Do reindeer's eyes really change color? If so, why, and how does this adaptation actually work in the wild? Scientists have known for years that mirror-like tissue in reindeer eyes changes color from a greenish gold in the summer to vivid blue in the winter, a process that is thought to amplify the low. The claim: Photos show reindeer have golden eyes in the summer and blue eyes in the winter Reindeer are often associated with a red nose. Why do reindeer's eyes change color with the seasons? In this video, Alex Dainis explains why reindeer eyes change color from orange-gold in the summer to blue in the winter.
This change allows them to UV light in the winter time, which might seem counterintuitive because of their bright, snowy habitat. However, the reindeers' food source is a light colored lichen that absorbs UV. An astrophysicist and an eye expert teamed up to solve the mystery of how and why reindeers' eyes switch from yellow to blue in wintertime.
Rudolf may have had a glowing red nose, but real Arctic reindeer have eyes that shine a different hue depending on the season - deep blue in the cold, dark winter, and golden in the summer. For more than a decade, no one could explain the color difference. Now, a study conducted by Glen Jeffery, from the University College London, suggests a reason behind this mysterious seasonal change.
Why Reindeer Eyes Change Color with the Seasons: Reindeer Eye Color Mystery Solved Reindeer, also known as caribou in North America, inhabit some of the coldest and darkest parts of our planet. These remarkable creatures face months of near. 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.
Most mammals have a golden tapetum, and so do the reindeer in summer. So why does this layer become blue in winter? Some indigenous communities believe that the eyes of a reindeer can reveal insights into its spiritual essence or even convey messages from the natural world. The notion that the eyes might change color with the seasons could be a poetic interpretation of the shifts in the spiritual energy associated with each time of the year.