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25 animals with big eyes

As for humans, the sense of sight in a wide variety of animal species also plays a fundamental role in survival. There are animals that see through small, almost invisible eyes, some have great night vision range or, on the contrary, they have very poor vision. Either way, the eyes are usually the first thing we look at when we communicate with a living being, since they are capable of expressing a multitude of things, and the most striking are the large eyes.

From AgroCorrn we want to present you 25 animals with big eyes , so that you can appreciate the beauty of these visual organs, as well as that of the animal as a whole.

You may also be interested: Animals with feathers

Tarsier or tarsius (Tarsius bancanus)

The tarsier or tarsius is an animal with bulging eyes . It is a curious primate of small size, hairy, with huge eyes, thin limbs and a long tail of about 17 centimeters. It lives in lowland jungles of Indonesia and islands of Southeast Asia.

In this case, the eyes of this animal are so disproportionate, about 1.6 centimeters in diameter, compared to the rest of its small body, approximately 10 centimeters, that many scientists have pointed out that only one of its eyes already it is bigger than your brain . In addition, these huge organs provide spectacular night vision 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 cuddly animal is in danger of extinction mainly due to the destruction of its habitat, poaching and the mascotism of exotic species, which causes, on 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 inhabits all the oceans of the planet, although it is unusual to find it in tropical and polar waters.

Although a large amount of information about 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 in the entire animal kingdom . Its impressive eyeballs measure around 12 inches .

Lazy Loris (Nycticebus)

The lazy loris belongs to the Nycticebus family and stands out for having huge and tender eyes . It is typical of South and Southeast Asia and, although it is protected by the CITES convention, it is currently listed as critically endangered as a result of the illegal trafficking of species .

These animals communicate by olfactory markings and the males of the groups are very territorial. They also eat 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 indisputably 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 superimposed images from all angles and with movement sensitivity. They inhabit rivers, lakes, swamps and ponds mainly and their diet is based on other insects, such as flies, bees and mosquitoes.

Red-eyed green frog (Agalychnis callidryas)

The red-eyed green frog is an amphibian endemic to humid and lowlands of rainforests and areas close to the aquatic ecosystems of southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. His hypnotizing eyes with vertical pupils and enormous size show a very intense red color .

The color of his body does not leave anyone indifferent either. Red-eyed green frogs have very striking colors, bright greens, blues, and yellows. In terms of size, females are significantly smaller than males, about 56 mm compared to approximately 71 mm in males.

Their diet is based on insects and their habits are arboreal and nocturnal. Finally, it should be noted that, although its 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 species of primate native to the humid jungles of northern Madagascar . Although the exact number of black lemurs at present is unknown, the species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Despite having large eyes , the black lemur is led more by its senses of smell and hearing to communicate than by sight. The vibrant colors, from orange to blue, also stand out in his eyes, which makes him the only primate, in addition to the human, to wear eyes of the latter color.

It feeds mainly on fruits, both on the ground and on trees, and lives in families of around 10 members. The family ties that the species maintains are strong and they rarely fight each other, becoming common if they are in the breeding season.

Ogre-faced spider (Deinopidae)

The face ogre spiders are a type of elongated arachnids, with an unusual anatomy where protruding legs and eyes. These eyes, which are very large in proportion to their body and adapted to the dark, are used to hunt at night, throwing the cloth on the prey that are nearby.

This ingenious technique has earned them to be recognized as ” web-throwing spiders .” His other nickname, “ogre face”, refers to the appearance that his eyes give him, looking like ogres or beings with huge eyes that occupy almost his entire face. They can be found in Australia, Africa and America and measure around 1.5 and 2.5 cm.

Owls (Strigiformes)

Species of owls , such as the eagle owl ( bubo bubo ), are beautiful birds with huge yellowish or orange eyes . Since their globules are not mobile, owls are only able to see ahead. However, this lack of movement in the eyes is compensated by their ability to turn their 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 birds of prey , with highly developed visual and auditory 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 above their heads in the form of ears.

Find out more about these birds in this other AgroCorrn article about 112 birds of prey or raptors: types, names and photos .

Telescope fish (Carassius auratus)

The telescope fish , also called dragon eyes , is one of the most famous freshwater fish species in the world. As is evident, his big 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 sharp plants and accessories that can hurt the animal, as well as very bright spaces.

It is a small fish in size, around 5.5 cm and has very showy and bright colors, both unicoloured and bi-colored. Its diet is omnivorous and its character highlights its 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 mainly inhabit 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 rest immobile until some prey, mainly arthropods and small vertebrates, comes close to their reach.

These reptiles are considered very curious for many reasons. One of them is their ability to change color and blend into their surroundings, as well as their long, fast and sticky tongue that allows them to catch their prey.

However, the eyes are also a very interesting point of these animals. Chameleons eyes 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 their body, here is a list of more animals with big eyes :

  • Mantis shrimp ( Gonodactylus smithii )
  • Ostrich ( Struthio camelus )
  • Vampire squid ( Vampyroteuthis infernalis )
  • Brown-nosed goblin fish ( Dolichopteryx longipes )
  • Clear-headed goblin fish ( Macropinna microstoma )
  • Jumping spiders ( Salticidae )
  • Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko ( Uroplatus phantasticus )
  • Common octopus ( Octopus vulgaris )
  • Sonoran desert toad ( Incilius alvarius )
  • Zebra spider ( Salticus scenicus )
  • Ostracods ( Ostracoda )
  • Cystisoma
  • Paraphromine
  • Domestic cat ( Felis silvestris catus )
  • Some breeds of dogs, such as the Chihuahua and the Pug ( Canis lupus familiaris )
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