Are Coyotes Color Blind? Coyote Vision, Explained.

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Coyotes use many senses to hunt prey, including smell and hearing, but the primary sense they use is sight.

Some people assume that coyotes only see shades of gray, or that they see the same things that we do, but neither of these is true.

So what colors do they actually see? Are coyotes color blind?

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Are Coyotes Color Blind?

Like dogs, coyotes are red-green color blind.

It’s difficult to tell what another animal is seeing. And even more difficult when it’s a wild predator – it’s not easy to set up an experiment with a coyote in a lab. The vision of domestic dogs is much easier to test.

Several experiments have been done to determine that dogs are red-green color blind, and since coyotes are closely related to dogs, these results can probably be applied to them, as well as other canines.

The retina of the coyote is also very similar in structure to that of a domestic dog, meaning they probably see similar things. Like dogs, coyotes can see colors, but not all of the ones a human with typical vision can see. 

Are Coyotes Color Blind

Coyote Vision Explained

Canines Have Dichromatic Vision

Canines have dichromatic vision which means they have two cones in their eye to perceive colors. Humans normally have three cones, which allows us to see colors closer to the red spectrum.

Some people who are color blind only have two cones and would see similar colors to what a coyote would see.

Coyotes Can Only See Combos Of Yellow And Blue

Since they only have two cones that receive short wavelength light, they can only see shades of yellow and blue (as well as gray). They have trouble seeing longer wavelength colors like red, as well as colors involving red such as purple, orange, and pink. 

These colors would look like shades of blue, yellow, brown, or gray to them instead.

Like many color blind humans, they cannot differentiate between green and red. However, if the colors are bright enough, they can tell the difference between them.

Color Detection Is Affected By Brightness

It is typically difficult for canines to tell the difference between red and green, but it depends on how bright those colors are. 

One study found that at low luminescence, dogs could not distinguish red from green, or blue from yellow.

When the brightness was increased, however, they were able to see the difference between the colors. 

Coyote Vision Is Adapted To See In Dim Light

The eye has two types of receptors: cones and rods. Cones detect color in bright light, and rods detect low light.

Naturally, nocturnal species have more rods than cones, since they have to see in low-light conditions. 

Coyotes are often active at night, as well as at dawn and dusk. This is when their night vision comes in handy. Because of the extra rods in their retinas, they get a lot more visual detail in dim light than humans do.

But they are also active during the day, so having some color vision is important for them as well.

As opportunistic feeders who not only hunt but also forage for food, being able to spot fruit in the woods is very useful!

What Colors Should You Wear When Hunting Coyotes?

If you don’t want to be noticed by a coyote, you should wear orange – it’s hard for coyotes to notice, but easily seen by other hunters in the area. Avoid wearing yellow or white in the woods, as it gives a high color contrast that coyotes can see unless it’s against a snowy background. 

Coyotes can easily detect high color contrast. A study found that M44 cyanide traps were set off more often by coyotes when there was high color contrast between the trap and the environment.

Coyotes did not notice white traps against the snow as much. 

Red light is the best light to use, as coyotes don’t notice it as much as they notice other lights. 

What Colors Will Scare Coyotes?

Lights that suddenly come on when motion is detected, or infrared light, can surprise and scare away coyotes at night.

If you’re thinking of installing these lights on your property, make sure they are not red lights, since red does not stand out to coyotes.

Bright white lights are the best bet for startling coyotes.

How Good Is A Coyote’s Eyesight?

Although they have better night vision, coyotes can not see as far as humans can. They are near-sighted, meaning details further away appear blurry.

To them, something 20 feet away is as blurry as it would be to us if it were 75 feet away.

Their distance vision is not great, but their peripheral vision is much better than ours.

Coyotes can pick up motion 260° in their periphery, while humans can only see 180° around and are not as good at detecting movement.

Conclusion

Coyotes cannot see as many colors as humans, but they can see more than black and white. They are red-green color blind, which means they see those colors as mixes of yellow, blue, and gray.

Keep this in mind when trying to get close (or far) from a coyote!