How well do cats see in the dark, and why do they have vertical pupils?
Cats have evolved to become nocturnal hunters and are much more sensitive to light than humans, having “minimum light detection threshold up to [seven] times less than that of humans.” In addition, cats have vertical pupils to help finely control the amount of light coming in to their back of their eye. Their pupil can become round or oval when dilated to allow more light in during the evening hours, making their night vision more accurate. Likewise, a vertical pupil can constrict down to a tiny, thin slit to prevent too much light from entering their eye during the day.
Ever wonder why your cat sometimes gets red eye in photos? Well, cats have a tapetum which is that reflective green, blue, or red hue in the back of their eye. This tapetum is 130 times more reflective than a human’s. Between having a higher sensitivity to light, a vertical pupil, a hyperactive tapetum, and a retina that has more rod photoreceptors cells (which helps with visual acuity in low light) than cone cells (which help with color and detail), cats have exceptional night vision to help with their hunting prowess, or to attack your head at three a.m.
Ever wonder why your cat sometimes gets red eye in photos? Well, cats have a tapetum which is that reflective green, blue, or red hue in the back of their eye. This tapetum is 130 times more reflective than a human’s. Between having a higher sensitivity to light, a vertical pupil, a hyperactive tapetum, and a retina that has more rod photoreceptors cells (which helps with visual acuity in low light) than cone cells (which help with color and detail), cats have exceptional night vision to help with their hunting prowess, or to attack your head at three a.m.
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