Anyone who owns a kitten lives with someone close to them must have noticed that their eyes usually glow in the dark. More than imagining that it could be a supernatural intervention on the kitty (especially if he is at a deserted intersection), know that this phenomenon is absolutely normal. But after all, why do cats' eyes glow at night?
First of all, it is important to contextualize and say that the cat's eye will not always shine when it is at night. For this to actually occur, there must first be at least a small focus of light in the region where the feline is.
In addition, the glow in question is nothing more than light reflected and captured by a membrane that is on the back of the cat's eye, called tapetum ludicum. It is because of it that any light in the environment, no matter how small, is absorbed and makes this glow stand out - which, of course, will not happen if the pet is in an area that is totally lacking in light.
Even so, it is worth mentioning that, even in situations with low light or almost total absence of it, a cat's pupil can be up to 50% larger than that of a human, in addition to having a greater number of cells sensitive to luminosity in the behind your eyes compared to human eyes.
Another important fact is the fact that the tapetum lucidum it is not only present in the eyes of cats. Animals such as wild foxes, sheep and even dolphins rely on this element, which can also generate glowing eyes in these species of animals. In several Discovery documentaries you can prove it 🙂
What did you think of this phenomenon of cats' eyes glowing at night? 🙂