Fun fact / myLot

India

August 6, 2019 4:01am CST

Reindeers eye colour changes to blue in winter to help them gather light during dark arctic months and return to golden colour in the spring and summer

5 people like this

6 responses

John Welford

@indexer (4852)

• Leicester, England

6 Aug 19

Is this why people in northern countries such as Sweden and Norway tend to have blue eyes? But I don't think they change colour with the seasons!

2 people like this

Just an Ordinary Owl?

@owlwings (43910)

• Cambridge, England

6 Aug 19

In reindeer, it isn't the colour of the iris which changes but the colour of the reflective layer which covers the retina. This is the colour that you see, for example, when a rabbit is caught in your headlights or when you shine a flashlight on a cat in the dark. More about this here:

Reindeer Eyes Turn Blue in the Winter

www.livescience.com

Reindeer eyes change color during the winter, from golden to blue, something researchers say helps them to capture more light during the Arctic's dark winter months.

3 people like this

John Welford

@indexer (4852)

• Leicester, England

6 Aug 19

@owlwings Thanks for that. When they say you learn something new every day, I did not expect reindeer retinas to be the new thing for today!

2 people like this

Just an Ordinary Owl?

@owlwings (43910)

• Cambridge, England

6 Aug 19

@indexer Nor I! As a seasonal Santa (though, actually, I don't think that I'm doing it this year), that sort of information is useful to me!