Guinea pigs are among the most popular pets in the world, but they can also be one of the most misunderstood. For example: do guinea pigs see color?
It's a question we've all asked at some point (probably while watching an adorable video on YouTube). The answer is complicated, but it's not all bad news for these little guys!
Here's what we know about guinea pig vision.
Guinea pigs are not "color blind." The myth that guinea pigs cannot see color is based on the fact that their eyes are relatively small and have only two types of pigments in them, compared with three or four for most mammals.
This means they can see fewer colors than we do, but not none at all. They can certainly tell the difference between red and orange things, so you can keep your guinea pig safe at night by painting its cage in bright, visible colors like red or orange!
Guinea pigs are primarily nocturnal animals who roam around at night. They have large ears and eyes adapted to low-light conditions (they're also relatively short-sighted).
Due to the placement of their eyes on their faces (at least as far away from each other as your thumb), they don't have stereoscopic vision like humans do; they rely primarily on smell and hearing to navigate through their environment.
Guinea pigs don't have eyelids.
Guinea pigs don't have eyelids. Instead, they have a third eyelid that covers the majority of their eye when they're sleeping or hiding under blankets. The third eyelid also protects them from any debris or dust that might be in their environment.
The lack of some of these features can make it difficult for guinea pigs to see well and may explain why many owners report that their pets are scared of the dark (and perhaps even ghosts). However, it's important to remember that there is still a lot we don't know about guinea pig vision!
Guinea pigs are basically blind at night.
Guinea pigs are nocturnal, which means that they're most active at night. As a result, their eyesight isn't suited for seeing in the dark. They rely more on their other senses to navigate and find food.
In fact, guinea pigs don't have the ability to see color at all! Their vision is basically black and white; they can only detect light and dark areas with limited detail (like a human looking through fogged glasses). However, their sense of smell is very strong so they can usually tell if something is edible or not by sniffing it first before eating it!
If you've ever seen a guinea pig leap out of its cage when you walk near it in the evening—or heard one squeal with delight when it hears your footsteps coming closer—you'll know that this isn't always easy even though these critters get around pretty well under those conditions."
"Pink eyed" guinea pigs don't need to see very well.
You might be thinking, “What if I want my guinea pig to see a rainbow?” Or maybe you’re worried that he or she will miss out on the joys of pink eye. Don’t worry. Guinea pigs with pink eyes can still see some colors!
They just can’t see very well and have an increased risk of developing cataracts. So next time you get your guinea pig a new sweater, don't worry too much whether it matches his or her eyes—either way they'll look great in it!
Guinea pigs have atrocious depth perception.
Guinea pigs have atrocious depth perception. They can see close up, but not far away. There’s a lot of research on guinea pig vision because, for some reason, it’s difficult for scientists to get funding for this kind of thing.
It turns out that guinea pigs are like humans in many ways we both have eyes and a nose and ears but we differ from one another in crucial ways:
Guinea Pigs And You: A Comparison Of Vision
Guinea pigs can’t see color (you can)
Guinea pigs don't know what color looks like (you do)
Guinea pigs think everything is grayscale (and so do you)
Guinea pigs can see motion and hear, so they aren't totally cut off from the world.
Guinea pigs are very social animals. They're not as close to humans as dogs or cats, but they still have a good sense of smell and hearing.
Guinea pigs can hear high pitched sounds, so if you speak in a sweet voice to them they will understand what you're saying.
Guinea pigs can also hear low pitched sounds like their names, so if you want your guinea pig to come running when he hears his name then just call him from another room!
You can even teach your guinea pig tricks by making sure that every time she does something good she gets a treat for it.
Guinea pigs have excellent hearing abilities too: They can hear sounds up to 30 feet away. That's about half the length of an average hallway in your house.
This means that even if someone brings home another dog or cat friend for your guinea pig to play with (or maybe even another guinea pig), he'll be able to hear them from far away so he won't get scared out of his mind when there's suddenly another animal around!
Despite their relatively poor vision, guinea pigs make great pets because they are friendly and have lots of personality!
Guinea pigs are not very good at seeing color. They can see some colors, but not very well. However, guinea pigs can see some shapes and movement.
This means that they may be able to tell if you are holding up a hand or a carrot in front of them when you say "come here," but they probably won't know exactly where the carrot is unless it's moving in front of their eyes.
The eyesight of guinea pigs is relatively poor compared to other animals like dogs and cats who have much more advanced vision capabilities. Despite this fact, guinea pigs make great pets because they are friendly and have lots of personality!
Conclusion
The guinea pig is a wonderful little creature that deserves to be treated with care and respect. If you have one as a pet, take it to the vet for checkups and make sure it gets plenty of supplements in its diet.
If you don’t have one yet but want one, consider adopting from an animal shelter or rescue organization so that more cavy babies can be saved from slaughterhouses or neglectful owners!
