March 31, 2021

Go in search of a non-traditional rainbow wherever you may be, including Discovery Place Science

How the brain influences our emotions

April 3 is National Find-a-Rainbow Day, and all across the country, people are searching for rainbows to celebrate. But how do you find a rainbow? Where should you look?
Most rainbows form when sunlight is refracted and reflected through raindrops causing the white light from the sun to split into the different colors of light red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet (often referred to as ROY G BIV).

You could also use a prism in place of a raindrop to create a rainbow, but what if there is no sunlight? Where else do you think you could find a rainbow? Go on a walk and look at the flowers starting to bloom. Can you find all the colors of the rainbow? Check the kitchen and see if there’s a rainbow hidden in your fridge. Could you make a snack using all the colors of the rainbow? Look on your bookshelf – is there a rainbow tucked in with your books?

A traditional rainbow might be found outside, but there are rainbows all around us. We looked at Discovery Place Science and found a unique rainbow made from some our amazing animals!

Red Footed Tortoise

Our red footed tortoises can be found on the first level of the Rainforest near the pond. These reptiles get their name from the red markings on their legs and feet.

Orange Spotted Filefish

The orange spotted filefish can be spotted swimming in the Indo-Pacific Reef tank in the aquarium area. You’d think those bright colors would make him easy to find, but one of the advantages of living in a coral reef are all the good places to hide with those beautiful and bright colors.

Yellow Bubble Bee Poison Dart Frog

Keep an eye out for these tiny poison dart frogs living in the Rainforest. The bright colors of the poison dart frogs are a warning to predators that eating these frogs would be a mistake.

Green Iguana

This green lizard might be a familiar face. The green iguana is one of our Animal Ambassadors who helps us teach guests about the rainforest and ways people can go green.

Great Blue Turaco

Search the treetops in our Rainforest to find the great blue turaco. Listen closely and you could hear it calling. Blue is one of the rarest colors found in nature and these birds not only have beautiful blue plumage but they also lay blue eggs.

Purple Variegated Sea Urchin

These sea urchins, seen during our underwater Nose-to-Nose program, could form their own rainbow because they exist in a variety of colors, from pink to green to purple. No matter their color, they are a favorite food of sea otters.

Rainbow Boa

Could one animal be the whole rainbow? Meet our rainbow boa, whose scales act like a prism – just like raindrops do – to create a rainbow on their scales!