You may have wondered how your rabbit sees the world around him. Do rabbits see the same colors as humans and can they see in the dark?
Since rabbits are prey animals, they have a very large field of vision of almost 360°. They can even partially see what is going on above their head without moving. Rabbits are farsighted, so they can see far away objects very well and close ones only blurry.
At dusk, rabbits can see a lot better than humans, but their vision is not good in very bright or dark light conditions.
Interestingly, rabbits cannot see red, only shades of green and blue.
How do rabbits see the world vs. how do humans see the world?
| Rabbit | Human | |
| Color vision | do not see red, only green and blue | see red, green and blue |
| Field of vision | almost 360°, rabbits can see you when you stand behind them | 180° |
| Position of the eyes | eyes sit on the side of the skull | eyes sit in the front of the skull |
| Night vision | see best in twilight,see poorly in complete darkness and in very bright light | see best in bright light, do not see well in dim light |
Contents
How Good Can Rabbits See?
The way rabbit eyes are formed and their position high up, almost on top of their head, meaning they have almost 360° vision. Rabbits can even see you standing behind them without having to turn around.
They are also farsighted; the almost 360° directional sight, in combination with their farsighted vision, helps them survive. Rabbits have developed this skill to see predators approaching them from far away in all directions, so they would have enough time to run or find a safe stop from the threat.
A Rabbit’s Blind Spot
Unfortunately, having the skill to see so well in the distance comes at a price. Some animals have a blind spot, which means there is one specific spot where they can’t see. In this case, a rabbit’s blind spot means they can’t see anything directly in front of them. They need to move back a bit to see whatever is too close for them to see properly.
What Do Rabbits See In Their Blind Spot?
Luck wasn’t completely on the bad side of rabbits as they developed a keen sense of smell to help them more easily identify what was directly in front of their eyes. They can also use their teeth and whiskers to help them easily identify what is right in front of them.
A rabbit sees in two dimensions at close range, meaning they lose much of their depth perception, so what they see is grainy and fuzzy, not really coming into proper focus like it would if they saw in three dimensions as we do. That is why rabbits startle so easily when you are close to them and make sudden movements (they might not recognize your shape).
Do Rabbits Have Night Vision?
Rabbits can see much better than humans at dusk and in low light. The ability to see in low light conditions is essential for rabbits to survive in the wild. And because rabbits are especially active and eat at dusk and dawn, their eyes have adapted to this over the course of their evolution.
As a rule of thumb, rabbits are 8 times more sensitive to light than humans.
Their pupils can become very large in order to let as much residual light into the eye as possible, so dusk with low light looks much brighter to rabbits than it does to us. In very bright light, rabbits cannot see well because their pupils do not dilate much and this can quickly lead to light sensitivity.
In contrast, rabbits cannot see well in the dark. Most animals that have particularly good night vision, such as cats have a special structure in their eye called the Tapetum lucidum. (You can see the tapetum when it is dark and you shine a flashlight on a cat, and its eyes “glow.”)
The tapetum reflects and amplifies incoming light, allowing animals to still see something in very dark environments. Humans and rabbits do not have a tapetum and therefore cannot see much in the dark.
Cats, dogs, cattle and horses have the structure, which allows them to see well at night.
Can Rabbits See In Color?
Rabbits can see well at dusk, but are limited to two colors. It is because eyes have photoreceptors called rods and cones. The rods are responsible for scotopic vision; scotopic vision is active at low light and helps you distinguish between light and dark, while cones are responsible for photopic vision, meaning it helps you see color at higher light levels.
Humans belong to the trichromats and have 3 different cone types, each of which can perceive a different light spectra, i.e. colors: red, green (emerald green) and blue. The cone type for emerald green is mainly responsible for the fact that we can see differences between red, yellow and green tones.
All other colors we see result from the different degrees of activation of these three cone types.
Rabbits, on the other hand, are dichromats and have only 2 cone types, for blue and green, and no cones for red light. As a result, rabbits cannot distinguish between red and green, they see the world much like humans with a red–green color blindness. And see the whole world only in shades of blue and green.
Fun Fact about Rabbit Eyes:
1. Rabbits have a third eyelid
Rabbits have a nictitating membrane, also sometimes called a “third eyelid.” The nictitating membrane is transparent and can be folded over the eye like a protective cap.
2. Rabbits are born with their eyes closed
Baby rabbits are born with their eyes closed and are completely blind for the first few days. Their eyes do not open until the tenth day.
3. Rabbits blink only once every 5 minutes!
Humans blink 10 to 15 times a minute without noticing. Rabbits, on the other hand, blink only 5 times a minute because the nictitating membrane keeps the eye moist most of the time.
4. Rabbits often sleep with their eyes open
Rabbits can actually sleep with their eyes open, presumably they developed this ability to scare off predators, who think they are not easy prey because they look awake.
When rabbits feel really safe, they also close their eyes when they sleep.
What foods are good for rabbits’ eyes?
While it would be great if all rabbits were as funny and creative as bugs bunny, it makes you wonder if carrots and other foods help rabbits see better. Before throwing that idea out the window, there might be some merit to it after all.
Experts have found that vitamin A is responsible for keeping eyes healthy. Now carrots don’t have vitamin A so how can they help you see better? Carrots are rich in an orange-colored pigment called beta carotene. Beta carotene is absorbed into the body by eating carrots and other foods. The liver then turns the beta carotene into vitamin A that the body utilizes to keep the eyes healthy.
Carrots are not the only food that rabbits eat that is rich in beta carotene, making them good for eye health. Other orange-colored foods with the same orange-colored pigment that has the same effect include;
- Pumpkins,
- Orange sweet potato,
- Mangos,
- Peaches,
- Cantaloupes.
Remember not to give your rabbit too much orange food as it won’t give them super eyesight; the body only needs a certain amount of vitamin A to keep your rabbit’s eyes healthy; too much of these vitamins can cause damage. Giving your rabbit a balanced diet is vital as too much of a good thing can make them sick.
Conclusion
Rabbits see the world significantly differently than humans. They can almost see 360° in all directions, so they can see dangers like predators long before they reach them. It gives them enough time to run or hide and helps them survive. They have a blind spot that doesn’t allow them to see the object directly in front of them clearly, but their other senses make up for it.
They can also see in the dark as they are up early to forage for food in the wild. Remember to ensure your rabbit has a balanced diet and ensure they get enough carrots or other orange-colored food to keep their eyes healthy.
If you are wondering how rabbits hear the world and if they can even hear ultrasound, you can read on here.
