You are probably pretty knowledgeable about human sight. After all, it is a natural part of your existence. But did you know that occasionally there are animals that have vision problems? Or that there are animals with better eyesight than humans? File it under ‘interesting facts about life’ and read on.
Indeed, there are some animals that have trouble with their sight. In response to this, a company has begun to make prescription glasses for dogs and cats! That’s right. Animals can have some of the same problems with their sight that humans do, such as blurry vision, nearsightedness or farsightedness. The owners can have glasses made to correct these vision problems. I would guess it’s just getting the pet to keep the glasses on that is the real problem! Too, I am quite sure that getting the pet to sit still for an eye exam takes a lot of finesse!
Conversely, there are also animals whose sight is better than that of a human being. First of all, there are differences in the placement of eyes on animals according to whether they are predators or prey. If an animal is classified as more prey than predator, they likely have their eyes on the sides of their heads giving them a more global view and allowing them to see a predator more readily.
Too, there are differences in the nuances of animal eyesight. For example, it’s not just an old wife’s tale that owls have the best night vision. Their eyes are shaped differently and comprised of greater rod density to allow them to see better in the dark. They also swivel their heads instead of moving their eye sockets!
Another animal with interesting eyesight is the shark. Humans and most land animals struggle to see underwater. Here the shark has the greatest advantage because it has adapted to seeing underwater. Furthermore, it is like an owl in that it is able to see in dark, murky water better than other fish or sea life.
There is likely no more interesting animal eyesight than that of a mantis shrimp. Their eyes are on stalks and move independent of each other. Each eye has three separate ‘compound eyes’ – and they are gathering multiple images all at once!
We here at Sea Island Eyecare know a lot about human eyes. That‘s our business. Please stop by or call for an appointment. We care about your eyes!