“Shocking Revelation: Rudolph’s Red Nose Unnecessary! Reindeer’s Secret Night Vision Superpower Exposed
Rudolph’s famed red nose is not essential for guiding his fellow reindeer, according to scientists who have discovered that these animals possess a unique form of night vision enabling them to forage for food effectively.
The researchers investigated why reindeer are the only mammals whose eye color changes with the seasons, transitioning from golden-orange in summer to a blue hue in winter. The study revealed that this color shift not only aids their vision during snowy winters but also allows their eyes to transmit ultraviolet light.
Rudolph’s
This finding leads to intriguing questions, as the reflective snow intensifies the sun’s UV rays, resulting in the reindeer absorbing twice as much UV light due to their advanced eyesight.
The enhanced night vision is the reason reindeer can see clearly in the dark and locate food items such as lichen. Professor Nathaniel Dominy, an anthropologist at Dartmouth College, led the study alongside Dr. Catherine Hobaiter and Professor Julie Harris from the University of St Andrews’ School of Psychology and Neuroscience.
Hobaiter explained, “To our eyes, just like for most mammals, pale lichen in white snow is incredibly hard to spot. But to reindeer eyes, the species they need to feed on would stand out as dark patches in the much more reflective snowy landscape.”
Reindeer are known to feed on a specific lichen species called Cladonia rangiferina, often colloquially referred to as “reindeer moss.” This lichen, crucial to reindeer survival, grows in sponge-like beds across northern latitudes.
While previous theories suggested that reindeer’s night vision may be an adaptation for foraging for lichen, earlier tests did not provide substantial evidence. Hobaiter highlighted that, globally, there are over 13,000 lichen species, and no one had tested the particular species reindeer feed on.
The research team conducted their study in the Cairngorms mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland, home to a local herd of reindeer reintroduced after being hunted to extinction. They photographed various lichen beds under UV light, discovering that different species absorbed or reflected light differently. “Reindeer moss” was found to strongly absorb the light.
Dominy noted, “If you can put yourself in their hooves, looking at this white landscape, you would want a direct route to your food. Reindeer don’t want to waste energy wandering around searching for food in a cold, barren environment.”
