The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) shared a photo of an animal’s eyes glowing in the dark. The pair of eyes appears red and purple, widely set, and oval in shape. Can you guess the animal?
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Here are some hints:
- USFWS says the photo was taken in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia.
- This animal’s eyes glow because they have a reflective layer of tissue called the tapetum lucidum, which helps the creature see in low-light conditions.
- It’s a reptile.
Check out the USFWS’s mystery set of animal eyes, then scroll down for the answer:
What Animal Is It?
The USFWS’s caption gives it away.
“Is it just us, or does this look like a creature from a sci-fi movie?,” USFWS asks in its Instagram post sharing the mysterious set of animal eyes. “These glowing eyes belong to an American alligator, spotted after dark at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia.”
“Alligator eyes are equipped with a special layer called the tapetum lucidum, which reflects light and helps them see in low-light conditions—basically night vision goggles built in,” USFWS adds. “That same layer is what makes their eyes glow like this when hit with a flashlight or camera flash.”
Did you guess correctly?
Header image by Larry Woodward/USFWS