The rhinoceros has eyes with a very large, round pupil. However, they have relatively poor eyesight compared to many other animals. They have a tendency of bumping into things because of their lack of depth perception.
Even so, some people say the rhinos are blind but not all agree with that statement because they are resistant to sight as well as just being blind in general because they have such an acute sense of hearing and smell. In this article we are going to dig deep on rhinos vision ability, lets dive in!
Are Rhinos Blind?
In short, no there are no real facts to suggest these rhinos are blind. There is some evidence that rhinos have bad eyesight but not all agree with this statement and it is up for debate.
Some think the reason these animals bump into things is because of their vision, even though they cannot see a motionless person at a distance of 30 meters or less. Most of the time they rely on their sense of smell to find food.
Do Rhinos have bad eyesight?
As we have mentioned rhinos eyesight isn’t great, but it is still very important in their day-to-day lives. The rhino has poor vision but can see a distance of 30 meters or less – this is the reason why they often bump into things.
The rhinoceros uses its two-lobed eyes (one on each side of their heads) for scanning the ground and vegetation for food. They depend on their sense of smell more than sight when it comes to finding food.
They have a better night vision, which allows them to see at night and avoid predators (this is when they feel unsafe), this is also useful for them in their search for food as they can see much further at night.
This means that a rhino can actually be seen under the earth about 30m down and still going for the same thing or even find prey if the predator wasn’t there.
Rhinos are known to suffer from short-sightedness, which means that it can be difficult for them to see things clearly that are distant or things that are close to them. Although they are blind in the sense that they cannot see a motionless person at a distance of 30 metres or less, they can detect and track moving objects, such as when a predator is approaching
What do Rhinos Rely on in the Wild?
They have a good sense of smell:
Rhinos have a good sense of smell, the rhino has a great sense of smell, they can detect and track moving objects, such as when a predator is approaching or when food is nearby. they rely more on their smell than eyesight
Good Hearing ability:
Rhinos have a good hearing ability and they can hear sounds at a distance of over 30 metres, this allows them to hear predators approaching. They rely on their hearing ability more than their sight.
Long Sharp Horns:
Rhinos have long sharp horns, this helps them save themselves from predators and poachers. They use their power to defend themselves. these horns can grow up to between 20 and 100 cm.
Body Size:
Rhinos have a big size, this also makes it harder for predators to hunt them. Rhinos can reach the size of 5.1 feet in height and weigh 2400 pounds on average . This allows them to push away predators if they are attacked.
Intelligence:
Rhinos are very intelligent animals, they can use their intelligence to fight off predators, such as the Lion. Rhinos have the ability to kill lions and other dangerous predators with only their horns.
Conclusion
Rhinos are colour blind they use their sense of smell, hearing ability and sharp horn to fight predators. They may be able to see but the fact that they have poor vision makes them colour blind.
Rhinos rely more on their sense of smell and hearing ability than vision. The Rhino has poor eyesight but can see a distance of 30 metres or less – this is the reason why they often bump into things.
The rhinoceros uses its two-lobed eyes (one on each side of their heads) for scanning the ground and vegetation for food.
Lydia King is a huge animal lover and has always been fascinated with learning about the animal kingdom. She enjoys writing about anything animal related from scientific information about rare species to animal references in pop culture.
