Do they See colors?
- Thread starter Dogger
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TonyTebbe
New member
I've often heard that they can see the color blue. I found the following articles on the internet about canines.
Quote:
It is not true that dogs are completely colorblind. While dogs do not have the same color vision as humans, they are able to tell yellow from blue. Like a human with red-green colorblindness, they are unable to tell the difference between red and green.
The reason for this limited range, in both the colorblind human and the dog, is that there are only two kinds of color receptors in the retinas of their eyes. While most humans have three kinds of color cells, with three different receptor molecules sensitive to blue, greenish-yellow, and red, dogs only have receptors for yellow and greenish-blue.
Canine eyes also lack another human trait: the fovea, an area especially dense with detail-sensing cells. As a result, their detail vision is not as good as ours. But they make up for this by having much better night vision and greater sensitivity to movement.
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Dogs have great preponderance of rods over cones in the retina; this gives them good night vision and motion detection. They also have a light-reflecting layer behind the retina, the tapetum lucidum, which, as in cats and nocturnal animals enhances night vision. The paucity of cones limits color vision to two areas of the visible spectrum, red-yellow-green and blue-violet. Thus red, orange and yellow-green all look much the same to a dog but can be distinguished from blue or violet. The colors between green and blue are probably seen as gray. The field of vision of dogs is much greater than that of humans, 250 to 270 degrees vs. 170 to 180 degrees. They have binocular vision but only half the width of humans.
Tony
Quote:
It is not true that dogs are completely colorblind. While dogs do not have the same color vision as humans, they are able to tell yellow from blue. Like a human with red-green colorblindness, they are unable to tell the difference between red and green.
The reason for this limited range, in both the colorblind human and the dog, is that there are only two kinds of color receptors in the retinas of their eyes. While most humans have three kinds of color cells, with three different receptor molecules sensitive to blue, greenish-yellow, and red, dogs only have receptors for yellow and greenish-blue.
Canine eyes also lack another human trait: the fovea, an area especially dense with detail-sensing cells. As a result, their detail vision is not as good as ours. But they make up for this by having much better night vision and greater sensitivity to movement.
Quote:
Dogs have great preponderance of rods over cones in the retina; this gives them good night vision and motion detection. They also have a light-reflecting layer behind the retina, the tapetum lucidum, which, as in cats and nocturnal animals enhances night vision. The paucity of cones limits color vision to two areas of the visible spectrum, red-yellow-green and blue-violet. Thus red, orange and yellow-green all look much the same to a dog but can be distinguished from blue or violet. The colors between green and blue are probably seen as gray. The field of vision of dogs is much greater than that of humans, 250 to 270 degrees vs. 170 to 180 degrees. They have binocular vision but only half the width of humans.
Tony
Rich Cronk
New member
Although there have been scientific studies which show that coyotes can see SOME colors, there has been a heck of a lot of non scientific studies which show that coyotes don't give a hoot one way or the other. Hunters mostly treat coyotes as though they only see in black and white. The eyes of many coyotes have been fooled by sitting real still and wearing rather bland colored clothing. That is good enough for me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Nibbler
New member
Quote:
Dogs have great preponderance of rods over cones in the retina; this gives them good night vision and motion detection. They also have a light-reflecting layer behind the retina, the tapetum lucidum, which, as in cats and nocturnal animals enhances night vision. The paucity of cones limits color vision to two areas of the visible spectrum, red-yellow-green and blue-violet. Thus red, orange and yellow-green all look much the same to a dog but can be distinguished from blue or violet. The colors between green and blue are probably seen as gray. The field of vision of dogs is much greater than that of humans, 250 to 270 degrees vs. 170 to 180 degrees. They have binocular vision but only half the width of humans.
According to my wife, who did a research paper in college about canine vision (she's a veterinarian), the above statement is true.
HOWEVER.....Rich Cronk is absolutely correct...Quoted: The eyes of many coyotes have been fooled by sitting real still and wearing rather bland colored clothing. That is good enough for me.
Movement will get you busted long before color. Sitting still in a correct setup is far more important than worrying about what you got on, as long as it isn't a solid color. i.e.: a plaid shirt instead of a solid color. Obviously, camo patterns are the best thing.
I have duck and goose hunted for many years, and I can tell you from watching other hunters in their blinds that you need to wear some type of camo makeup or a face hood. Your face will glow like a flashlight if the sun hits it.
Just think for a minute........coyotes are predators that feed on smaller rodents and birds, as well as grasshoppers, etc.........they key upon movement to find their prey.
Dogs have great preponderance of rods over cones in the retina; this gives them good night vision and motion detection. They also have a light-reflecting layer behind the retina, the tapetum lucidum, which, as in cats and nocturnal animals enhances night vision. The paucity of cones limits color vision to two areas of the visible spectrum, red-yellow-green and blue-violet. Thus red, orange and yellow-green all look much the same to a dog but can be distinguished from blue or violet. The colors between green and blue are probably seen as gray. The field of vision of dogs is much greater than that of humans, 250 to 270 degrees vs. 170 to 180 degrees. They have binocular vision but only half the width of humans.
According to my wife, who did a research paper in college about canine vision (she's a veterinarian), the above statement is true.
HOWEVER.....Rich Cronk is absolutely correct...Quoted: The eyes of many coyotes have been fooled by sitting real still and wearing rather bland colored clothing. That is good enough for me.
Movement will get you busted long before color. Sitting still in a correct setup is far more important than worrying about what you got on, as long as it isn't a solid color. i.e.: a plaid shirt instead of a solid color. Obviously, camo patterns are the best thing.
I have duck and goose hunted for many years, and I can tell you from watching other hunters in their blinds that you need to wear some type of camo makeup or a face hood. Your face will glow like a flashlight if the sun hits it.
Just think for a minute........coyotes are predators that feed on smaller rodents and birds, as well as grasshoppers, etc.........they key upon movement to find their prey.
My very first "camo" shirt was actually a Hawaiian shirt. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
No kidding! I figured it broke up my outline pretty good. Besides, it was easy for people to see me. I called a few coyotes, fox and bobcats while wearing that shirt. Hummingbirds about drove me nuts, though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
I graduated to Marine Corps utlities, but if the weather was real hot, I wore Marine Corps tropicals. As long as I was still, I called plenty of animals.
No kidding! I figured it broke up my outline pretty good. Besides, it was easy for people to see me. I called a few coyotes, fox and bobcats while wearing that shirt. Hummingbirds about drove me nuts, though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
I graduated to Marine Corps utlities, but if the weather was real hot, I wore Marine Corps tropicals. As long as I was still, I called plenty of animals.
I long ago gave up trying to sort out the question of whether mammals see color, soon as I realized scrub jays and woodpeckers and quail all see color exceptionally well. While they squeal on incoming predators to me, they also seem to return the favor to any color-blind mammal within earshot if I'm not full-color-camo'd. Recall my success ratio improving when I stopped wearing blue jeans topped with a BDU shirt. While I've also occasionally called coyotes out in the open with zero camo--as probably most other OTs have at one time or another--full camo seems a better bet.
Right now my biggest camo challenge is traversing or skirting wild oat meadows (standing 3-4' tall dead straw, essentially), a feature here from May until it all starts greening up in November most years. Bare-chested is actually a better match than the majority of camo patterns. The stark silhouette of a buddy sitting out in full Realtree camo at 200 yards pointed this up to me just last week.
LionHo
Right now my biggest camo challenge is traversing or skirting wild oat meadows (standing 3-4' tall dead straw, essentially), a feature here from May until it all starts greening up in November most years. Bare-chested is actually a better match than the majority of camo patterns. The stark silhouette of a buddy sitting out in full Realtree camo at 200 yards pointed this up to me just last week.
LionHo
TonyTebbe
New member
LionHo,
I'm familar with the oat meadow issue and camoflauge. I found that duck hunter camo in tan reed or grass patterns helps blend in. Also, a light ghillie in all tan is what I use in Iowa. Sprigs of dry dead grass is all the cover I have in a bunch of my calling spots.
Tony
I'm familar with the oat meadow issue and camoflauge. I found that duck hunter camo in tan reed or grass patterns helps blend in. Also, a light ghillie in all tan is what I use in Iowa. Sprigs of dry dead grass is all the cover I have in a bunch of my calling spots.
Tony
For years, I have thought a [canine] see's only shades of grey. I think differently now.
I agree with most folks, they can see some colors. As well as the slightest [movement], from great distances.
Perhaps, this has been discussed. But I also believe the [shades of Grey] aspect of their vision. Is also very keen. Particularly, "Known shapes".
Example; A "motionless" cat on a hillside, whereas they both are similiar in color. But slightly different. A coyote see's the cat, which is motionless.
Not much discussion, on silohette forms. But I have had some "detect" me, while being motionless. While wearing my "whites" on snow. I also believe, coyotes whom have seen certain forms. Either food shapes or potential danger. Remember those, not necessarily just the color of those forms. But shapes as well.
As for my [white coveralls/mask/gloves], I wear in snowfly. Some have stated to me. This could be from the, "ultraviolet light" in my camo clothing from washing. I believe this is true, to some extent. I have had them "spot" me in new, & old whites.
So my thoughts on this are. They use color, motion & shapes. To distinquish prey or danger.
I agree with most folks, they can see some colors. As well as the slightest [movement], from great distances.
Perhaps, this has been discussed. But I also believe the [shades of Grey] aspect of their vision. Is also very keen. Particularly, "Known shapes".
Example; A "motionless" cat on a hillside, whereas they both are similiar in color. But slightly different. A coyote see's the cat, which is motionless.
Not much discussion, on silohette forms. But I have had some "detect" me, while being motionless. While wearing my "whites" on snow. I also believe, coyotes whom have seen certain forms. Either food shapes or potential danger. Remember those, not necessarily just the color of those forms. But shapes as well.
As for my [white coveralls/mask/gloves], I wear in snowfly. Some have stated to me. This could be from the, "ultraviolet light" in my camo clothing from washing. I believe this is true, to some extent. I have had them "spot" me in new, & old whites.
So my thoughts on this are. They use color, motion & shapes. To distinquish prey or danger.
AWS
Custom Accessory Maker & Retired PM Staff
I just completed a ghillie suit made with a lot of tan some brown and a few hunter orange strips in the front and a larger number in the back to meet our states 400 sq in above the waste during big game season. I hunt alot of desert areas that only have small big game quotas so only a few hunters are out but technically it is big game season. I'm looking to see how it will work out, I will be spraying it with UV killer also.
It seems that my bird dog can distinguish hunter orange as she just goes nuts if she sees me in a hunter orange shirt or hat, ever if it's throught the window.
AWS
It seems that my bird dog can distinguish hunter orange as she just goes nuts if she sees me in a hunter orange shirt or hat, ever if it's throught the window.
AWS
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Redfrog
Moderator
Hey Kirby.Here's something else for the mix. I was running my 2 labs and my boreder collie the other night. As I panned across the field with my Mag light, I caught the dogs' eyes. The border has different color eyes from the labs /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Much different.
Maybe one of our resident biologists can explain this. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
Maybe one of our resident biologists can explain this. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
Interesting about the "eye's", Redfrog. I'd like to know as well.
Never owned a Boarder Collie before. She's a pretty cool little dog. She acts like a coyote & a cat, when she sees a squirrel or bird.
Ears forward, head bowed, body half crouched. Then she go's into, a slow, slinky stalk /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif.
Never owned a Boarder Collie before. She's a pretty cool little dog. She acts like a coyote & a cat, when she sees a squirrel or bird.
Ears forward, head bowed, body half crouched. Then she go's into, a slow, slinky stalk /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif.
Redfrog
Moderator
Kirby, I've had dogs all my life and I've had lots of hounds as well as some smart dogs /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gifI field trialled with my labs and was always impressed with their intelligence and trainability. Then I got the Border Collie. He makes my smartest lab look like a turnip. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
When I had sheep and cattle, that dog was in heaven. He lives to herd. Ducks, kids, chickens, other dogs anything. They do require lots of work to be happy. Without livestock around, sometimes that's a challenge.
When I had sheep and cattle, that dog was in heaven. He lives to herd. Ducks, kids, chickens, other dogs anything. They do require lots of work to be happy. Without livestock around, sometimes that's a challenge.
Redfrog,
Those Boarder Collie's are unique for sure. Little neighbor girl, comes over now in then. Too play ball with her in the yard. They have a blast.
She say's "Your dog acts like a cat" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif [cadog]
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I wonder if there is any difference, between wolves, coyotes & fox. As far as colorvision or acuity?
I'm still a believer, coyotes have Red Fox beat hands down. On visual abilities. Not to mention, everything else [intelligence] /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Those Boarder Collie's are unique for sure. Little neighbor girl, comes over now in then. Too play ball with her in the yard. They have a blast.
She say's "Your dog acts like a cat" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif [cadog]
---------------------------
I wonder if there is any difference, between wolves, coyotes & fox. As far as colorvision or acuity?
I'm still a believer, coyotes have Red Fox beat hands down. On visual abilities. Not to mention, everything else [intelligence] /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif