Re: Rats and color vision

[Beth Benoit]

Title: Re: Rats and color vision

I kind of doubt that this is the definitive answer, however:  

>From the Rat and Mouse Gazette:

Do rats perceive color images like we do? Interestingly, color vision in mammals is rare, the exception being tree-dwelling and fruit-eating species like squirrels and primates. It is believed that the ability to perceive color aids these animals in obtaining food. In the retina, there are two types of photoreceptors: rods and cones. Rods are detectors of tone, i.e., gradations of lightness and darkness, and cones are sensitive to color. In rats, rods are the primary photoreceptor, while cones are scarce (less than 1% of total photoreceptors). Although the cones in the rat eye are shown to have sensitivity to green and UV light, behavior experiments have demonstrated that rats lack color vision.

Beth Benoit
University System of New Hampshire ---
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