallaby-proves-to-be-true.html

[CliffordK]

Yes,
I think the printer ink is less likely, although it is still possible.
But, it still could be something dietary, or perhaps a rare mutation coupled with some common dietary factor.

Certainly the squirrel and wallaby coloration could be different.  I'm not seeing any good purple wallaby photos, but it sounds like there is more information about them than the squirrels. 

[chris]

I know I would normally just  post these to the Science Piccys Of The Week Thread but they are so amazing I wanted to bring special attention to them:

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=957.msg395230#msg395230



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Neil - what was the source of these lovely ant pictures please?

P.S. I like the obese, lardy-ants who are blatantly already full with one colour but couldn't resist a mouthful of the other colours too!

[neilep (OP)]

I know I would normally just  post these to the Science Piccys Of The Week Thread but they are so amazing I wanted to bring special attention to them:

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=957.msg395230#msg395230



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Neil - what was the source of these lovely ant pictures please?

P.S. I like the obese, lardy-ants who are blatantly already full with one colour but couldn't resist a mouthful of the other colours too!

Chris,

I have a number of sources:

In the Science Picture thread I credit the Daily mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2022765/The-ants-multi-coloured-abdomens-exactly-theyve-eating.html#ixzz1U9mFq1wR

There is also the rather brilliant Colosal site http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2011/08/translucent-ants-photographed-eating-colored-liquids/?src=footer

and this here https://www.facebook.com/IFeakingLoveScience (please be advised that this link leads to a Facebook site which incorporates a word that is not safe for work NSFW and may cause offence and be deemed unsuitable for minors and anyone easily upset by profanity)

[Lmnre]

People have been color feeding canaries since the 1930's.

[Lynda]

People have been color feeding canaries since the 1930's.

Yes, I used to, in the 1970's, breed Red Factor canaries.   Their colour is helped along by feeding them carophyll red (which currently is sold mixed in feed).   Carrots also have some colouring influence for red factor canaries.  Apparently, carophyll red is also used to colour pink flamingoes - in order to replace the type of colouring food they can obtain in the wild.

[William McCormick]

I know I would normally just  post these to the Science Piccys Of The Week Thread but they are so amazing I wanted to bring special attention to them:

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=957.msg395230#msg395230



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Definitely unique. Very nice macro photography.

Are you using side lighting?

                      Sincerely,

                            William McCormick

[neilep (OP)]

I know I would normally just  post these to the Science Piccys Of The Week Thread but they are so amazing I wanted to bring special attention to them:

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=957.msg395230#msg395230

Definitely unique. Very nice macro photography.

Are you using side lighting?

                      Sincerely,

                            William McCormick

I didn't actually take the photos but I'm glad you like them.