Question

Why do animals eyes like dogs or cats sometimes glow when you take photos?

Answer 1

The tapetum lucidum (Latin for “shining layer”) is essentially a tiny mirror in the back of many types of nocturnal animals' eyeballs. It basically helps these animals see super-well at night. It is also what causes the glowing eye phenomenon known as “eyeshine.

Answer 2

When you take photos of animals like dogs or cats, their eyes sometimes appear to glow or have a shiny reflection. This is because they have a layer of tissue called the tapetum lucidum behind their retinas, which acts like a mirror and reflects light back through the retina. The reflection of light creates the glowing effect in photos.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you take photos of animals like dogs or cats, their eyes sometimes appear to glow or have a shiny reflection. This phenomenon is known as eyeshine. Eyeshine occurs because certain animals, including dogs and cats, have a layer of tissue called the tapetum lucidum located behind their retinas.

The tapetum lucidum acts like a mirror and reflects light back through the retina, giving it a second chance to be detected by the photoreceptor cells in the eye. This increases the animal's ability to see in low-light conditions. When a camera flash or another source of bright light is directed at the animal's eyes, the light is reflected by the tapetum lucidum, creating the glowing effect.

It's important to note that not all animals have this reflective layer in their eyes. For example, humans do not have a tapetum lucidum, so their eyes do not glow in photos.