There are so many fascinating eyes in the animal kingdom. However, certain animals take the cake for winning the title of having the most interesting eyes in nature.
It’s truly amazing to learn about all that eyes can do. They can detect details, motion, color, and adjust to light. Some animals even have eyes that are entirely unique to their species!
Find out the special features of the most interesting eyes in nature.
Biggest Eyes
The biggest eyes award goes to the colossal squid. This squid was named appropriately. Its eyes alone are each the size of a soccer ball!
Because their eyes are so big, more light enters their eye and increases nighttime visibility. This means that colossal squids are also the best at seeing in the dark.
Most Adaptable Eyes
Reindeer can change their eye color to help with seeing in different seasons. How cool is that?
In the summer, reindeer have golden eyes. The color helps them see continuous light throughout the season, similar to many other mammals.
However, in the winter, their eyes change from gold to blue…weird, right? Their blue eyes allow them to see in continuous darkness throughout the season.
Sharpest Eyes
Birds of prey have an uncanny ability to see detail. Certain birds can see twice as far as the best human eye.
They also process visual stimuli extremely fast, allowing them to spot their prey and take action immediately.
Best Color-Spotting Eyes
The number of color receptors determines an animal’s ability to see color. For example, humans have three color receptors, while common flies have eight!
Mantis shrimp have 16 types of photoreceptors. These shrimp excel in viewing the ultraviolet spectrum, which is entirely unseen to humans.
Although mantis shrimp can see an unimaginable amount of color, they aren’t great at differentiating shades. Surprisingly, goldfish have the best ability to see different shades.
Best Motion-Detecting Eyes
It’s probably no shock to you that insects excel at motion detecting. Have you ever tried to catch a housefly, but they always manage to escape? These bugs sense and quickly process little changes in light, allowing them to move from predators quickly.
So, who wins?
Overall, no one animal can win “best eyes” because there are so many variables. However, many creatures excel in specific categories.
Sensitivity, resolution, motion detection, and color vision vary by each animal’s eye. So, don’t get jealous of the fruit fly in your kitchen who can see the UV spectrum. Your eyes have many strengths unique to humans that you can also be grateful for!
