Different animals have different kinds of color vision.  Some have very poor color vision and others have very good color vision. In fact some birds and bees have super color vision and see colors that humans don't see.

Poor Color Vision and Animals

Dogs, cats, mice, rats and rabbits have very poor color vision. In fact, they see mostly greys and some blues and yellows. 

This is what humans see.	This is what dogs & cats see.

What about bulls?
Does a red cape make them angry?
Does a red cape make them want to attack it?

This is what humans see.

 

 
This is what a bull sees.

Bulls are color-blind. They charge the red cape because it is moving, not because it is red.

Good Color Vision and Animals

Some animals do have good color vision. Monkeys, ground squirrels, birds, insects, and many fish can see a fairly good range of color. In some cases it's not as good as what we humans see - but it's much better than cats and dogs.

Scientists say that good color vision helps animals find food on the land or in the water. For land animals, good color vision helps to tell the difference between ripe red fruit and unripe green fruit. Colors can also make animals more attractive to each other when they mate. Finally, the ability to see colors helps animals identify predators (other animals who may attack them).

Who has super color vision? Bees and butterflies can see colors that we can't see. Their range of color vision extends into the ultraviolet. The leaves of the flowers they pollinate have special ultraviolet patterns which guide the insects deep into the flower. Another example is how a diving bird can see under water without goggles ... and you can't.

Which animal doesn't need eyes to see? A pit viper sees by feeling the heat in an object. Think about the last time you were really sick. Did you check your forehead to see if you were running a temperature? That "fever-heat" is what gives a pit viper a different kind of vision. This is called "thermal vision." (For more information at Color Matters, click New Frontiers for Color)

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When are humans color-blind? One out of 12 males are color blind. Reds and greens are the most common colors that are difficult to see. Normal Color Vision Color-blind Vision   Humans are color-blind in dim light (such as night time with very little moonlight).

Who can see in the dark? Owls and other nocturnal (night-time) animals can see at night when it is too dark for us. However, we do not know what animals actually see. We do know that they have very sharp vision. Scientists recently discovered the first animal that can see some colors under very dim lighting. It's the gecko and it can tell blue from grey! It's possible that frogs might also see some colors when it's dark. Source

Although there's no way to truly know what non-human animals actually perceive, scientists can examine the cones inside the eyes and estimate what colors an animal sees. One of the techniques used to determine the color vision of fish is “microspectrophotometry.” This process analyzes the visual pigments and photo-sensitivity of cells in order to determine how and what colors a fish sees.
For more information, see Look Inside the Eye

Scientists  also test for color vision with behavioral tests.

In the picture above, a mouse has decided that the third colored panel looks different from the others and receives a drop of soy milk as a reward. For this set of three lights, only the soy milk dispenser over the red panel releases a drop of soy milk.

For more information about scientific studies see:

 Color Vision for Mice

How Dogs are Tested for Color-Blindness

How do we know if a human is color-blind? See What is Color-Blindness at Color Matters.

Are you interested in color experiments ? See Science Projects

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How does color affect your appetite? Can color help you lose weight?
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Color Matters for What You Wear

Clothes are like a second skin. Most likely you feel good when you wear your favorite color. What happens when someone sees you wearing any color - for example blue? Does the color send a message?
 

What do you think about pink and blue in the pictures below?

One of the most common examples of color symbolism in clothing is the custom of using pink for girls and blue for boys ... but it wasn't always this way. This tradition emerged at the turn of the 20th century. Since pink was thought to be a stronger color, it was best suited for boys; blue was more delicate and dainty and best for girls. In 1921, the Women's Institute for Domestic Science in Pennsylvania endorsed pink for boys, blue for girls. Source: Berlin and Kay, When Blue Meant Yellow,.pp. 20 -21) Even more interesting is the fact that pink is the color for baby boys and blue is the color for baby girls in Belgium today. Another interesting fact about pink is that pink is a very masculine color in Bermuda. Also, British bankers and barristers have worn pink shirts for decades. Pink goes in and out of fashion in other parts of the world.

Colors mean different things to different people.
What about the color worn for weddings and funerals?

 

 

White is the traditional color for a bride's wedding gown in the U.S. and most European cultures. White symbolizes purity and innocence. In Asia, white is the color of death. This arises from the belief that death is seen as a beginning and that white represents the purity that the deceased brings into the next life. Therefore, brides in Japan and China wear red in traditional wedding ceremonies. White is also associated with death in India, where widows wear white. Consequently, red or pink saris are the most popular colors for brides.

What about black clothes?

Black symbolizes death and is the traditional color of mourning in Western cultures. Black clothing is associated with powerful forces in many parts of the world. Bad and good. Witches, the devil, ninjas, cat burglars, Darth Vader, CatWoman, and Batman wear black....and so do priests, nuns, judges, mimes, Mennonites, Bedouins, and monks. Maybe the common thread is that these people are signaling their seriousness of purpose - or the need to be hard to see - or both. Here's something else to think about: What happens when the same people (in the picture above) wear green? Are they as powerful? Are the priest and nun as respectable?

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Explore The Meanings of Colors

Purple - Red - Yellow - Blue - Green - Orange - Pink

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"Why are school buses yellow?" is one of the most popular questions at Color Matters. But first, let’s ask,  “Are school buses really yellow?”
 

What color is yellow?

Is yellow the color of a lemon?	Is yellow the color of a banana?
Is this fruit yellow?	Is this fruit yellow?

If you live in the United States, the color of most school buses is not a pure yellow (like the color of lemons). It's not the same color as an orange either. The color of a school bus is yellow-orange. This color is a mixture of lemon yellow and orange ... like the color of the fruit of a mango.

So why do we still refer to a school bus as yellow? Back in the 1930’s in the U.S., school buses were pure yellow. Thus, the term "school bus yellow" came into the English language.

Why are school buses yellow-orange (or yellow) today?

Some facts about yellow:

Yellow (and the yellow family of colors) gets your attention faster than any other color. People notice yellow objects first.

Even when you are looking straight ahead, you can see a yellow object that is not in front of you "in the corners of your eyes" much sooner than any other color even red. Scientists describe this as follows: "Lateral peripheral vision for detecting yellows is 1.24 times greater than for red."

Many experts also point out that colors such as yellow or greenish-yellow are more visible to the human eye under dimmer conditions compared to red.

Some facts about yellow cars, trucks and other moving vehicles:
 

If  there’s fog or any kind of bad weather, drivers will still be able to see yellow cars and any moving vehicle fairly well.

Not only are school buses yellow, but also many earth-moving, road-building and other outdoor machines are yellow because you could get hurt if you accidentally run into one of them. Many accidents occur in farms and outdoors because the victim saw the moving object too late. If it’s yellow, you have a strong warning!

A fact about yellow school buses in the United States

One reason why school buses are yellow is because safety rules and regulations in some areas in the United States require that school buses be yellow.

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The Meanings of Yellow

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Could mellow yellow be the color of insanity?