farsighted squirrel?

[tgramsey]

Hi, just curious if anyone knows - can a squirrel be farsighted? I ask because a wild squirrel buddy who stops by for a nut from time to time always looks around like he can't see the nut I'm holding up for him. It's like he can smell it and knows it's right there, but can't focus on it. He always snags it within a few seconds, but it's obvious he isn't seeing it right away. After he has it, he bolts off into the trees, so he can obviously see. Just found it curious as I don't think of squirrels having problems like blurry up close vision, but thought I'd ask the experts. Thanks.

[HRT4SQRLS]

That’s actually pretty common. I have noticed the same thing. I can pitch a nut right near their face and they can’t see it for anything. They will sniff it out.
I don’t think sight is one of their more keen senses. Now SMELL, they can sniff out anything, anywhere. :grin2

As far as farsightedness or nearsightedness, I would assume that’s possible because their eyes are like ours. Were you planning on getting glasses. :grin2:jk

[SophieSquirrel]

They have excellent vision, the problem is they have panoramic vision which affords a wide field of view to watch for predators but there is a blind spot directly in front of their nose. It is also on the edge of their field of vision just like we can't focus on someting way off to the right of our field of vision when looking straight ahead. Couple that with an ingrained propensity to find food by smell makes it seem like they can find a nut in front of their own nose until they smell it.

[tgramsey]

Hi, I couldn't log in to reply for a while. Anyway, thanks for the responses. This guy's vision is definitely not as good as other squirrels. I have a lot of wild squirrel buds who snag nuts right from my hand, but Blind Lemon, as I call him, bobbles all around the nut before finding/biting. Eyes don't seem to focus in on it, if that make sense. I hope he is just farsighted and isn't going blind. I'll try to fit him with some little glasses:)