• Question: why does cats and dogs eyes glow in the dark

    Asked by beccawilko to Simon, Hannah on 21 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Simon Holyoake

      Simon Holyoake answered on 21 Jun 2013:

      their eyes don’t actually glow, glowing is caused by something generating and emitting light, like fireflies

      however they appear to glow in the dark when a light is shone on them, this is caused by a part of the eye called the Tapetum Lucidum, this is a structure many nocturnal animals possess, it helps them see well in low light levels by reflecting all available light towards the retina, it also reflects strong light (such as a torch beam) out of the eye, making it look like the eyes are glowing

    • Photo: Hannah Bentham

      Hannah Bentham answered on 24 Jun 2013:

      Simon, great answer! 🙂
      Don’t think I have anything else to add.

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