There is a common misconception that snakes eyes shine or glow in the dark. This is not true! Snakes eyes do not have any light-reflecting properties so they cannot glow in the dark. However some snakes have heat-sensitive pits on their faces that allow them to “see” in infrared which might make it appear as though their eyes are glowing.
Do snake eyes glow in the dark?
Answer: No snake eyes do not glow in the dark.
Why don’t snake eyes glow in the dark?
Answer: Snake eyes don’t glow in the dark because they don’t have a tapetum lucidum.
What is a tapetum lucidum?
Answer: A tapetum lucidum is a reflective layer of tissue in the eye that helps some animals see better in low-light conditions.
Which animals have a tapetum lucidum?
Answer: Animals that have a tapetum lucidum include dogs cats sheep and deer.
How does a tapetum lucidum work?
Answer: A tapetum lucidum works by reflecting light back through the retina a second time which allows more light to be absorbed and improves night vision.
Do all animals have a tapetum lucidum?
Answer: No not all animals have a tapetum lucidum.
How do animals that don’t have a tapetum lucidum see in the dark?
Answer: Animals that don’t have a tapetum lucidum see in the dark by having large pupils that let in more light.
Which animals have large pupils?
Answer: Animals that have large pupils include owls bats and cats.
Why do large pupils help animals see in the dark?
Answer: Large pupils help animals see in the dark because they let in more light.
How do animals that don’t have a tapetum lucidum or large pupils see in the dark?
Answer: Animals that don’t have a tapetum lucidum or large pupils see in the dark by having sensitivity to light in the infrared part of the spectrum.
What is the infrared part of the spectrum?
Answer: The infrared part of the spectrum is the part of the spectrum that is just beyond the red part of the visible spectrum.
How do animals see in the infrared part of the spectrum?
Answer: Animals see in the infrared part of the spectrum by having special cells in their eyes that are sensitive to infrared light.
What are special cells in the eyes that are sensitive to infrared light called?
Answer: Special cells in the eyes that are sensitive to infrared light are called pit cells.
Do all animals have pit cells?
Answer: No not all animals have pit cells.
How do animals that don’t have pit cells see in the dark?
Answer: Animals that don’t have pit cells see in the dark by having a larger surface area of their eyes that is sensitive to light.
