Why do my pet's eyes light up in the dark?
You've probably tried to take a photo of your cat that turned out to be more scary than touching? You notice that its eyes on certain shots are illuminated and colored, red, green, yellow or blue… The color of this reflection varies from one animal to another, and it is due to a very particular organ, named worthy of a magic formula straight out of Harry Potter: Tapetum Lucidum !
This organ is actually a layer of highly reflective cells located between the optic nerve and the retina. This reflective layer reflects light rays to allow our companions to see better when the light is scarce, and thus to hunt better after dark.
Although it is more noticeable in the cat, this organ is present in many vertebrate species, such as the dog. What explains why we see this colored reflection more often in our kitties is that the tapetum lucidum covers ¾ of the back of the cat's eye, while in dogs it is only ⅓. It is therefore for this reason that we often see the eyes of our cats lit up like two lanterns, than those of our cats. And that's not to mention all those little wild animals whose eyes light up when they are surprised by our car headlights at nightfall!
Color may vary depending on age and breed.
The vast majority of nocturnal animals, if not all, have a tapetum lucidum. The human, not being a nocturnal animal, is not endowed with this impressive characteristic. That's why, when it's dark, we are unable to distinguish the smallest detail, while for kitty, it's the party that begins.
And you, do you ever see the colored reflection of your pet's eyes?
We want pictures! We can add them to this blog.