Squirrels have excellent vision and can see very small movements from a long distance away. There’s no exact answer to how far they can see, however, the squirrel eye seems to have excellent wide-angle vision and the ability to focus on objects across its entire retina.
What Do Squirrels See?
After careful study, researchers found that the common gray tree squirrels have two-hued color vision. Essentially, squirrels can process colors differently than we do and may have trouble seeing some colors that we perceive as red or green.
Similarly to human beings who experience color blindness, red and green appear the same to them. However, they are able to perceive more shades and tones of gray than most humans.
What Senses Help Squirrels Forage?
In addition to their incredible vision, squirrels also rely on other senses to help them observe the world around them. These animals have a well-developed sense of hearing and smell which helps them identify predators and locate food sources.
Squirrels have an amazingly keen sense of smell, so much so that they can detect the nuts they buried months previously, even if there is a foot of snow covering them. They can even smell the food you have in your house.
Can Squirrels See In The Dark?
Since their night vision is quite terrible, it would be very risky for them to be active at night. Compared to their daytime vision, squirrels cannot see as clearly at night.
Final Thoughts
Squirrels have incredible vision. With two-hued color vision and excellent wide angle vision, they are able to detect predators and locate food quickly in order to survive. Even though their night vision isn’t as good, they rely on other senses such as hearing and smell to help them observe the world around them.
