Can animals identify different colours?

          We know that animals can see things like us. But can they distinguish between different colours like human beings? To find an answer to this question, scientists have conducted a number of experiments on many animals like cats, dogs, apes, bees, etc.

          It has been found that dogs cannot distinguish between different colours. Some dogs were given eatables of different colours. The variation in colours had no effect on them. This has proved that dogs cannot identify different colours. Some experiments of this type were also conducted on cats. Even they were found to be colour-blind.

          Besides man, ape is the only mammal which can differentiate between different colours. All other mammals are colouring blind.

          The honey bee is also endowed with this unique property of colour discrimination. 

          However, it cannot identify the red colour. It appears black to it. It is on the basis of identification of colours that these bees are attracted towards the flowers of different colours from which they collect honey. The honey bee is capable of seeing the ultraviolet rays which even human beings cannot see.

          To test their power of colour vision, they were shown two cards – blue and red. A little syrup was placed on the blue card, whereas the red card was without it. The honey bees gathered on the blue card. Now the blue card, without any syrup on it, was kept at a different place. The bees reached there also. This proved that they can distinguish between different colours.

          Even birds can differentiate between different colours. The colours of the male birds are more attractive than those of the females. Thus the females are attracted towards them because of their colours. It has been observed that birds can identify all the colours of the rainbow.

          Generally animals have no need to distinguish between colours because most of them hunt by night and do not depend on colour. However, they have a greater power of smell and as such their colour blindness does not handicap them.