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Southern pig-tailed macaque vision: the science and the numbers

Macaca nemestrina · order Primates · Mammals: all the numbers

Its sharpest vision resolves 46 cycles per degree, against 63.75 for people in this dataset.[5] The southern pig-tailed macaque stops seeing flicker at 69 Hz, against 60 Hz for people.[21]

See it on your photoBack to How does the southern pig-tailed macaque see?
  • 46cycles per degree (sharpness)Measured
  • 69hertz flicker fusion (motion)Measured

The southern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) is a mammal in the order Primates. Its eyes belong to the vision type Human-like trichromat: three cone types, sharp central vision and a wide zone seen by both eyes. Measured in this species: sharpness, foveas, night vision and motion (flicker fusion). Measured core: measured values on at least 3 of the 6 dials.

This is a simulation built from published eye measurements, not what the animal experiences.

Method: How we know what animals see (the See Like Animals vision engine) · Sources · Last updated . Every value below carries its evidence level and sources; nothing is typed by hand.

What the southern pig-tailed macaque sees: colour receptors

Southern pig-tailed macaque colour receptor peaks, 300 to 700 nmSouthern pig-tailed macaque: 3 receptor peaks at 430, 531, 561 nm; you: 3 at 421.5, 532, 558.4 nm. ultraviolet300400500600700
Southern pig-tailed macaque: 430, 531, 561 nmPeople: 421.5, 532, 558.4 nmWavelength in nanometres

What stands out

  • Its sharpest vision resolves 46 cycles per degree: the finest stripe pattern it can tell apart from grey.
  • It stops seeing flicker at 69 Hz, against 60 Hz for people in this dataset, so fast motion looks about 1.2 times slower to it.[22][23]
  • Activity pattern: diurnal.

The six dials

Evidence levels: how the tiers work. "Measured" means a value measured in this species; "Estimated" values come from a close relative or an eye-size formula. The last column gives the values for people from the same catalogue.

Vision values for the southern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), catalogue-v1
DialValueEvidenceSourcesPeople
ColourColour receptors
3 receptor classes: 430 nm (VS/SWS (violet)), 531 nm (MWS (green)), 561 nm (LWS (long))
receptor set of nearest measured relative Macaca fascicularis (same genus Macaca)
Estimated[1]Colour receptors: 3 receptor classes: 421.5 nm (VS/SWS (violet)), 532 nm (MWS (green)), 558.4 nm (LWS (long)) Measured (not re-verified)[1][2][3][4]
SharpnessAcuity
46 cycles per degree
median of 1 behavioural rows (method priority rule)
Measured[5]Acuity: 63.75 cycles per degree Measured[6][5]
Field of viewBinocular overlap
140°
median of 1 relatives in genus Macaca: Macaca mulatta
Estimated[7]Binocular overlap: 122.5° Measured[7][8]
Total field of view: 200° Measured (not re-verified)[9]
Blind area behind the head: 160° Derived[9]
Eye placement: frontal Derived[7][8]
Total field of view
200°
median species-v1 total field of order Primates: Homo sapiens
Group default[9]
Sharp zones (foveas)Number of foveas
1
fovea_present / area_centralis_type (retinal topography; count 1 = fovea present, 0 = none)
Measured[10]Number of foveas: 1 Measured[10]
Fovea type: fovea Measured[10]
Fovea type
fovea		Measured[10]
Night visionActivity pattern
diurnal
mode of 7 rows (of 7 rows): diurnal; photopic
Measured (not re-verified)[11][12][13][14][15][16]Activity pattern: diurnal Measured (not re-verified)[17][11][12][1][13][14][15][16]
Pupil shape: vertical Group default[18][19]
Reflective layer (tapetum): no Measured[20]
Rods vs cones: cone-dominated Derived[17][11][12][1][13][14][15][16]
Rods vs cones
cone-dominated
nocturnal -> rod-dominated; crepuscular / cathemeral / mixed -> mixed; diurnal -> cone-dominated
Derived[11][12][13][14][15][16]
Motion (flicker fusion)Flicker fusion frequency
69 Hz
median of 1 bright-light rows (behavioural/whole-eye ERG rows; all rows: [69.0])
Measured[21]Flicker fusion frequency: 60 Hz Measured[22][23]

All mammals side by side: Mammals: every measurement. Method: how we know what animals see.

Sources

  1. Longcore 2023
  2. Kirwan
  3. Müller et al. 2009
  4. Thermal Activation and Photoactivation of Visual… 2004
  5. Veilleux et al. 2014
  6. Kirk et al. 2004
  7. Heesy 2004
  8. Heffner et al. 1992
  9. Campbell & Green 1965
  10. Kopania et al. 2025
  11. Borges et al. 2018
  12. Wilman et al. 2014
  13. Maor et al. 2017
  14. Jones et al. 2009
  15. Schmitz et al. 2011
  16. Moura et al. 2024
  17. Anderson et al. 2017
  18. Banks et al. 2015
  19. Cervino et al. 2021
  20. Guareschi et al. 2025
  21. Lafitte et al. 2022
  22. Healy et al. 2013
  23. Inger et al. 2014

Every value cites its sources (all sources). Values were extracted from these works and converted (units, medians, derived values); changes are ours, and the listed sources do not endorse this site. Data: catalogue-v1, built 2026-09-29. Accuracy notes: how accurate is this? Method: how we know.