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Rangifer tarandus credit: US National Park Service (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) |
The golden-coloured eyes of Arctic reindeer (caribou, Rangifer tarandus) turn deep blue in winter. A researcher involved with this 2001 discovery, neuroscientist Glen Jeffery, studies vision at University College London. Describing the colour difference as “dramatic”, he said, “It has taken us 12 years to slowly find out what is going on and why.”To read the rest of this short article, click on "Why reindeer eyes turn blue in winter".
It turns out the colour change is because the reindeer seasonally change the wavelength reflection from their tapetum lucidum (TL)—the reflective surface commonly known as ‘cat’s eye’ behind the retina.
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