Werewolf color vision?

[Lurch]

Of course they should see color, it is a known fact that all canids have both cones and rods. If you don't know what I mean, just google it. KnowadImean?

[Keaalu]

*thinks* Because they have a greater proportion of rod cells (the purely light-sensing cells), wolves are thought to have better night-vision than a human, but likely can't see colour as well as a human as they're deficient in cones - I read that they probably see yellow through blue quite well, but not red to green. I think it's similar to seeing something "out of the corner of your eye" - more rod cells on the outside edge of your visual field, so you see can see dim lights fairly well if you're not looking directly at them, but when you turn to look at them they "vanish" (or look a lot dimmer) as your cones aren't getting enough photons to trigger an impulse. Maybe a werewolf would have pretty sharp peripheral vision, in this sorta vein? Even if they did become somewhat colour-blind to a number of wavelengths in the spectrum.

But then, I've never looked out of a wolf's eye, and their perception of a colour would probably be different - what I see as green might not be the same as they see, they may perceive the colour as I would define as "red". So... *shrugs*

[Alpha]

Generally, animals that can see better in the dark, like cats, dogs, wolves, have a membrane in their retinas called a "tapetum," which reflects more light into the retinas.
This is also why their eyes glow green, rather than red, when you shine a light into their eyes.

Actually, the color of the reflected light will depend on the animal's eye color. Dogs and cats that have blue eyes ( Huskies, Siamese cats etc. ) their eyes will shine red.

[Scott Gardener]

Real world canines have a partial color-blindness; they can see blue, violet/purple, and red fine. But, orange and green both seem to blend with yellow. Wolves (and domestic dogs) are also nearsighted. It's the trade-off for getting such excellent night vision--more rods but less cones. (Think of it as using 400 speed film rather than 100--more grainy but better in dim light. This analogy only works if you remember what cameras were like before digitals took over four years ago.)

I've pictured my lycanthropes having the ability to see color with human eyes but having the same trade-offs whenever the eyes shift. Since I have a fondness for characters with eyes turning amber, they get that distortion a lot.

But, it's a lot easier than seeing things in Wolfen Solarized Filter, where the poor creature is stumbling around to the sound of its own heartbeat. ("Awroooohhh!! Bonk! Clatter! Yip!" "What was that?" "Probably just the wind...")

[Bete]

This is a hard one, either way is actually fine by me, I picked one, but won't comment on it, maybe the film can avoid that (unless of course they are going to show a chase scene in the movie from a werewolf's perspective). Maybe each werewolf in the film can be different like dominant and recessive genes in a gene pool.

[lupinsmile]

Id say they see vauge shades of color. Blue perhaps cause Its the most common in nature.

[WolfVanZandt]

If Werewolves are modified humans, I don'tsee why their colr vision would necessarily change. On the otherhand, the surface area of their sensory organs for smell enlarge quite a bit so I would expect an increase in synthesia between smell and sight. In other words, I would think that they would be able to "see" odors.

[Figarou]

If Werewolves are modified humans, I don'tsee why their colr vision would necessarily change. On the otherhand, the surface area of their sensory organs for smell enlarge quite a bit so I would expect an increase in synthesia between smell and sight. In other words, I would think that they would be able to "see" odors.

"see" odors? If thats the case, don't be doing any farting near a werewolf. Thats something I don't want to "see".

[WolfVanZandt]

Heh. Just think what black pepper would do to one.

[ANTIcarrot.]

If the movie is to be filmed or edited digitally (which it probably will) then various colour filter-programmes can be used on it to wash out, reduce or blur the colours. It would probably be better to see what works best then if you're going to have any were-vision at all.

As to theory... No, they shouldn't. If you want to se in the dark you need lots of low-light sensative cells in the back of your eye, and few colour sensative cells. For any given eye-ball size, the more you have of one, the less you can have of the other. Unless the WW cna transform the cells in its eye from one to the other, then it has to sacrafice colour to see in the dark.

ANTIcarrot.

[Set]

Hmm, I have an idea here. I know it's going to sound odd but bear with me for a minute. What if the werewolves keep their color vision in one eye but lose it in the other? One of the eyes keeps its ability to see color like a human does and the other changes in order to see with a wolf's night vision. This might result in the werewolf using one eye over the other in certain types of light, turning its head to the side to see better in the dimness. Eh, it was just a thought.

[ChaosWolf]

If Werewolves are modified humans, I don'tsee why their colr vision would necessarily change. On the otherhand, the surface area of their sensory organs for smell enlarge quite a bit so I would expect an increase in synthesia between smell and sight. In other words, I would think that they would be able to "see" odors.

"see" odors? If thats the case, don't be doing any farting near a werewolf. Thats something I don't want to "see".

I suddenly picture two werewolves standing next to each other... A weird blobby shape passes in front of the view of one of them... "Aw, damn, Bobby... I TOLD you not to eat Mexican tonight! Gah... Everything's all purple now... Yech."

[Figarou]

If Werewolves are modified humans, I don'tsee why their colr vision would necessarily change. On the otherhand, the surface area of their sensory organs for smell enlarge quite a bit so I would expect an increase in synthesia between smell and sight. In other words, I would think that they would be able to "see" odors.

"see" odors? If thats the case, don't be doing any farting near a werewolf. Thats something I don't want to "see".

I suddenly picture two werewolves standing next to each other... A weird blobby shape passes in front of the view of one of them... "Aw, damn, Bobby... I TOLD you not to eat Mexican tonight! Gah... Everything's all purple now... Yech."

humor!! I love it!!

[WolfVanZandt]

Well, the use of "odor-vision" in movies like American Werewolf in Paris not withstanding, there is some factual basis. The neural connections between a wolf's olfactory sensors and the rest of the brain is a lot richer in wolves than in humans. It's not unreasonable at all to speculate that they see odors.

As to color vision, it wouldn't really be all that great a benefit to Werewolves anyway. I have tested clients who were completely color blind who still managed to score above average on my color tests. They seem to judge the color patterns by the different shades of gray that they see. I was pretty surprised at first bur I've gotten used to it.

But I would expect that it would make things cinematographically more pleasant to have color vision.

[ChaosWolf]

As much as I joked about it, "scent-vision" would not be a good thing, as it would quite likely distort what the audience was seeing.

As for color, well, the way I've always envisioned it, is that werewolves color vision varies due to form... as a full-wolf, they see in pure black-and-white, in human form, they see like any ordinary human, and in their hybrid form, they see color, but in a muddy, washed-out sort of way. For example, unless a color was particularly vivid (like a neon sign, stoplight, etc.) the color would look rather drab and faded; the color would still be recognizable as blue, or green, or red, or whatever, but little else could be detected otherwise. Think of a old weathered bit of furniture or old pair of pants. Kinda like that.

[WolfVanZandt]

Yer probably right. AWiP's "odor-vision" was pretty muddled and disorienting. It worked okay for short clips but any long duration shot would probably give the audience a head ache.

[WolfVanZandt]

I like the eye flash. I really like it! ("eyeglow" on the home page). It's sorta chilling.

[GENSI]

everythings,in,there,siight,is,kind,of,blue

[Scott Gardener]

I just saw Wolfen. In one scene, a zoologist describes to a detective wolf sensory abilities, and describes a vision range from about 200-900 nanometers--bordering on ultraviolet to bordering on infrared. The description of hearing and smell were both accurate and consistent with things I have already read elsewhere. But, I did searches and have been unable to find any other sources besides the scene in the movie to substantiate this factoid. The closest I've come is finding that same dog spectrum that yellows out reds and greens. I've confirmed better night vision through more rods and less cones. But, nothing on extended spectrum.

So, do wolves really see in Photoshop Solarized filter, with heartbeat added for effect?

[Rhuen]

In Vampire Hunter D: Blood Lust they gave a werewolf X-Ray vision with no explination (granted this same werewolf had a mouth on its torso) so it may depend on what the writer's limits and what the audience cares about.

As for scent visions: completly against it.
Using a real world example: a scientist put a micro-chip in his own nervous system and was able to use it to interact with machines even allowing information to enter his body, like a radar hat thing that gave him eco-location. He said it wasn't like touching or seeing sound but just knowing it, like trying to describe sight to someone who was blind from birth.
I feel the same applies to hightened scent, raccoon level tough, viper heat pits, or Sharks' ability to detect electic fields.
In all likely hood these other senses are different than our own experience so impossible to accuratly describe.

[RedWolf]

>I just saw Wolfen. In one scene, a zoologist describes to a detective >wolf sensory abilities, and describes a vision range from about 200-900 >nanometers--bordering on ultraviolet to bordering on infrared . . . I've >confirmed better night vision through more rods and less cones. But, >nothing on extended spectrum.

According to http://www.rattlesnake.com/notions/bird ... ision.html,
in the long wavelength side of the spectrum
humans are most sensitive to 575 nm (red) and 535 nm (green)
while dogs are most sensitive to 555 nm (yellow) light.

in the short wavelength side of the spectrum
humans are most sensive to 445 nm (blue)
while dogs are most sensitive to 429 nm (violet) light.

There's no report of actual dogs or wolves possessing either infrared or ultraviolet vision.

[23Jarden]

OT: Is ultraviolet really violet?

OnT: I chose color for two reasons. Because wolves don't have black and white vision and because it would make more sense. What with human having color vision and wolves halving color vision.

[Scott Gardener]

Since I could find no other source besides the movie, I had to assume it was made up. It just threw me, because the other factoids thrown in at the same time were substantiated--the hearing range up to 100,000 kHz and the sense of smell description. They did fudge a bit about a wolf's top speed; the movie said 40 mph, when the fastest I've read elsewhere is 35, with 7-20 the cruising speed. (Multiply by about 1.6 to get kilometers.)

Ultraviolet is a spectrum of wavelengths just shorter than violet, hence the name. It's not actually violet. It's a bunch of different colors we can't see. Infrared is at the other end, just longer than red. Heat generates infrared "light," so those who can see infrared (basically, elves in older editions of D&D) see various different colors coming from heat sources; colors again outside our realm of experience.

[neoritter]

Of course they should see color, it is a known fact that all canids have both cones and rods. If you don't know what I mean, just google it. KnowadImean?

Most mammals do. Doesn't mean they see in color. Most canines are color blind save a few breeds of dogs.

Anywho, lack of color allows for better nightvision. Or rather the lack of color sight is because of better nightvision. Anywho, I'd say more of a mix if we talk hybrid. Possibly full wolf too. Though you could easily argue full color seeing as some werewolves are describes as having human eyes.

[Lupin]

Most mammals do. Doesn't mean they see in color. Most canines are color blind save a few breeds of dogs.

While colorblind, dogs and wolves don't have purely grayscale vision. They're able to distinguish red from blue, and blue from violet in behavioral tests, but can't do red from green from yellow. They basically have deuteranopia.