Posted by Tonya Massey on February 15, 2005

Q: What I am looking for is some kind of reference that indicates what animal reflects back what color eyes in the dark. As I inderstand things, the color reflected back is likley to be different, depending on the species. That was confirmend by google, but I couldn't find anything regarding specifics. Thanks!

A: There is a layer in the back of the eyes of some animals called the tapedum lucidum (ta-PEE-tum LOO-sih-dum) that reflects light back into the eye to help with vision. You are correct in thinking that there are different colors from different animals. A bear's eye shines a deep red, a deer's shines orange-yellow while a cat's shows a greenish tint, I believe sharks are rather green, and of course, humans have a pale red or orangish color. Hope this helps.

John Wiessinger ( February 15, 2005)