G.O.A.T. EYES

Why do the eyes of goats and sheep look like that? You know exactly what I'm talking about.

As Reddit user Goat_Stimulator phrases so eloquently, "Why do goats have wide screened pupils?"

In fact, a quick scouring of internet search results in the widely shared opinion that goat eyes are even creepy. In further research it turns out those eyes and their horizontal slits are pretty helpful for the lifestyle of the goat for the entire existence of the species. 

As an NPR article points out, the shape of an animal's eye is extremely important to role that animal plays in the ecosystem—primarily dependent on a predator or prey relationship. Animals that are extremely likely to get hunted (like goats, sheep and deer) are way more likely to have horizontal, "wide screen" pupils as well as having their eyes positioned on the sides of their heads, rather than the front. 

So now that we know why a goat's eyes look like that, how much of an advantage does that give them?

According to DiscoveryEye.org, a goat's field of vision is 320 to 340 degrees. In comparison, our field of vision is about 210 degrees—over a 100 degrees less than a goat. 

In other words, it is extremely hard to sneak up on a goat. They have it literally built into their eyes.