Nocturnal animals have specialized adaptations for night vision that often trade color perception for increased light sensitivity. Their eyes typically have:
- Larger pupils and corneas to capture more light
- A reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum that enhances night vision
- More rod cells (for light detection) than cone cells (for color)
While most nocturnal animals sacrifice color vision for better night vision, they compensate with other adaptations. For example, owls have extremely large eyes relative to their body size and can detect movement in very low light conditions. Some nocturnal animals, like cats, can still distinguish some colors in low light, but their color perception is much more limited than during daylight hours.