Animals Which See The World in Black & White
Flat haired mice The last animal on our list of Animals that can see colors are Flat haired mice. Only two types of cones exist in mice, some of which are sensitive to ultraviolet light and others to green light. The distribution of the two cone kinds over the mouse eye’s back adds to the difficulty.
Dolphin Belonging to the Order Cetaceans, Dolphins are monochromatic animals too. Their cone is sensitive to the color blue, which helps them to dive into deeper waters in search of prey. Apart from this, they mostly perceive the world in shades of grey or black and white. Their eyes are capable of independent movement; one can look in front while the other is behind simultaneously.
Whales Whales constitute a significant portion of the order called Cetaceans, along with Dolphins, the second member of the order. They are monochromatic mammals, as they have only one cone, which is green light sensitive. They see the world mostly in shades of grey and black. Whales focus more on contrast than color perception and therefore see black and white in light and dark.
Walruses The next animal on our list of Animals that are color blind is the third member of the mammalian order, Pinnipeds, Walruses. Alongside seals and walruses, they too possess monochromacy. Walruses lack good and acute vision, as they mainly prey on sedentary bottom-dwelling marine life.
Sea lions One of the closest relatives to the Seals is the Sea Lions, who do not possess one of the two ancestral cones. This makes them color blind, but according to studies, they can distinguish between the blue and green of the electromagnetic spectrum. Sea lions, like seals, have their eyesight adapted for dark and murky underwater and possess a tapetum lucidum that gives them their night vision.
Harbor Seals Seals are exceptionally well adapted for life which involves staying underwater for long periods. Their eyesight functions best when staying underwater in murky conditions. Since seals lack one of the ancestral cone classes, therefore they are colorblind. However, the ability to distinguish colors remains like a water drop on a leaf, as some studies conclude them to be color blind and see the world in shades of black, white, and grey, while others label them to have color vision.
Common raccoon Just like the previous members on this list of Animals with color vision, the Common Raccoons are nocturnal hunters too. Therefore, color vision isn’t of great importance to them. Scientists believe that raccoons are either color blind or possess partial color vision. Their eyesight is adapted to low light conditions and is not far-sighted. Raccoons mainly depend on their other senses, especially that of touch, to compensate for their poor color vision.
Golden Hamsters Like Bats, Golden Hamster too relies on their other senses for navigation at night. They are monochromatic beings and therefore see only 1 color. Other color objects are mostly seen as black and white or in different shades of grey.
Bats Bats lack color vision. They are nocturnal predators who mostly rely on their heightened sense of hearing and echolocation to navigate and look for prey. Therefore, they do not possess a keen sense of vision.
Skates A cartilaginous fish and a close relative to the rays, Skates are the only animals on the planet known to man who sees the world in entirely black and white. Cone cells, which are responsible for color vision, are utterly absent in skates. Hence they are devoid of color vision.