Do wild pigs eyes shine at night?

Answer 1

The thing that causes wild animal's eyes to shine is called 'Tapetum lucidum'. Nocturnal animals have this so they can see better. Everyone seems to agree that both humans and pigs don't have this. However, on my first bicycle trip cross-country, near Coldspring, TX, I shined a light out the back window of my tent to see what was making such a racket.

The animals had first given a grunt sound, then had clumped up the logging road we were camped on, tripping over the ropes of the tent as they passed. When I shone out the light from the back of the tent the animals looked like Eugene the Jeep from the moon. They had calico colored fur, a pointed nose and a tail that stuck straight up in the air. These had what I called "a bright bluish white eyeshine". They were only about four feet from the back of the tent. In my journal, I was undetermined after watching them for ten seconds at 4-feet distance just what they were. I'm an outdoorsman, so that un-nerved me.

They say that when 'Pineywoods Rooters' are young, they can have stripes, but they don't mention calico.

So, in theory, feral pigs don't have eyeshine. However, someone else said that if you used a blue filter you can 'see their eyes better'.

In my case, those two animals, both which were calico and both which had thin bodies, a short stubby tail that stuck straight up in the air and was "rounded on the end" and a pointed nose might have been dogs, I guess... but what of the strange pig-like snort I heard?

The noise they made when they walked through the pitch-dark forest was like a "herd of cows" I had said in the journal. They are still, to this date, a mystery to me.

Anyways, pigs don't have tapetum lucidum, so their eyes aren't supposed to shine at night.

Answer 2

their dialeted pupils reflect the light

Answer 3

no