Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I thought maybe you guys would know something about this...

How well do snakes see? Do they see in color, black and white, or motion only? Does vision vary from speci to speci?

Just curious.
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1.0.0 Sinaloan Milksnake
1.0.0 Shepherd Mix
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All I know is... it does vary from species to species (one or two types even have binocular vision), and motion is extremely important to their vision although I don't know if they're completely blind if something's not moving.
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Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

Hello,

Good question! For the most part snakes see poorly. They don't seem to be able to recognize stationary objects but are highly sensitive to movement and for the most part have an excellent broad field of vision due to the placement of the eyes. Some species of vine snakes (Ahuetella [sp?] genus) even have rudimentary binocular vision. The most acute vision is in the diurnal snakes with round pupils. As for seeing in color? That depends on the species and the composition of rods and cones in the eyes. Some species have more of one type of cell than the other giving more acute vision in low light but sacrificing color in turn while others have better day vision and subsequently some better perception of color.
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Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois