What does the world look like through the eyes of animals?

For centuries, humans didn’t know how other animals see the world, or what kind of world they see. New scientific research has revealed amazing differences in animal vision. Here are some of the ways animals see the world.

Horses: Can’t see the area between their eyes

Horses have amazing vision, except for the area directly in front of them, which they can’t see due to their “binocular vision”. That’s why they often walk with their heads down.

Monkeys: Vision is basically the same as humans’

Ancient monkeys and apes had basically the same vision as humans, with trichromatic vision, seeing red, green, and blue. However, many monkeys today don’t have this. The vision patterns vary greatly between monkey species. In fact, the same type of monkey can have six different types of color blindness or vision. As close relatives of humans, male monkeys are more color-blind than female monkeys.

Birds: See at least 5 spectral bands

Many birds have very different vision. For example, pigeons can distinguish millions of different colors and are considered the best color-discriminating animals on earth. Birds have many more cone cells in their eyes than humans, which means they can see at least 5 spectral bands.

Cats and dogs: Have night vision

Neither cats nor dogs have very good vision. They mainly rely on smell and hearing to perceive the world. Cats have particularly poor vision. Both cats and dogs are color-blind, but cats are more so than dogs. Dogs can sometimes distinguish yellow and blue. Most cats can only distinguish a few colors and are best at focusing on one object, such as catching mice. However, this animal has better night vision than humans. Because of the special placement of their eyes, cats and dogs can see farther than humans.

Snakes: Infrared Sensing

Snakes have two vision systems. One set is the snake eyes you often see, which are good at distinguishing colors. But they also have a pair of "eyes" that can sense and "see" living things like infrared detectors. Once you are seen by a snake, it is difficult to get rid of it. Fortunately, most snakes choose to flee rather than attack when they encounter humans.

Insects: Using Vision to Perceive Movements

Because of the special segmented structure of their eyes, many insects see objects very differently from humans. Insects are famous for their dot-like eyes. Many insects have 30,000 lenses in one eyeball. However, the most interesting of them may be the dragonfly. This insect's brain works very fast, and it can perceive most movements in slow motion. Although insects can distinguish colors, they are generally not as good as other animals. Insects can perceive movement with the help of vision. This is why they are difficult to kill.

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