Can Hamsters See Color? The Truth About Hamster’s Eyesight

As a proud hamster mom, I always wondered if my hamsters have good eyesight. Can hamsters see what’s going around them? Can hamsters see color? And more importantly, can they recognise me as their owner? 

Hamsters are small mammals that belongs to the rodent family. Just like any other mammals, they have similar eye structure resembling the human eye. The hamster eye consists of cornea, pupils, retina, lens and nerves. 

In this article, we’re going to learn more about hamster’s eyesight, whether they can see in color and explore more fun facts about your furry pet’s vision. 

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Can Hamsters See Color?

Well, hamsters are color blind. However, that doesn’t mean that their world is only black and white as they are still able to see some colors. 

So, the answer is yes, they can see color but very minimally. Hamsters can see in shades of black, white, grey, blue and green. 

Before we explain further, let’s first look at how we see color. Color is seen on an object when the light is reflected back to the eye. 

Our retina absorbs the reflected wavelength and send signals to our brains, interpreting the wavelength to the different colors we see. What color we see depends on the wavelength reflected back to our eyes. 

This is thanks to the cone cells in our retinas. These are the tiny cells on our retinas that responds to light. There are 3 types of cone cells, each of which responds to different wavelengths of light, enabling us to see in different spectrum of colors. 

Now that we understand how color is perceived in human eyes, let’s check out how can hamsters see color. 

As discussed above, we now know that cone cells are vital to convert wavelengths to color in our brains. Hamsters are color blind as they have around 97% of rod cells and only 3% of cone cells in their retinas.

In the absence of cone cells, this means that hamsters are unable to interpret light when it hits their retina, making them color blind. 

Understanding how your hamster perceive their surroundings may help you to provide better living conditions for your pet hamster. 

How Hamsters See Colors?

Do hamsters see color? Since we have established that hamster can indeed see some colors, next we’ll find out how can hamsters see in color.

Even though hamsters are color blind, that doesn’t mean that they cannot see any color. 

Strange, isn’t it? Let’s dissect further. 

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, color blind is defined as color deficiency, which happens when someone cannot differentiate or see colors normally. 

Although it’s difficult to know what hamsters can see in actual, studies shown that Syrian hamsters see things in one color. This kind of eyesight is commonly known as monochromatic vision. 

Nevertheless, another study later shown that hamsters are in fact, capable of seeing other colors other than black, white and grey as they responded to blue and green stimuli. 

What Colors Do Hamsters See?

Colors Hamsters Can See

Studies have shown that hamsters react to blue and green stimuli, which suggests that they can see these colors minimally. 

Colors Hamsters Can’t See

Your hamster cannot see colors in the red region of the spectrum as it will appear grey to them. Besides that, they are also unable to distinguish colors in the orange, pink, and purple spectrums. 

How Far Can Hamsters See? 

Hamsters are near sighted, which means that they can see near objects clearly, but objects further than a certain distance can appear blurry to them.

This is because they have more rod cells than cone cells in their eyes. Cone cells have higher visual acuity, which is the ability to see objects or images clearly.  

That explains why hamsters might suddenly bite you as they can’t see very well. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean your hamster hates you. They do this out of defence as it might startle them when your fingers suddenly appear in front of them. 

Your hamster might also bite you when you have the smell of food on your fingers, so remember to wash your hands before petting them. 

Hamsters also has no sense of depth or height, which means that they couldn’t judge how high or far they were.

This explains why it’s dangerous to place hamster cages on high grounds as these hamsters might escape and fall from high ground. 

Hamster Vision

Well, it turns out that hamsters have poor eyesight. Hamsters are short-sighted. What’s worse, because they lack cone cells in their retinas, they can only see a few inch past their noses. 

Images and things far away will appear blurry to hamsters as the lack of cone cells in their eyes means they lack in visual acuity, which means being able to see in finer detail. 

Many sources online cited that hamsters has a layer of reflective tissue on their eyes, called the tapetum lucidum. This layer of tissue on the eyes helps to see better at night and gives animals an eyeshine. 

I happened to shine lights on my hamsters one night and did not notice the eyeshine. Curious, I did more extensive research online and found that hamsters, in fact, do not have tapetum lucidum. 

Even though hamsters see better in low light than bright light conditions, that does not mean that they have tapetum lucidum as their eyes don’t shine under bright lights at night. 

Fun Fact: Do you know that baby hamsters are born blind? Baby hamsters will only open their eyes 2 weeks after they are born. That’s why it’s important to always keep an eye on these babies since they are fragile and delicate. 

Can Hamsters See UV Light?

The answer is yes, hamsters can see UV light. 

Before we continue, let’s find out what is UV light. UV light is electromagnetic radiation that has a shorter wavelength compared to normal light, which is undetected by the naked human eye. 

According to FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), UV rays can be found in sunlight, lights in stadiums and gyms, tanning machines and more. 

Scientist found that Siberian hamsters responds to UV-A light at different spectrums, particularly at 320, 340 and 360 nanometers (nm). These UV-A light are not detectable by humans as our eyes can only see wavelength ranging from 400 – 700 nm. 

The research also found that UV-A light could regulate hamsters’ reproductive system as well as their circadian rhythms. 

How Do Hamsters See Humans?

Since hamsters are short-sighted, they recognise humans primarily through other senses such as hearing and smell. From far, you’ll look like a large looming figure to your pet hamster since they are so tiny. 

For hamsters that were raised in breeder mills and captivity, they might think that humans are threats since we are large compared to them. 

However, if your hamster is used to interacting with humans since young, they will be friendly as they are accustomed to seeing humans around them. 

Hamsters cannot distinguish colors well since they have more rod cells than cone cells in their eyes. Therefore, your hamster might not be able to tell the different colors of clothing we wear or the color of the food they are eating. 

Nevertheless, they make up with their strong sense of smell. Hamsters uses their whiskers to identify different scent and that’s how they are able to recognise their owners. 

Pro Tip: To build a closer bond with your hamster, hold it and pet it frequently so they are used to human touch. Don’t forget to wash your hands every time you hold your hamster! Food scents might stick to your hands and your hamster might mistake your hands for food

Can Hamsters See In The Dark?

Yes, hamsters can see very well in dark and low light conditions.

Since they are crepuscular animals, which means that they are active during dawn and dusk, they have develop a keen ability to see well in dimly lit conditions. 

To make up for their poor eyesight, hamsters have adapted well to their environment. They rely on their sense of hearing and smell to navigate in dry and arid conditions. 

Hamsters love to burrow and build tunnels. This is in their instinct and they burrow to protect and keep themselves safe. 

Since hamsters can see well in low light conditions, do hamsters like the dark? The answer is no as hamsters cannot live in completely dark conditions.

Hamsters still require some light to function This usually won’t be an issue for pet hamsters as we have lights at home. 

Pro Tip: Remember not to place hamster cages in complete darkness as it might startle them. You may leave some lights on or place your hamster cage near windows where there are street lamps. 

What Light Conditions Do Hamsters Prefer?

Since hamsters are crepuscular animals (active mostly during dawn and dusk), hamsters prefer dim lit conditions, similar to the light conditions during dawn and dusk. 

You might wonder, what about the color of the light? Do hamsters have any preference for the color of lights?

For humans, blue represents calm and peace while red represents excitement and anger. Surprisingly, scientists in the Ohio State University found that hamsters prefer red lights the most, when compared to other colors. 

The research studied how different light conditions affects the mood of Siberian hamsters. These hamsters are exposed to white, blue, red lights as well as complete darkness. 

Hamsters exposed to blue lights are found to be the most depressed, while red light could lessen the negative effects on hamster’s moods. 

If you’re a night owl, try not to place your hamster in the same room as you as artificial blue lights will affect your hamster’s mood and encourage more aggressive behaviors. 

Ideally, place their cages in the living room where they can get plenty of natural light during the day (sunlight) and night (moonlight). 

FAQs 

What Does A Hamster’s Vision Look Like? 

Hamsters have a poor eyesight and this means that they can’t see things that are far. However, as hamsters are prey animals, they have a wide angle of vision.

Since they are active in dawn and dusk, their eyes are also engineered to see better in dim lit environments. 

Do Syrian Hamsters See Color?  

No, Syrian hamsters are near-sighted and also color-blind. 

To make up for their poor eyesight, hamsters rely on their sense of smell to survive in the wild. Nevertheless, they can see some shades of black, white, grey, blue and green. 

Are Hamsters OK With Red Lights?

You might be surprised to find that hamsters thrive under red lights. 

Scientists found that hamsters exposed to red lights had lesser depressive symptoms compared to hamsters exposed to blue and white lights. 

Do Hamsters Recognise Their Owners?

Yes, with proper tender loving care, your hamster can recognise you as their owner. 

However, in the beginning, your hamster won’t know you from anyone else. 

As the baby hamster grows into an adult, it will be able to differentiate people and objects by relying on its sense of smell. Bond with your hamster by showering your pet with love and caring for them regularly. 

What Color Makes Hamsters Happy?

Hamsters love red color. 

A research was done to determine the impact of light environment on the hamster’s moods. After exposing these hamsters in different light environment, they are then fed with sugar water, a treat they will usually enjoy. 

Hamsters are found to be happier in red light environment compared to other light environments, such as blue and white. 

Conclusion

Hamsters have poor vision and rely on their other senses to help them survive in the wild. Since their natural habitat is cold and arid, they love to burrow underground and are excellent diggers. 

As hamsters evolve to adapt to their natural living conditions, they didn’t need color vision underground and rely on their tiny whiskers to hunt in the wild. Plus, they are only active during dawn and dusk when everything is dark and grey. 

So yes, hamsters are generally color blind but they can see certain colors such as blue and green within a certain spectrum. 

Thanks for reading! I hope you get to know more about your hamster’s eyesight and color vision now. 

Share your opinions and thought in the comments section below. Do you think hamsters can see colors?