Can badgers see infra-red?

[Badger Watching Man]

Hi there! This is an open question to any and all badger experts out there. Can badgers see infra-red?

Last year I bought myself a night vision monocular for nocturnal badger watching. I’ve used it twice now and on both occasions the badgers have been visibly spooked - I've had some great views of the back ends of retreating badgers! I'm convinced that this wasn't due to the wind being in the wrong direction or me making a noise. I'm starting to think that badgers can see the infra-red light of the scope.

Of course, this is purely anecdotal evidence – I haven’t done any sort of scientific study, and I know it is against all the principles of mammal eyesight – but I’ve spent enough hours watching badgers to know when one is disturbed by something, and all the ones I’ve seen through the night vision scope have indeed been disturbed. It might not necessarily be the infra-red. The night vision scope (it’s a Bresser, by the way) may be doing something else to frighten the badgers. It may make a noise that is inaudible to us but audible to badgers, for instance. I don’t know.

So has anyone had experience of using a night vision scope to watch badgers, particularly with an infra-red torch? Did you notice any signs that the badgers were aware of it? Does anyone know of any research or literature on the subject? Does anyone know if any other animals can see in the infra-red end of the spectrum?

Any help would be very gratefully appreciated!

Many thanks

BWM

[stripee]

Yes they can see it and always react. Some more nervously than others. I have a night vision scope with infra red. The badgers, foxes etc don't like it shone in their eyes. I try to shine it for short periods and not directly at them.

If you look at your scope when the red light is on from the front it can be seen for a long distance at a certain angle. I had heard that badgers don't see red light, but it just isn't true.

Maybe there is night vision equipment that doesn't do this. Perhaps at the more expensive end.

[Badger Watching Man]

Thank you very much indeed for this Stripee. Everything I've read says that the IR is invisible and that badgers don't see well at that end of the spectrum, but I'm sure of what I've seen. It's good to know that I haven't been imagining things!

[Jennie]

I have set up a security camera with night-time infra-red to watch the badgers in my garden every night. They don't appear to take any notice of it, yet it is set up about four metres from their feeding station.

Mice, however, and the occasional rat that come to steal the food do seem to be aware of it after a short while and scarper!

I am assuming that this infra-red is the same as in the scopes?

[Badger Watching Man]

Thanks Jennie - this is interesting. It sounds like animals are aware of the infra-red. They shouldn't be, but it seems they are.

You may have hit the nail on the head when you asked whether the infra-red was the same as the scopes. I don't know the exact frequency of the light from my scope, and this may give a clue here.