Naturally Speaking
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Photo courtesy of Jerry Davis
A raccoon's eyes within its mask appear yellow when hit by a vehicle's headlights.
Glowing animal eyes can be eerie, but also quite interesting if we try to determine whose eyes are there shining back at us.
Many animals who are out at night have reflective material behind their eyes' retinas, which make their eyes appear to glow when hit by a flashlight or vehicle's headlights. The color of the reflection, or whether or not there even is a reflection, depends on the species.
Raccoons, deer, dogs, cats, and horses produce these reflections, while humans, other primates, and pigs do not have eyes that glow at night.
The substance behind the retinas influences the glowing color, and so can the amount of the riboflavin or zinc back there. The animal's age and other factors also impact the color.
Use the height of the eyes above the ground, the distance between those eyes, and whether there is a group of eyes or a single pair to guess the species out at night. If there is only one eye, it's time to head home.
