The eyes of cats are, in all probability, what attracts our attention the most when we see these animals. They are magnificent. A tool with which felines have managed to reach our days as predators.
But Do you know how the pupils work in cats? If you have ever wondered this, then you will discover the answer 🙂.
The pupils of cats have a vertical shape, unlike ours. This curious feature allows them to calculate the exact distance their prey is when light is low, which is very interesting for them since they are animals that have evolved to hunt their possible prey by approaching them, trying to go unnoticed and then catch them.
Taking this into account, we can get an idea of how essential the surprise effect is for furry animals, hence their pupils should help them calculate the height of the jump. Only then can they have a greater chance of hunting success. But how do they calculate the distance?
For that they use two techniques:
- By stereopsis, which is when the brain compares the distance between two images that are projected on the retina. From vision in two dimensions, the brain is able to combine the images to form a single image in three dimensions.
- The other technique consists of focus on a specific object blurring what is right behind and in front of it.
As a curiosity, it is interesting to add that hunters' pupils tend to have vertical pupils because in this way they can better appreciate the depth of the objects as well as their contours; the dams, on the other hand, tend to have them horizontally.
What did you think of this topic? Did you know the function of the pupils of cats?