Reindeer eyes change color with the seasons, from golden yellow in summer to dark blue in winter

    Reindeer eyes change color with the seasons, from golden yellow in summer to dark blue in winter

    Reindeer eyes change color from summer yellow to winter blue allowing the animals to see during the winter months

    All animals, including humans, are capable of adapt your eyes according to the amount of light present.
    In fact, in conditions of darkness, the muscles of the irises contract to dilate the pupils and allow more light to enter the eyes. Conversely, when there is a lot of light, the pupils shrink.





    - reindeer eyes however, they have an extra gear and are able to completely change color according to the seasons.
    In summer, when the sun is bright, reindeer eyes are golden, while as bad weather approaches, the irises tend to darken to a deep blue during the winter months.

    The part of the eye that changes color is the tapetum lucidum, a layer of reflective tissue behind the retina. This fabric reflects light on the retina increasing the amount of light available to the photoreceptors.
    Il tapetum lucidum contribute alla night vision of many predators that hunt at night, and is responsible for that glow we see in the dark when we light up the eyes of our cat friends.

    During the winter, the reindeer pupils are forced to remain dilated for months and this constant pressure on the muscles of the iris changes the structure of the eye.
    As the pressure inside the eyeballs increases, the long collagen fibers that make up the tapetum lucidum reorganize, packing.
    The space between these fibers affects the type of light they reflect: during the summer months fibers are looser, so tapetum lucidum reflects yellow and wavelengths the eyes appear goldenwhereas when spaces become narrower, the reflected wavelength changes and the eyes appear blue. In intermediate light conditions, reindeer eyes turn green.

    Blue eyes are at least a thousand times more sensitive to light
    of the golden ones, while the sensitivity of green eyes is in the middle.
    The increased sensitivity allows reindeer to see in the dark, factor essential for their survival during the long months of darkness.



    Read also:

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    • Reindeer face extinction due to climate change
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