The prairie dog (Cynomys ludoviciamis) has an all-cone retina. Several aspects of visual sensitivity and color vision in this species were assessed in discrimination tests. As measured in an increment-threshold situation, spectral sensitivity functions for this animal peak at 520-540 nm. For different states of adaptation there is little change in the location of peak spectral sensitivity, although at higher light levels the function has a somewhat more complex form. Threshold for the prairie dog is slightly lower than that for other cone visual systems measured in the same situation. Tests for the presence of a spectral neutral point and for chromaticity confusions reveal that this species has color vision of the dichromatic variety. Like other ground-dwelling sciurids examined previously, the dichromacy of the prairie dog is closest to that shown by human protanopes.
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