如果说它们形状各异,大小不同一点没夸张。
狼蛛有八只眼睛,全方位的视野。公象的眼睛后面能散发出气味以吸引配偶。章鱼依靠其触须四处游走。
这些迷人的影像展示了大自然进化而成的视觉奇迹,以及随之带来的其它功能诱人的一瞥。
To say they come in all shapes and sizes is an understatement.
Tarantulas boast an eight-pack for all-round vision. Male elephants give off scent from behind theirs' to attract mates. And the octopus relies as much on its tentacles to get around.
These fascinating images give a tantalising glimpse of the wonders nature has evolved to see - and the extra functions they bring.
呱呱叫的一点:蓝紫金刚鹦鹉(hyacinth macaw)眼睛周围一圈明黄色皮肤映衬着蓝色的羽毛。这种鸟是南美洲最大的飞行鹦鹉。
Squawking point: A circle of bright yellow skin around a hyacinth macaw's eye is set off against its blue plumage. The bird is South America's largest flying parrot
全方位视野:狼蛛(Tarantula)有八只眼睛——两只大眼在前面,四只小眼在下面,两只更小的在头上部两侧。
All-round vision: Tarantulas have eight eyes - two wide ones at the front, with four small ones underneath, and two more small ones on the side of the upper head
不褪的蓝色:巨蚌(giant clam)的感光细胞,一串串环绕在蚌壳边缘。它们能分辨光线的明暗,甚至感知阴影。
True blue: The light-sensing cells of a giant clam, clustered around the edge of the shell, can distinguish between dark and light and even perceive shadows
粉红色:富贵虾(Mantis shrimps)拥有动物王国最复杂的眼睛。这种甲壳类动物拥有非凡的视力,能看见多达12种原色,检测六种不同类型的光极化,还能用眼睛的三个不同部位看东西。
In the pink: Mantis shrimps have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. The crustaceans have remarkable vision, being able to see up to 12 primary colours and detect six different kinds of light polarisation, as well as seeing objects with three different parts of the eye
享受鼓翼:南方土犀鸟(Bocorus leadbeateri),来自南部非洲的一种大鸟,它的眼睛直径约十毫米。鸟的眼睑排满坚硬而很长的黑睫毛,那是改装过的羽毛。
Enjoying a flutter: The eye of a southern-ground hornbill (Bocorus leadbeateri), a large bird hailing from southern Africa, is about 10mm in diameter. The bird's eyelids are lined with very long, wiry black lashes, which are modified feathers
喷气视觉:亚洲象(Asian elephant)的眼睛排满长长的向下弯曲的睫毛。在交配季节,公象从眼睛后面排放出气味。
Jumbo-vision: The eye of the Asian elephant is lined with long lashes that curve downwards. In the mating season, males give off a scent from behind the eyes
敏感的触觉:像其它那些无脊椎动物一样,普通章鱼(octopus)的眼睛高度准确。然而,它同样也依赖其触须。
Touchy-feely: The eye of a common octopus, like those of other invertebrates, is high performance. However, it relies as much on its tentacles
闭上一点的眼睛:红眼睛树蛙(tree frog)闭上的眼睛。精细的金色线条是眨眼膜,这第三眼睑既保护眼睛,也让树蛙看得见。
Getting a little shut-eye: The closed eye of a red-eyed tree frog. The fine golden threads are the nictating membrane, a third eyelid which protects the eye but still allows the frog to see
来回动的眼睛:在非洲和马达加斯加发现眼睛直径三毫米的高冠变色龙(veiled chameleon)。这些爬行动物居住在树丛和灌木中,它们的突眼能自由旋转,让它们同时来来回回地看。
Comings and goings: The 3mm eye of a veiled chameleon, found in Africa and Madagascar. The bulging eyes of these tree and bush-dwelling reptiles rotate independently, enabling them to look backwards and forwards at the same time
暴眼:蜻蜓(dragonfly)的复眼由无数小六角形眼睛组成,每个小眼直径只有0.04毫米。蜻蜓有360度的视野,包括向后看,使它们能够在飞行中捕捉猎物。
Bug-eyed: The compound eyes of a dragonfly, made up of hundreds of thousands of tiny hexagonal eyes, each one just 0.04mm in diameter. Dragonflies have almost 360-degree vision, including backwards, enabling them to catch their prey in flight
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