As for humans, the sense of sight in a great variety of animal species also has a fundamental role for survival. There are animals that see through small, almost invisible eyes, some have a great visual range at night or, on the contrary, have a very poor vision. Either way, the eyes are usually the first thing we look at when we communicate with a living being, as they are capable of expressing many things, and the most striking is the animals with big eyes.
We want to present you 25 animals with big eyes so that you appreciate the beauty of these visual organs, as well as the animal as a whole.
The animals with big eyes
Tarsier or tarsier (Tarsius bancanus)
The tarsier or tarsier is an animal with bulging eyes. It is a curious primate of small size, hairy, with enormous eyes, thin limbs and a long tail of about 17 centimeters. Lives in lowland jungles of Indonesia and Southeast Asian islands.
In this case, the eyes of this animal are so disproportionate, about 1.6 centimeters in diameter, compared to the rest of his small body, about 10 centimeters, that many scientists have pointed out that only one of his eyes is already It is greater than your brain. In addition, these huge organs provide a spectacular night vision to be able to hunt without problems.
Their diet is insectivorous, and they are solitary animals, although they live in small groups of 2 to 6 members. Unfortunately, this small and tender animal is in danger of extinction mainly due to the destruction of its habitat, poaching and the mascotism of exotic species, which causes, in many occasions, the death of the animal victim of stress.
Giant squid (Architeuthis)
The giant squid is a mysterious animal that lives in the depths of the ocean. This mollusk feeds on fish and crustaceans and lives in all the oceans of the planet, although it is unusual to find it in tropical and polar waters.
Although a large amount of information on the species is unknown, since they are not easily visible on the surface, it is known that they can reach up to 15 meters in length and have the largest eyes of the entire animal kingdom. Its impressive eyeballs measure around 30 centimeters.
Slow Loris (Nycticebus)
The Slow Loris belongs to the Nycticebus family and stands out for its enormous and tender eyes. It is typical of South and Southeast Asia and, although it is protected by the CITES agreement, it is currently classified as critically endangered as a result of the illegal trafficking of species.
These animals communicate by olfactory marks and the males of the groups are very territorial. Likewise, they feed on almost everything they find, since they follow an omnivorous diet. Finally and as a curiosity, this exotic nocturnal mammal is the only primate known to be poisonous.
Dragonflies (Anisoptera)
As for insects, dragonflies such as the common dragonfly (Gomphus vulgatissimus), which lives mainly in Spanish and Italian high mountain regions, are unquestionably one of the insects with the largest eyes in relation to their body.
They have 30,000 lenses per eye, which are used to capture images superimposed from all angles and with movement sensitivity. They inhabit rivers, lakes, marshes, and ponds mainly and their food is based on other insects, such as flies, bees and mosquitoes.
Green frog with red eyes (Agalychnis callidryas)
The green-eyed red frog is an endemic amphibian of wet and lowland rainforests and areas close to the aquatic ecosystems of southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Its hypnotizing vertical pupil eyes and oversize size look a very intense red color.
The color of his body does not leave anyone indifferent either. The green red-eyed frogs have very bright colors, green, blue and bright yellow. In terms of size, the females are much smaller than the males, about 56 mm compared to the approximate 71 mm in the males.
Their diet is based on insects and their habits are arboreal and nocturnal. Finally, it should be noted that although their skin has toxins, these are not very powerful, so it is not considered a poison frog.
Black lemur (Eulemur macaco)
The black lemur is a primate species native to the rainforests of northern Madagascar. Although the exact number of black lemur specimens is currently unknown, the species is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. Despite having large eyes, the black lemur is more driven by their senses of smell and hearing to communicate than by sight. It also highlights the vibrant colors of his eyes, from orange to blue, which makes him the only primate, besides the human, to wear the eyes of this last color.
It feeds mainly on fruits, both on the ground and on trees, and lives in families of around 10 members. The family ties maintained by the species are strong and rarely fight among them. Becoming commonplace if they are in the breeding season.
Ogre-faced spider (Deinopidae)
The ogre face spiders are a type of elongated arachnids, with unusual anatomy where legs and eyes protrude. These eyes of very large size in proportion to their body and adapted to the darkness are used to hunt at night, throwing the cloth on the prey that is nearby.
This ingenious technique has earned them to be recognized as ” fabric throwing spiders “. His other nickname, “ogre’s face”, refers to the appearance that his eyes give him, looking like ogres or beings equipped with huge eyes that occupy almost his entire face. They can be found in Australia, Africa, and America and measure about 1.5 and 2.5 cm.
Owls (Strigiformes)
The species of owls, such as the eagle owl (bubo), are precious birds and huge eyes with yellowish or orange colorations. Since their globules do not have mobility, the owls are only able to see forward. However, this lack of movement in the eyes is compensated by his ability to turn his head 360 degrees.
We can find owls in almost any corner of the planet, with the exception of Antarctica. There are more than 200 species of owls, and all of them are nocturnal raptors. With highly developed visual and hearing senses and a diet based on insects, mice, fish, and other small animals. Finally, a physical characteristic that distinguishes them from owls is the existence of feathers raised on their heads in the form of ears.
Telescope fish (Carassius auratus)
The telescope fish, also called dragon eyes, is one of the most famous species of freshwater fish in the world. As it is evident, his great eyes stand out from his physique. These organs, being so bulging, are very sensitive. So if these fish live in aquariums it is important to avoid plants. And sharp accessories that can hurt the animal, as well as very bright spaces.
Its size is a small fish, around 5.5 cm and it has very bright and colorful colors, both unicoloured and bicolor. His diet is omnivorous and his character emphasizes his social, active and exploratory personality. Finally, a curiosity of the species is that it has a memory to remember events for 3 months.
Chameleons (Chamaeleonidae)
Chameleons live mainly in Africa, south of the Sahara, and America. There are around 160 species of chameleons, all of them diurnal and passive, that is, instead of practicing active hunting techniques, they prefer to stand motionless until some prey, arthropods and small vertebrates, are close to their reach.
These reptiles are considered very curious for many reasons. One of them is its ability to change color and camouflage its surroundings. As well as its elongated, fast and sticky tongue that allows them to catch their prey.
However, the eyes are also a very interesting point of these animals. The eyes of the chameleons are large and bulging. They have the ability to rotate independently and have a range of vision of up to 360 degrees.
More animals with big eyes
If you still want to know more curious animals with huge eyes compared to the rest of your body. Here is a list of more animals with big eyes:
- Mantis shrimp (Gonodactylus smithii)
- Ostrich (Struthio camelus)
- Vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis)
- Elf fish with brown snout (Dolichopteryx longipes)
- Transparent head elf fish (Macropinna microstoma)
- Jumping spiders (Salticidae)
- Gecko tail of satanic leaf (Uroplatus phantasticus)
- Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris)
- Toad of the Sonoran Desert (Incilius alvarius)
- Zebra spider (Salticus scenicus)
- Ostracodes (Ostracoda)
- Cystisoma
- Paraphromina
- The domestic cat ( Felis silvestris catus )
- Some breeds of dogs, such as chihuahua and pug or Carlino (Canis lupus familiaris)