What Color Are a Lion's Eyes?
Last Updated Mar 27, 2020 5:59:47 PM ET
Lions have amber-colored eyes. The Feline Conservation Federation notes that even white lions, whose fur lacks the typical lion's pigment, have a pale amber eye color.
Because lions are nocturnal, their eyes are designed to enhance night vision. The eye's anatomical structure is responsible for the eye shine, or bright glow, that is visible when a light is shined at it during the night. The color of this eye shine often takes on a red or gold hue, but the precise color varies with the angle at which the lion is viewed.
The colorful eye shine results from a layer of cells located behind the lion's retinas. The reflective quality of these cells helps the lion's eyes absorb more light, thereby increasing the lion's night vision.
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