Featured in: Year 4: Electricity

Firefly icon

Firefly

Invertebrate
Firefly glowing at night
Firefly glowing at night

A bulb turns electrical energy into light. Some creatures can make their own light using chemistry!

Nature's Equivalent:

A firefly or glow-worm uses a special chemical reaction inside its body to produce light. This is called 'bioluminescence' (which means 'living light'). They use it to talk to each other and attract a mate.

πŸ’‘ Fun Facts

  • Fireflies are super efficient! Unlike a light bulb, which wastes lots of energy as heat, a firefly's light is 'cold light' and wastes almost no energy.
  • For a 'buzzer' equivalent, a rattlesnake has a special rattle on its tail, which it shakes to create a loud buzzing sound to warn off predators.