Why do owls eyes glow in the dark?..
Daddy's answer:
Well... the simple answer is that they don't glow. What I mean is that the owl does not generate it's own light. An owls eyes can however appear to glow when a light is shone at them at night, or in the flash of a camera.
An owl's eyes have a layer at the back of them called the tapetum lucidum (Latin for 'bright tapestry') that causes light to reflect back through the retina (a light sensitive layer in the eye, like the film in a camera). This is to improve the probability that light will reach the retina. This allows owls to see much better at night. The tapetum lucidum causes the 'eyeshine' or glow that you see. This layer is not unique to owls, in fact many animals have it, especially those which are nocturnal (come out at night) or live in low light conditions. As a matter of fact Mini, your pet cats also have this layer in their eyes.
