Vision is one of the most important senses for the survival of an animal. Vision is usually achieved through a complex organ we call the eyes. The eye of every species differs in several aspects like shape, color, structure, and size. In the diverse animal world, a significant question arises, which animals have the Big Eyes? Therefore, we have come up with today’s article, list of 15 Animals with Big Eyes in the world.
The list not only focuses on animals that have the largest eyes but also on those which have large eyes in comparison to their body and head size and weight. Therefore, without much ado, let’s get going with our today’s article.
15 Animals with Big Eyes in the World
1) Colossal Squid
Colossal Squid has the largest eyes on the planet. They are one of the largest animals on the planet. With an enormous body, sometimes measuring nearly 40 meters long, they are also equipped with the largest eyes in the world.
Measuring up to 25 cm or 11 inches, their eyes are best suited for deep sea vision, where there are no traces of sunlight. Their large eyes help them to use the tiniest of light available emitted by certain crustaceans like jellyfish and use it to spot their predators, majorly the sperm whale.
- Genus- Mesonychoteuthis
- Scientific name- Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni
- Location- Worldwide distribution
2) Slow Loris
The first noticeable thing when one encounters these small endangered animals is their large rounded front-facing eyes. Slow Loris is a nocturnal hunter, and this is where their big eyes come into play.
They capture the maximum of the light available and help the animal to detect its next prey. Their eyes occupy a large portion of their head and are quite distinct in comparison to their small size.
- Genus- Nycticebus
- Scientific name- Nycticebus sp.
- Location- South ane Southeast Asia
3) Ostrich
With eyes having a diameter of nearly 2 inches and occupying most of its head, the Ostrich holds the crown for the largest eyes of any terrestrial animal.
Their large eyes help them to spot predators from great distances, even up to 3-4 km away. Though beautified with large eyelashes, the eyes of an ostrich are so big that it leaves very little room for the brain.
- Genus- Struthionidae
- Scientific name- Struthionidae camelus
- Location- Africa
4) Owl
Owls are undoubtedly one of the finest nocturnal hunters. Their large forward-facing eyes give them a wide field of binocular or stereoscopic vision. The pupils are large enough to allow even the faintest of lights, thus providing them with excellent night vision.
They have rod cells in abundance, which are responsible for their night vision. Owls have eyes that account for nearly 3% of their entire body weight. They can turn their heads 180 degrees, thereby achieving a 360-degree vision.
- Genus- Strigidae
- Scientific name- Strigidae sp.
- Location- Worldwide
5) Blue Whale
You might question our placing of Blue Whale on our list of Animals with Big Eyes, as they have relatively smaller eyes. But being the largest existing animal, the eyes of a Blue Whale are relatively much smaller.
Their eyeballs have a diameter of nearly 3 inches, which is quite large in itself. Blue Whales use their eyes to look for prey in the deep dark ocean waters or some rare cases, to swim away from predators.
- Genus- Balaenoptera
- Scientific name- Balaenoptera musculus
- Location- Throughout the earth’s oceans
6) Swordfish
With eyeballs measuring up to 4 inches, the Swordfish is one of the animals with big eyes in the ocean. Swordfish’s eyes are greatly modified for vision in the deep-blue, cold ocean waters.
Their modified eye muscles can generate heat, which makes the blood going to the eyes warm, enabling the eye to catch the motion of fast-moving prey. Their visual response is so high that they can track extremely fast preys with ease, even the dim underwater.
- Genus- Xiphias
- Scientific name- Xiphias gladius
- Location-Teopical and temperate parta of Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean
7) Horse
Next up, we have another terrestrial animal whose eyes rank up to one of the largest on the planet. Horses have eyes measuring nearly 2-3 inches in diameter, making them one of the largest of all mammals.
Active animals generally have large eyes that help them to prevent collisions with objects in their path, especially when they are moving at high speeds. Horses‘ eyes are nearly eight times larger than an average human eye, giving them high visual equity.
- Genus- Equus
- Scientific name- Equus ferus
- Location- Worldwide distribution
8) Marmosets
The Marmoset’s eyes may not be the largest among the diverse catalog of animals, but they are relatively larger in comparison to their body size and weight.
With a diameter of nearly 11 cm, their eyes are larger than many primates in comparison to the size of their brains. Marmosets are getting increasingly popular for their ability to make highly interactive exotic pets.
- Genus- Callithrix, Mico
- Scientific name- Callithrix sp., Mico sp.
- Location- South America, Central America ans Mexico
9) Tarsier
Tarsier may be one of the smallest primates on the planet, but their relatively large eyes are worth mentioning. Their eyes may be small but have a diameter of nearly 1.6-1.7 cm, which is larger than their brain.
They are nocturnal carnivorous creatures, mainly feeding on insects, and this is where their large eyes come into play. They amplify the slightest of light, aiding them greatly in their night vision.
- Genus- Carlito
- Scientific name- Carlito sp.
- Location- emdemic to Phillipines
10) Chameleon
The chameleon is one of the most visually dependent predators. These slow-moving lizards have large bulging eyes, which are capable of independent 360-degree rotation.
They look like turrets that can rotate 90 degrees vertically and 180 degrees horizontally, giving them a wide panoramic vision, which can change to monocular or binocular.
Their eye slit might be small, but it’s the overall visual organ that gives them a place on this list of animals with big eyes.
- Genus- Chamaeleoninae
- Scientific name- Chamaeleoninae sp.
- Location- In almost all forests of the world
11) Lemurs
Lemurs are nocturnal beings, which accounts for their large eye concerning their skulls. Their large front-facing eyes give them wide binocular or stereoscopic vision. Lemurs have tiny snouts and small bodies, which make their eyes appear even larger.
Their eye color is bright yellow or blue-eyes for some Scientific name name name name, and they lack a fovea, which distinguishes them from other creatures. These are dichromatic beings and are blind to long-wavelength colors like red.
- Superfamily- Lemuroidea
- Location- Endemic to the island of Madagascar
12) Tree frogs
Certain tree Frog, especially the Red-eyed Tree Frogs, have bright red bulging eyes, which appear quite large, keeping in view their tiny body size.
These bright-colored bulging eyes help the frog in many ways than simple vision. They startle the predators for a few seconds, giving the frog enough time to escape. These are nocturnal beings and are therefore highly dependent on their eyes for survival.
- Genus- Agalychnis
- Scientific name- Agalychnis callidryas
- Location- Mexico, Panama, and northern Colombia
13) Pottos
Next up on our list of animals with big eyes we have the Pottos. A relatively uncommon animal, Pottos are one of the primitive primates to exist on the planet.
These are nocturnal beings, and their large eyes greatly aid in it. It helps them to look out for fruits, berries, and insects. Potto’s eyes are largely rounded and are located in front of their eyes, occupying a major portion of their skull.
- Genus- Perodicticus
- Scientific name – Perodicticus edwardsi
- Location- Africa
14) Dragonfly
A dragonfly probably has one of the largest and the most compound eyes in the entire insect kingdom. Their head is enormous in comparison to their body.
The eye of a dragonfly is composed of nearly 30,000-minute telescopic ommatidia, which collectively gives them a high visual acuity. This has a huge advantage, especially when capturing prey mid-flight while hovering at high speeds. Their large eyes help them to spot predators and hence escape on time.
- Genus- Ictinogomphus
- Scientific name- Ictinogomphus rapax
- Location- Worldwide distribution
15) Mantis
With one of the unique eyes in the animal kingdom, the mantis occupies the fifteenth position on our list of Animals with Big Eyes. Their eyes are located on the side of their head, bulging outwards.
The two eyes occupy a major portion of their head and are compound. They have as many as 16 photoreceptor cells and can perceive not only visible but also UV and polarized light.
- Family- Mantidae
- Location- Worldwide
Here, we come to the end of our article, Top 15 Animals with Big Eyes in the World. We will be bringing many of such elaborate articles in the near future, so until then, Stay tuned. You may also look into our other articles belonging to a diverse catalog.
References:
- Amazing eyes: 17 vision champions | Natural History Museum
- Largest Eye in the World, Giant Squid | Smithsonian Ocean
- Wikipedia
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Monty is a founder of How It See. Being a life science student in a reputed university, he always wonders about an eclectic correlation between science and nature. After engaging in various college projects, Monty determined to share all his knowledge with you as a writer. In the meantime, he loves to research and study about the various types of colorful animals.