How Do Animals See Color?

The world is full of colors. Do you know how animals see color? Different types of animals see colors in different ways. Some animals have very poor color vision, for example dogs, cats, mice, rats and rabbits. In fact, they see mostly greys and some blues and yellows. The most common mistake that we make is that we think that a red cape makes a bull angry. But the real thing is that bulls are color blind. They charge the red cape just because it is moving and not because it is red. Some animals do have good color vision. Monkeys, ground squirrels, birds, insects, and many fish can see a fairly good range of color. In some cases it’s not as good as what we humans see – but it’s much better than cats and dogs. Scientists say that good color vision in some animals helps them in finding food on the land or in the water. Good color vision in some of the land animals helps them to differentiate between ripe red fruit and unripe green fruit. Colors can also make animals more attractive to each other when they mate. The ability to see colors also helps animals identify other animals that may attack them. Bees and butterflies can see colors that we can’t see. Their range of color vision extends into the ultraviolet which guide the insects deep into the flower.

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