Perhaps the single most important asset granted to sheep by their pupils, and in conjunction with the placement and spacing of their eyes, is an extremely wide field of view.Ī sheep’s eyes are placed on the sides of their head, and this gives them a field of view, allowing them to observe almost the entirety of their surroundings without moving their head.

A Sheep’s Pupils Help Grant it a Wide Field of View For large and capable predators, sheep are a score!Īccordingly, a sheep’s best defense is seeing trouble coming early so they can alert the flock and start to get away, perhaps spoiling a sneak attack and giving them a chance to live another day.Ī sheep’s rectangular pupils help it see predators early by giving them several advantages when it comes to early detection. It isn’t hard to see why: any sheep has plenty of meat, is not very fast, and can barely defend itself in any meaningful way. They might be deadly “predators” of grass and plants, but the real predators always have sheep on their menu. Sheep, as you doubtless know, are prey animals. Sheep are Prey Animals, So They Need to See Predators Early

This unusual pupil shape provides some benefits for sheep that help them better adapt and thrive in their part of the food chain namely by helping them to see in low light conditions and giving them a much wider field of view than most other mammals. The muscles that control the shape of the pupil are located around the edge of the iris, and in sheep, these muscles are arranged in a way that it results in a rectangular pupil. This is because of their eye musculature. Many animals have round pupils, some have vertical slits, and a few have something truly weird like a cuttlefish’s w-shape.īut sheep have “rectangular” pupils, though they are really more of a blunted oval. There are many pupil shapes to be found in the animal kingdom. Sheep have Rectangular Pupils Because of their Eye Musculature You might find the following facts about a sheep’s vision interesting, and at any rate it will help you understand them a bit better. Sheep have rectangular pupils due to the arrangement of their eye musculature, and because it grants them a much wider field of view, an important trait for a prey animal.ĭon’t let that odd look bother you sheep see more or less like you and me do, and their vision is surprisingly excellent in some ways, though limited in others. Just why do sheep have rectangular pupils anyway? It’s definitely different, and you might even find it a bit unsettling. If you have, you will have undoubtedly noticed that peculiar, oblong rectangular pupil. No other animal has hair quite like them.Īnd speaking of unique physical characteristics, have you ever looked closely at a sheep’s eyes? Economically they are important as a source of meat and wool, and the latter has been loved for its ability to make garments that will keep you warm even when they are soaking wet.

You cannot deny that sheep are pretty interesting animals.

Oval shaped pupils in humans