Here I am again, fixated on Bigfoot eyes. It’s been a lifelong obsession, so why stop now?
In today’s post, I’ll be covering several topics: bigfoot eyeshine, accuity of night vision, the ability of these creatures to see light spectrums beyond what we can see, and potential applications in field research.
BIGFOOT EYESHINE
Many, many eyewitness accounts of bigfoot sightings indicate eyeshine or “glowing eyes”. Eyeshine is often described as red – though other colors such as green and even blue- have been reported as well.
But what is the actual physical mechanism that would create this phenomenon?
Many nocturnal creatures have a layer of irridescent tissue known as the tapetum lucidum (which literally translates to “bright carpet”) in the back of the eye, which reflects available light back through the retina, producing a visual accuity similar to that of a night-vision scope.
Interestingly, only a small number of primates – those of a lower order (the “wet nose” primates) – are known to produce eyeshine. Lemurs are one example. There are no higher order primates (”dry nose” variety) that do. So how do we explain eyeshine in the Sasquatch?
One explanation was suggested by Lloyd Pye, in his book “Everything You Know Is Wrong“. (This book is almost impossible to find but a truly fascinated read!) He mentioned that Neanderthals had large orbital sockets, which he believed was indicative of the presence of light-sensitive eyes. These large orbital sockets were not present in Cro-Magnan man, or any supposed antecedent thereafter.
Given that there are huge discrepancies between Neanderthal and Cro-Magnan (two vastly and strangely different creatures on either side of the supposed “missing link”), and the fact that Neanderthals had many other features in common with reported Sasquatch-type characteristics (a robust, rather than gracile skeletal structure not the least of which), I find Pye’s mention of Neaderthal eye sockets intriguing.
Wikipedia gives some additional information which may be pertinent to the understanding of Bigfoot eyeshine:
Using eyeshine to identify animals in the dark employs not only its color but also several other features. The color corresponds approximately to the type of tapetum lucidum, with some variation between species. Other features include the distance between pupils relative to their size; the height above ground; the manner of blinking (if any); and the movement of the eyeshine (bobbing, weaving, hopping, leaping, climbing, flying).
NIGHT VISION
It seems logical to me to assume that Sasquatches possess exemplary night vision. How else would something move about so confidently in the dark?
Wikipedia has this to say regarding visual acuity in low-light conditions:
Many animals have better night vision than humans do, the result of one or more differences in the morphology and anatomy of their eyes. These include having a larger eyeball, a larger lens, a larger optical aperture (the pupils may expand to the physical limit of the eyelids), more rods than cones (or rods exclusively) in the retina, a tapetum lucidum, and improved neurological filtering.
There’s that large orbital socket again, housing a larger eyeball. The “larger lens” reminds me of the eyes I saw when I was a child (see the drawing above for an accurate representation of those eyes. Notice the convex shape of the eyeball, almost like a cat’s). Also, the description of the pupils expanding “to the physical limit of the eyelids” is similar. This would produce an eye that appears very dark, with little or no white visible.
What might we see in low light, versus what a Sasquatch might see, if we both walked up on the same startled raccoon?
Put another way, as you’re sitting in the near pitch-dark, flashlights off, listening to loud, heavy footsteps emanating from the trees near you, just how well do you think that Sasquatch can make out the terrified expression on your face? ;)
SPECTRAL RANGE
From Wikipedia:
Night-useful spectral range techniques make the viewer sensitive to types of light that would be invisible to a human observer. Human vision is confined to a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum called visible light. Enhanced spectral range allows the viewer to take advantage of non-visible sources of electromagnetic radiation (such as near-infrared or ultraviolet radiation). Some animals can see well into the infrared and/or ultraviolet compared to humans.
Some research has indicated that Sasquatches may, in fact, be able to see infrared light. This has been of particular interest to me, due to the fact that all of the cameras I use at night employ some sort of active infrared light technology. If they can see it, the light that barely appears as a reddish-glow to us would appear as a bright beacon in the night to them, warning them to stay away.
But if their eyesight does extend into the lower range of visible light – lower than ours – in which wavelengths are longer, would it also extend into the upper reaches? Or would their eyesight then be less sensitive to those wavelenths that are shorter, more compact?
This is when I began pondering the use of ultraviolet light, or blacklight, for night research.
I’m still in the pondering stage and haven’t exactly figured out how to test this, or indeed how to apply it in a research scenario, but I don’t believe it’s ever been done. At least, I’ve never heard of anyone trying this, nor even suggesting it in regards to bigfoot research.
But imagine this: Blacklight makes certain things fluoresce brightly. White sheets, hung in strategic areas around the camp and lit with blacklights, could provide an interesting backdrop for a Bigfoot photo op… blacklight-sensitive fluorescent powder, strewn on the ground, could be tracked about with large, bare feet, leaving tracks visible only in ultraviolet light. Blacklight flashlights could be used to light an otherwise dark scene, without blinding the potentially light-sensitive eyes of a creature who would normally shy away from a white incandescent or LED bulb, whether due to fear of discovery or a simple sensitivity to bright light in the dark. The applications are endless. Whether or not they’re ultimately feasible or would be effective is another thing entirely. That’s what good old fashioned field testing is for.
Time for a brainstorming session. What ideas can you conjure up to use blacklight as a potential research tool?
For the heck of it, I’m planning on buying a blacklight flashlight. They’re pretty cheap and might just be the answer to seeing what’s over there stomping around in the trees. (It’s a heck of a lot cheaper than a thermal camera, which is WAAAAY out of my budget!) :)
For more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapetum_lucidum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_vision
