Discovery: Reindeer's fascinating color-changing eyes

Reindeer's noses may not glow red, but these cold-loving creatures have evolved the ability to change the color of their eyes to help them thrive in northern winters. A neuroscientist explains how he discovered that a part of the reindeer eye called the tapetum lucidum is perfectly adapted to the dim, blue in the Arctic.

Featuring Glen Jeffery, a professor of neuroscience at the Institute of Opthamology at University College London in the UK.

This episode was produced by Katie Flood. The interim executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.

Further reading

How reindeer eyes transform in winter to give them twilight vision

Five ways reindeer are perfectly evolved for pulling Santa’s sleigh

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Release date

Lydbog: 21. december 2022