Can Rabbits See Behind Them?

Last Updated on March 4, 2023 by Marjon Ramos

Rabbits’ vision is almost panoramic, meaning they see everything in front of them as well as what’s behind them. Rabbits are also farsighted, so their vision is much clearer the farther away the object or animal is from them.

Now that I’ve given you the gist of the article, read on as I explain in more detail why rabbits can see behind them:

Can rabbits see behind them without turning around?

Because rabbits are prey creatures, their eyes evolved to see everything in any direction. This panoramic vision allows rabbits to quickly react to any predators that might be planning to eat them.

Due to the placement of their eyes in their skull, rabbits can stay completely still while scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger.

This ability is important because any movement in the animal kingdom can invite dangerous predators.

Rabbits are also farsighted, which means they tend to clearly see animals or objects from a distance rather than up close.

How far can rabbits see behind them?

Rabbits can see extremely far behind them. Due to their panoramic vision, how far they can see from the front is the same distance they can see from the back.

Rabbits are also farsighted, so their vision is clearer the farther away it is from them.

Can rabbits see clearly behind themselves?

Rabbit’s vision is panoramic, which means how clearly they see what’s in front of them would be the same as how clearly they see from behind.

But, rabbits are farsighted in nature, so if the object from behind is closer to them, it might be harder to see compared to an object in front of them that’s further away.

Do rabbits have blind spots?

Rabbits’ blind spots are 10 degrees directly in front of their nose and below their chin. The reason for this blind spot is the placement of their eyes, which are pointing more to the side than forward.

Rabbits also have a small blind spot behind their ears.

Here’s a great article about rabbits’ blind spots that you can check out.

Do all rabbit breeds have panoramic vision?

While all rabbit breeds have the same eye structure that gives them that panoramic vision, some breeds have different bone structures that could interfere with their vision.

For example, Flemish giants are so big that their bodies are blocking some of their vision. Also, rabbit breeds that have a lot of fur suffer from the same problem.

It’s not usually a problem for the breeds I mentioned above to not have panoramic vision because most of them are pets. The same cannot be said for wild rabbits, because they need all the advantages they can get to not get eaten.

Summary

Due to the structure of their eyes, the rabbit’s vision is almost panoramic. Their only blind spot is 10 degrees directly in front of their nose and below their chin.

Rabbits are also farsighted, which means they can see objects or animals better when they’re far away.

While all rabbits have panoramic vision, some rabbit breeds have such odd characteristics that they can sometimes interfere with their vision. As an example, angora rabbits have so much fur that they cannot see directly behind their backs until their fur is removed.

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