# Flash photos: I know why my eyes turn red, but why does doggy's turn green? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 13, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267 "2004-01-13T17:35:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267/1 "2004-01-13T17:35:02Z")
I just got a very nice little digital camera. Quality going up and prices down and now I can get a nice snapshot camera to carry in my pocket. It has one of those pre-flash things that closes the eyes, so there are no red eyes in the pic, or at least, very minimal effect. This got me thinking, because we took some pics of my puppy over the holidays. There is especially one, where I’m posing with him and I have red eyes. He has green. I checked some more pic and sure enough: Green, greenish or grey with a tint of green. What’s up with dog’s eyes? ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267/2 "2004-01-13T17:53:54Z")
> [@The Gaspode](#): > > …we took some pics of my puppy over the holidays. There is especially one, where I’m posing with him and I have red eyes. He has green. I checked some more pic and sure enough: Green, greenish or grey with a tint of green. > What’s up with dog’s eyes? It’s caused by a reflective membrane called the [tapetum lucidum](http://dogs.about.com/cs/generalcare/a/tapetum.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267/3 "2004-01-13T18:05:22Z")
Cats’ eyes do the same thing, as do those of most nocturnal animals. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267/4 "2004-01-13T18:18:46Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Cats’ eyes do the same thing, as do those of most nocturnal animals. Hence the name of [Percy Shaw’s brilliant invention](http://www.design-technology.info/inventors/page14.htm). They’re not all green though, e.g. I know from first hand that bushbabies’ eyes glow red under spotlights. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267/5 "2004-01-13T19:05:20Z")
Thanks, guys. As always, I’m, amazed. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267/6 "2004-01-13T19:49:33Z")
I guess it depends on the angle at which you catch the eye, but my pup’s eyes most often [turn out red in photos](http://pages.sbcglobal.net/troub/tino/May/pages/DSCN1071.htm). Much less often, they do come out [white/yellow/green, though](http://pages.sbcglobal.net/troub/tino/May/pages/DSCN1074.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267/7 "2004-01-13T21:38:49Z")
It depends on the eye color, too. I have three cats. Two have green eyes and when I get glare, their eyes are green. My third cat has blue eyes, his eyes glare red. Are your eyes blue? Are your dog’s eyes brown? ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267/8 "2004-01-13T23:56:55Z")
Another odd little element…I once had a pair of Afgan Hounds, both littermates. One of them had eyes that always shone yellow, and the other one has eyes that always shine greenish blue. ---
**Author:** ![DeaganTheWolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DeaganTheWolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeaganTheWolf)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267/9 "2004-01-14T01:24:00Z")
I think it also has to do with the light source and angle. I’ve got hypersensitivity disorder and certain types of light bother me. I’ve got at least one photo where my eyes are shining a wierd yellowish in a flash at night. I think it has to due with the lack of artificial light, and the campfire…i’ll see if I can dig it up. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267/10 "2004-01-14T02:03:44Z")
Interestingly enough, my grandparent’s/aunt’s dog (supposed to be a chocolate lab, but we think he’s not a purebred) has blue eyes in pictures. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-photos-i-know-why-my-eyes-turn-red-but-why-does-doggys-turn-green/224267/11 "2004-01-14T04:21:04Z")
> [@Boscibo](#): > > It depends on the eye color, too. I have three cats. Two have green eyes and when I get glare, their eyes are green. My third cat has blue eyes, his eyes glare red. Hmmm. . .same here. My cat with green eyes always glares green. The dog has blue eyes, and as I said he _almost always_ glares red. Interesting.