more knowledge, useful or otherwise

[low_delta]

Color perception in animals varies by species; most mammals are dichromats, perceiving two colors. Deer, for example, see blue and yellow, but not red, and their perception of blue is far broader and more acute than humans. A camouflage garment laundered in typical laundry detergent laced with ultraviolet dye, added to brighten colors, may blend into the background when seen with the human eye, but the deer's eyes are sensitive into the near ultraviolet portion of the spectrum, and the garment will stand out as a brightly colored object. Orange and red, however, are far enough from the deer's yellow receptor range that they will appear as dim colors, so what a human sees as a bright orange element in a camouflage pattern will appear as a dark color to the deer's eye. Similarly, the rods of deer are sensitive further into the near ultraviolet than are human eyes (though still lacking in response at the red end of the spectrum), and provide a greater response. This gives deer superior vision in low light conditions. Birds, on the other hand, do see red, and near ultraviolet; both ultraviolet dyes and blaze orange will be visible to them.

Comments

[marswalker.livejournal.com]

That is good to know. I've got a bright red hat that has white lettering - like a child might make - embroidered in. It says... "please don't shoot me in the head."

Now I know - I need to find a die-free detergent to launder all that kind of stuff in, for to go chasing Bambi through the brush.

[mummm.livejournal.com]

That's really interesting! I believed what I was told, that animals were color blind. It's cool to know that.

[eideteker.livejournal.com]

Men are more likely to be colorblind (dichromats); women have a greater propensity towards tetrachromatism. Goldfish are pentachromats.