Other Colors?

Question

I've heard that other animals can see more colors than we humans can. If so, what are the colors like?

I heard that they are called tetrachromats. They have a fourth rod that can see a color between red and green? Anyone have any more info?

Answer 1

Asking what colors that we cannot see "look like" is a little like asking "what does unicorn meat taste like?" Maybe like chicken.

Most mammals have color receptors (cones) in their retinas that are sensitive to two bands of the visible spectrum, with peak sensitivities at wavelengths of about 424 and 560 nanometers (nm).

Humans (and other primates) with normal color vision have color receptors that are sensitive to three bands of the color spectrum, with the third receptor most sensitive at 530 nm. We can therefore distinguish more variations of color than most mammals.

Birds, lizards, turtles, and many fish have a fourth type of color receptor, and their eye pigments are most sensitive at 370, 445, 508, and 565nm. They therefore probably see things with color details that humans cannot. It is impossible for us to say what the colors look like, because our brains have never experienced the sensations that would result if we had their additional color sensitivity.

Answer 2

I believe the qualities you speak of are possessed by animals such as certain birds (parrots) and fish.

I think fish have a greater spectrum as a result of the refraction of lights in water..

I don't really know much about the subject though...

Answer 3

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrachromat but this appears to be a rather poorly written article. There's one in German, which you might get translated in Babelfish:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrachromat
http://babelfish.altavista.com/

see also: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06256/721190-114.stm
http://www.4colorvision.com/files/tetrachromat.htm

However, more specifically, bees can see in the ultraviolet:
http://www.et-arts.com/beesee.html which helps them zero in on flowers to gather pollen.

Snakes can see in the infrared, although resolution is obviously poor:
http://www.questacon.edu.au/html/assets/pdf/ea_super_senses_snake.pdf
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WMD-457VDPN-6J&_coverDate=03%2F21%2F2001&_alid=514918674&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_qd=1&_cdi=6932&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=8aff7b0a72a0a9b69bbd7436458ee646
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T9N-4417F5N-D&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F2002&_alid=514918687&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_qd=1&_cdi=5119&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=bbbc98a15c692e3f2aeb4870cb5547b2

Answer 4

They see black, and white most offten. The most amazing is that the blue jay can see in blue! Wow! Hope this helps!

Answer 5

i dont think that is true at all !!
there are no more colours in our light spectrum
i much rather thought that there are a lot of animals which see things in b and w

Answer 6

deer are color blind!