Because Humans are diurnal, meaning we are active when the sun is up, we haven’t developed a strong sense of vision in the nighttime hours when the sun isn’t up anymore. We rely on tools to create light to see in the dark or expensive night vision technology. But the animal kingdom has always been ahead of us in that regard.
Nocturnal Animals
Nocturnal animals that hunt and scavenge during the middle of the night have all developed their own sense of night vision, some more unique than others. They can see as plain as day in the dark, and some animals can even see colors in the dark. Here are some animals with incredible night vision powers.
Raccoons
Raccoons spend the majority of their lives scavenging at night. They come out once it’s dark and look for any food they can find, including the scraps that we often leave in our garbage cans. They can’t see well at a distance, but once they’re close to something, they have perfect night vision.
Wolves
Wolves seem to have won the evolutionary lottery, having many keen senses that help them stay as one of the top predators all over the U.S. and the world. Their vision is great during the day and just as good when the sun sets. Combined with their other senses, like their hearing and their smell, they can find anything trying to hide from them in the dark.
Owl
Owls are very hard to find during the day, and when they can be found, they’re generally sleeping in a tree. Once the sun sets, things change. The owl will fly from its roost with incredible nighttime vision and amazing awareness thanks to its ability to swivel its head to much greater degrees than most other animals.
Porcupines
Porcupines, believe or not, are nocturnal animals that come out from their dens at night in search of food. They’ve developed amazing eyesight to watch out for predators. If they spot a predator, they’ll run to their den where they can make sure only their prickly behind is exposed, creating a perfect defense.
Foxes
Despite foxes being fairly active during the day, they are primarily nighttime scavengers and hunters. Their small stature gives them an advantage when they seek to ambush their prey. They typically hunt small mammals like mice and squirrels but will also go after bugs like caterpillars and crickets.
Frogs
Frogs are nocturnal animals and will start their croaking at night, much to the dismay of anyone living around them. Our night vision technology has improved in the last few decades, but it still leagues behind the frog, who has developed the ability to see vivid colors even in complete darkness.
Cat
Any cat owner knows that their cat loves to laze around all day, but once it gets to the evening, they often feel like roaming. Sometimes, they even return home with a gift for their owner in the form of a mouse. Even when they’re inside, they may still be looking around for prey, as evolution taught them.
Alligators
Alligators are one of the best predators on the planet thanks to their many evolutionary traits. Not many people would assume they have great night vision, but they are actually primarily nocturnal hunters. Their eyes glow red because of a part of their eye called tapetum lucidum which reflects light behind their retina.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches have some incredible adaptations to help them see in the dark. They don’t see like we do and instead view the world in the dark through time-lapsed photos. They absorb any available light and use that to see perfectly in the pitch black.
Deer
Like the porcupine, the deer prefers to come out at night and forage for food. The hopes are that predators are less likely to spot them in the dark. Deers have amazing night vision too which combined with their hearing makes it difficult to sneak up on them in the night.
Snakes
Snakes are unique in that they can see the heat of animal bodies, making it much easier to spot and hunt them. They can do this thanks to something called a pit organ. No animal can hide from them as they see the heat that they radiate.
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Animals With Good Night Vision
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