How to tell if animals with their eyes on the side of their head are looking at you.

Is there a way to tell this?

You can always tell if a dog or a cat is looking at you, but rabbits and horses are a different matter. Sometimes they look like they are looking at you, even though they are facing sideways, but are they?

What do their eyes look sideways then, or do they look forward, and can they change the centre of their vision without having to move their eyes?

 

My cow Monique could have told you this but she died and went to Mcdonalds...sorry

 

They're eyes are placed that way to give them a better field of vision, because they're usually preyed on by other animals. I think it's almost a 360 degree field, but they do have a blind spot which is directly in front of them. Whatever they lose in that blind spot though, they make up for with their sensitive hearing.

 

sounds like something Monique would have said

 

moooooooo right!!

 

^^^

This is true. I've had three rabbits in the past, and hunted a few others. It isn't hard to tell when things with eyes on the sides of its head are looking at you. If the eye is facing you, chances are it's looking at you. They can't see directly in front of them, which is why they turn their side to you when they want to look at you.

Birds as well.

 

It's really only slightly better than 180 degree vision with the eyes being on the side, though we as humans can see thing out of the corner of our eyes, almost extending to a 160 degree range.

You can assume rabbits and deer can see things out of the corners of their eyes much further, and are probably more accustomed to it. I couldn't gather information online, but they can probably see more in a 250 degree manner, although poorly outside their range of scope.

Predatory animals tend to have 90 degree vision; eyes on front, while herbivorous animals tend to have 180 degree vision.

Anyway, addressing this thread, animals with eyes on the side of their head, are always looking at you. Just not paying full attention.

 

i'm in the process of having my eyes surgically moved to my temples, so i'll let you know when it's finished.

 

my bird is a creeper and a sneaky little shit. he stands on top of his cage just chillen, turned the other way. but really he's studying my family and writing down our actions

 

One way is when a glance turns into fight or flight.

 

How do I know which way their eye is facing?

Robins are really curious birds, they sometimes land near you and sit and watch you. Starlings too.

 

It's hard to explain, but you can tell by the rest of its body language. Like my rats for instance, can't look you directly in the eye and can't see much past a foot or so in front of them, but I know when they are seeing me because of the angle at which they hold their heads. Most prey animals that have eyes on the side of their face have a much different perception of sight than humans and predatory animals with eyes more toward the front. They usually have a distorted/fisheye/larger-than-it-actually is kind of view and tend to view their surroundings as a whole instead of focusing on particular objects. Chances are it knows you're there one way or the other through smell or sound even if it can't see you directly.