SUBSPECIES: Felis silvestris catus

I HAVE A MIRROR INSIDE MY EYE

This eye belong to one of the most successful predators on the planet. At night the pupils of Felis silvestris catus are twice as large as those of a human. In addition, its eyes shine in the dark. The reason for this is a layer of tissue behind the retina that functions like a mirror to reflect captured light rays back onto the retina. Result: With the help of this residual- light amplifier, this animal can see in the dark about six times better than a human can. And at 200 degrees its visual field is one-tenth larger than that of a human. But we are hopelessly inferior only at night: “Humans have 10 times as many cone cells in their retinas than Felis silvestris catus does. So we see much more than they do in the light, plus more color,” says veterinarian Kerry Ketring of All Animal Eye Clinic.