# Why do cats have vertical pupils? - Emma Bryce

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ted-ed-7859430/why-do-cats-have-vertical-pupils-emma-bryce
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ted-ed-7859430/why-do-cats-have-vertical-pupils-emma-bryce.md
Podcast: [TED-Ed](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ted-ed-7859430)
Published: 2026-07-05T22:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/VG8173917099.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/VG8173917099.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ted-ed-7859430/episodes/why-do-cats-have-vertical-pupils-emma-bryce
Duration seconds: 464

## Resource

Dive into the incredible diversity of animal pupils, and how the different shapes indicate the animal’s role in an ecosystem.--Peering into the eyes of different animals, you’ll see some extraordinarily shaped pupils. House cats, for one, are twilight hunters with vertically elongated pupils. Many grazing animals, like goats, have rectangular pupils. Other animals have crescent- or heart-shaped pupils. So, what’s going on? Why are there so many different pupil shapes? Emma Bryce digs into the science of animal vision.Lesson by Emma Bryce, directed by Bálint Gelley, CUB Animation Ltd.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-cats-have-vertical-pupils-emma-bryceDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-cats-have-vertical-pupils-emma-bryce#digdeeperAnimator's website: http://cubanimation.com/en/intro-en----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Helen Lee, pam morgan, sarim haq, Juan Pablo Rodriguez Morales, ANNE FINE, Gerardo Castro, Siddharth Toshniwal, Michel-Ange Hortegat, Enes Kirimi, Amaury BISIAUX, Aravind C V, ND, Samyogita Hardikar, Vanessa Graulich, Van…

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