Gecko Eyes: Everything You Need To Know About A Gecko's Eyesight!

The evolution of lizards has led to the loss of the typical vertebrate duplex retina of their eyes.

They have also lost the rods as well as cones and hence are left with only various types of single and double cone cells. Evolution has retained a low convergence ratio and a high visual cell density in the geckos.

During any point in the revolution process, a group of reptiles (lizards) referred to as the geckos have turned into nocturnal species. As this nocturnal nature demands night vision, these reptiles have turned light-sensitive.

There has been a change in their cone cells, which have developed into larger ones and are more prone towards the light and are different from their other relatives who are diurnal.

These geckos have three different photopigments in them, which are very prone to UV, blue, and green. They help in obtaining information about different colors at night and help these nocturnal species.

For example, the well-known nocturnal helmet gecko, also known as Tarentola chazaliae,  has the capability to distinguish different colors in the dim moonlight in which human beings can be noted as color blind.

This gecko has the highest sensitivity which is about 350 times higher when compared to humans. The multifocal optics and the large cones assist the geckos to have a proper color vision even though the presence of light is low.

The gecko is considered an extraordinary lizard that has the capability to adapt easily and is found in large diversity. Among the 5,600 species of lizard present in the world, almost 1,500 species belong to the infraorder gecko called Gekkota.

The geckos are desert animals and can survive in low humidity. What is so interesting about them? Read on to know about the functioning of gecko eyes in length, afterward also check out gecko vs lizard and geckos in Florida.

How do gecko eyes work?

At night, the nocturnal gecko eyes help in moving around and hunting. These reptiles having large eyes and pupils have light-sensitive cells at a high rate termed as photoreceptors, with a short focal length, a place at a distance from the center of the eye lens; it is where the light converges.

This not only allows the eyes to view and capture the possible prey at night but also helps the geckos in watching through low light color conditions.

There is a mere fact which enables the nocturnal geckos' pupils to have a clear vision even in extreme light conditions, as the pupils enlarge at night. It also helps during the day to constrict through a thin slit along with numerous pinholes.

Since every coin has two sides, likewise this same visual adaptation during the night also possesses a lot of problems at day, as the nighttime visualization starts blurring the colors while leading to defocus the image.

People having multifocal optical lenses which are present in the pupils with a combination of large and short focal lengths create an optical problem where the eyes bend while some of its wavelength or the color of light gets more than others.

This also means each of the different parts of the lens focuses on the different wavelength ranges of the eye cells that are light and sensitive.

As a result, the focus gets increased for all colors to perceive the light of the eyes.

On the other hand, during the time when the pupil of the nocturnal gecko's eyes gets fully constricted in the high light color conditions, the two sets of the pinholes form along with a vertical slit.

The nocturnal gecko can judge distance through interpretation as their multiple pupils can generate a retina image for different levels of focus. The gecko's iris also has a similar color scale for which their thin slit can facilitate vision through the pinholes during the daytime.

This also increases their ability to blend into the environment they belong to.

What kind of eyes do geckos have?

If you see a gecko, you'll sure notice their large bulging eyes. They are patterned in an intricate way and have streaks of metallic hues. The eyes are very active during the night, thus have highly sensitive retinas which are very helpful for night vision. Most geckos are nocturnal animals that are well adapted for prey in the dark.

They are also capable of seeing color during the night or at low light intensities. Their cone cells and optics are adapted in this manner.

The delicate sensors need protection during the time when they bask in the sunlight. The geckos have vertical pupils, tiny slits located close to these pupils and they help in blocking rays that may damage their eyes.

Some of the species of geckos have overlapping edges and these have the ability to close completely. They use the tiny pinholes which are formed by the edges of the pupils which are scalloped shaped. The day geckos have a different arrangement.

They have a monofocal optical system in their eyes that is adaptable to sunlight. Their focal lengths are long and they have small pupils and thus are subjected to a bit of blur, chromatic aberration, and image formation.

Other than these striking features of the eyes, they also have various abilities. Like, they can stay still when they are hunting, have the ability to move their long, sticky tongue very fast almost similar to the speed of the lighting.

Another feature they have is that they do not have eyelids. Instead, they have a transparent film on their eyes known as the spectacle, which acts as a permanent barrier that cannot be removed.

How good is a gecko's eyesight?

You may think that having eyesight which works very well at night or low lighting means that they have good eyesight but that is not the case. As for the leopard geckos, who have the capability of seeing color in low light, they do not have impressive eyesight.

The eyes of the leopard geckos are lacking in various other areas.

As the geckos are from both the nocturnal and diurnal genera, thus they have various transitions in them. Their eyes consist of a retina that acts as an attractive model and can organize and adapt to a variety of photic environments.

The visual cells in these retinas allow adaptations for both nocturnal and diurnal lifestyles. These cells also allow performing both scotopic and photopic vision. The geckos are fully dependent on their visual sense to hunt or do any activity as required.

Diseases Of The Eye In Reptiles

Like every other living being, animals of different sorts suffer eye ailments. For example, it is not uncommon for the leopard geckos to suffer a sort of health issue which is usually caused by the lack of healthy husbandry or the condition of the environment they live in.

In the case of reptiles such as lizards, they have large eyes which are disproportionate to the size of the head and they are prone to suffer more issues than some other animals.

These species of lizards also need proper or specific humidity and nutrition to keep themselves in the best possible shape.

There are some other unfortunate issues faced by the leopard geckos where they are born as blind which do not cause any concern to them except the one common issue of things getting stuck in their eyes which makes them uncomfortable even if they are blind.

Foreign objects getting stuck in their eyes can also cause a lot of issues like cornea damage, a small tear, or an eye ulcer. As their eyes are so large this may cause the geckos a great amount of pain if the foreign object is not removed or taken care of.

Infections can easily develop into an abscess. This abscess can be identified as it becomes a bump under the eyes of the leopard gecko.

Additionally, leopard geckos also suffer from other bacterial infections like conjunctivitis, the pink eye which causes tissue inflammation of their eyelids lining.

One needs to observe the leopard geckos and meanwhile if found that there is any sort of buggy or protrude socket, then it should be treated as a serious and rare eye disease named Exophthalmos, which is also known as Proptosis.

This disease can be caused due to abnormal extraocular muscle and tissue deposit junctures.

Can leopard geckos see color?

The answer to this question is yes. The leopard geckos can see in color. They have very good eyesight at night or in dim light. They use their power of reflecting the moonlight in order to see the various colors even in dark.

To be more specific, you can say that a leopard gecko can easily recognize the blue and green colors but is unable to see the red color. The leopard geckos eyesight is poor in comparison to that of humans.

They are unable to detect different bow hues, but are blessed with night vision, and are also capable of recognizing colors at night.

The leopard Geckos have large cone photoreceptors which help them in seeing colors at night. The UVA light in the daytime helps them to sense the colors.

If you have a leopard gecko in your home, make sure you do not use colored night lights, as they are highly sensitive towards them.

In order to keep them warm, you can use heat mats or ceramic heat bulbs. You should never use a red light also, as they can see the emission even though they are unable to see the red color.

Leopard Gecko Night Vision

A leopard gecko’s night vision is pretty good compared to a human vision. They are usually active at dawn and dusk. The leopard geckos are not completely nocturnal as they start working from dusk and continue till night.

They are crepuscular species and can see clearly in low light or dark. Their eyes consist of three cone cells which are adapted to identify some colors at very minimal lighting. The gecko's eyes are especially sensitive to blue and green light and UV rays also.

As the eyes of the geckos are more prone to light, thus you can say that the leopard geckos have been gifted with perfect night vision.

These nocturnal geckos have evolved for a long time and now are adapted in a way so that they can easily use the night dwellings techniques, and can easily protect themselves from predators, and hunt for their food easily at night.

The geckos can have the ability to see clearly on moonless nights too. We think that the moon is the only source of light at night, but for them, starlight is enough.

They with the help of the starlight or any other very low light can easily do their business like foraging for food or anything else.

What is wrong with my gecko's eye?

Sometimes you may wonder why your pet leopard gecko closes one eye? This is because they feel irritation in their eyes.

This can be caused by the debris laying underneath the eyelid, or if a scale is stuck in there. It may also be a cause of malnutrition or any type of infection and even sometimes occurs due to low humidity.

Most of the time, the leopard gecko eye problems occur due to a scratch, bite, or a cut. The infection usually occurs in the leopard geckos eye or below the eyelids. This may also cause serious ailments like respiratory system problems or some other health issues. Along with eye problems, malnutrition also causes retained hemipenal casts and impaired shedding.

If any foreign particle enters the eye and gets stuck there, the eyeball suffers trauma. This may lead to the formation of ulcers in the cornea. During this, the cornea gets damaged and a hole or a tear may occur of varying sizes.

These ulcers are very painful. You'll find the geckos having ulcers that keep their eyes shut and always try to clean them with the help of their long tongue. You may also find them scratching their eyes with their feet.

Any sort of eye problem is serious, may it be in a human being or a gecko. So, it is important that you seek medical care if your gecko shows any signs of an eye problem.

First, you need to make an appointment with the herp veterinarian for a check-up on your gecko's eyes. In the meantime, you can start a bit of medication at home.

You can squirt saline into as well as around the leopard gecko's eye. While applying that, you need to take care that you apply it gently without forcing it under the eyelids or with great pressure.

Do not touch the tip of the bottle to the eyes. You can then take the pet to the vet.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for gecko eyes then why not take a look at leopard gecko enclosure, or gecko facts?