• Question: Dogs and rabbits ( and probably more animals ) are said to be colour blind. How are they tested?

    Asked by Ellah Molleh to Stefan on 20 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Stefan Lines

      Stefan Lines answered on 20 Nov 2014:

      Hey. That’s a great question. I’m not sure about Rabbits, but Dogs can definitely see some colour (I don’t think they see Red very well at all), although scientists did think for ages they were completely colour blind. I imagine the answer is a combination of the following:

      1) Experimentation. For example; colouring food in two different colours and then adding a bitter or unpleasant taste to one type of colour – does the animal consistently choose the colour associated with a pleasant taste?

      2) Depending on how different the animals eyes are, probably by our understanding of our own eyes. So, since we know that we have ‘cones’ in our eyes for detecting colours (different cones for different colours) then do animals have the same ones?

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