25 Animals with Big Eyes - Names and Pictures

Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

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 Ecologist Verde we want to introduce you 25 animals with big eyes, so that you appreciate the beauty of these visual organs, as well as that of the animal as a whole.

Tarsier or tarsius (Tarsius bancanus)

The tarsier or tarsius is a bulging-eyed animal. 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 his eyes is already bigger than his brain. In addition, these huge organs provide you with a spectacular night vision to be able 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 cuddly little animal is found in Danger of extinction mainly due to the destruction of their 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 It 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 biggest eyes in the entire animal kingdom. Their impressive eyeballs measure around 30 centimeters.

Lazy Loris (Nycticebus)

The lazy loris belongs to the family Nycticebus and stands out for wearing some 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 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 like 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 your body.

Have 30,000 lenses per eye, which serve 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 It is an endemic amphibian of humid and low lands of rainforests and areas close to the aquatic ecosystems of southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America. His hypnotizing eyes with vertical pupil and enormous size show off a color very intense red.

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 considerably smaller than males, at about 56 mm compared to the approximate 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 It is a species of primate native to the humid forests of the northern Madagascar. Although the exact number of black lemurs at present is unknown, the species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Despite having some oversized eyes, the black lemur is guided more by its senses of smell and hearing to communicate than by that of sight. The vibrant colors, from orange to blue, also stand out in his eyes, which makes him the only primate, apart from 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 ogre face spiders They are a type of elongated arachnid, with an unusual anatomy where legs and eyes protrude. 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 (Strigif.webpormes)

The species of owls, like the eagle owlbubo bubo), they are precious birds and huge eyes of yellowish or orange colorations. 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 Green Ecologist 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, from his physique his big eyes stand out. 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 explorer 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. Chameleon eyes are large and bulging, have the ability to rotate independently and to 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 we leave you one list of more animals with big eyes:

• Mantis shrimp (Gonodactylus smithii)
• Ostrich (Struthio camelus)
• Vampire squidVampyroteuthis infernalis)
• Brown-nosed goblin fishDolichopteryx longipes)
• Transparent-headed goblin fish (Macropinna microstoma)
• Jumping spidersSalticidae)
• Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus)
• Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris)
• Sonoran desert toad (Incilius alvarius)
• Zebra spiderSalticus scenicus)
• Ostracods (Ostracoda)
• Cystisoma
• Paraphromine
• Domestic catFelis silvestris catus)
• Some breeds of dogs, such as the Chihuahua and the Pug or Pug (Canis lupus familiaris)

Below, you can see the pictures of animals with big eyes from this list in order.

Image: SteamuserimagesImage: AeromentalImage: I. YtimgImage: Ocean.si.edu

If you want to read more articles similar to 25 animals with big eyes, we recommend that you enter our category of Animal Curiosities.