It is difficult to definitively rank which animal has the best eyesight, as vision covers a wide range of attributes and each animal has adapted its vision to survive in its specific habitat. However, there are some animals that are known for their exceptional eyesight. Here are some of them:
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Eagles: Eagles have near panoramic vision, a heightened sense of color vision, and can see UV light. They can spot prey from miles away and have the sharpest vision in the animal kingdom, with some species having the equivalent of 20/2.5 eyesight, which means they can make out small details up to eight times further away than humans can.
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Owls: Owls and other animals with excellent night vision have a reflective surface behind their retina known as the tapetum lucidum. This thin layer allows light to reflect back into the animal’s eye after it’s already passed through, giving the animal two chances to collect an adequate amount of light. Owls are famous for their night vision and can see in almost complete darkness.
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Mantis Shrimp: Mantis shrimps have the most complex eyes in the entire animal kingdom. Their compound eyes move independently and they have 12 to 16 visual pigments compared to our three. They are the only animals known to be able to see circular polarised light.
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Geckos: Nocturnal geckos have superb vision in dim light - their eyes are 350 times more sensitive to color at night than a humans. Their visual system allows them to focus on objects at long distances, and their visual abilities are enviable for anyone with myopia. Geckos are able to differentiate colors even in the dark.
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Dragonflies: Dragonflies have compound eyes that occupy almost their entire head which allows them to look in all directions simultaneously. They possess no less than 11 types of opsins and up to 30 in some species, allowing them to see even ultraviolet, infrared and polarized light simultaneously. They are able to differentiate colors even in the dark.
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Goats: Goats have rectangular pupils and their eyes are on the sides of their heads, so they have a wide field of vision and the ability to detect threats anywhere. They have excellent peripheral vision and can see almost 320 degrees around them without moving their head.
While it is difficult to definitively rank which animal has the best eyesight, these animals are known for their exceptional visual capabilities.
