Myth 5 of 10
5. Myth: the bull gets angry at the color red
Bulls see red poorly. What provokes the charge in the bullfight is the movement of the cape, not its color.
What the bull actually sees
Cattle have only two types of cone in the retina, the cells that perceive color, while most people have three. In practice, they see somewhat like people who are red-green colorblind, and red does not stand out to them.
Tests with capes of different colors showed that the bull charges any of them, as long as it moves. A still red cape attracts less attention than a differently colored one waved in front of it.
In the bullfight, the bull already enters the arena agitated and stressed, which explains much of its aggression. The cape is waved precisely to direct the charge.
The red cape used in the final part of the bullfight has more to do with tradition and spectacle. A common explanation is that the red helps disguise bloodstains.
In the earlier stages of the bullfight, the larger cape used by the matador is usually pink and yellow, and the bull charges it just the same. Red only became associated with the animal's rage because it is the color the audience sees at the end of the show.
Did you know? Steers and cows can see almost all around themselves, because their eyes are on the sides of the head. In exchange, they have a blind spot right behind the body.
