One of the unique things about Leopard Geckos is its ‘Eyes.’ While their big and round eyes make them look cute and curious, it also captives’ sharp eyesight.
Exotic pet lovers who are looking forward to owning a Leopard Gecko anytime soon should start learning about their needs and behaviors.
There are hundreds of exciting things to learn about these pet lizards.
From their noises to staring behavior and eating habits, Leopard Geckos are pretty fun to know about.
However, right now, we have some interesting information you might want to know about Leopard Gecko’s Eyesight.
Leopard Gecko’s Eyes and Eyesight
Leopard Gecko is a ground-dwelling lizard with eyes on either side of its head (right and left).
They have a tremendous peripheral vision that allows Geckos to see 360 degrees around.
Leopard Gecko has excellent eyesight, with which they can detect both prey and predators within seconds.
The eyes of Leopard Geckos are light-sensitive, though when it is dark, they can see incredibly well.
Even though their eyesight is not the sharpest, Geckos never suffer from effect to that.
Their eye has a short focal length, which allows them to see wider though not longer.
This is why Geckos can easily see prey and predators within a shorter distance, but the ones that are far can grab them first.
How does a Leopard gecko see?
Leopard Gecko’s eyes are intricately patterned and flecked with metallic hues.
While their retinas are as healthy as humans during the Daytime, they also possess spectacular night vision.
However, Geckos are light-sensitive, and thus protecting their sensitive retinas sensors is quite essential for them.
During the Daytime, when basking in sunlight, Geckos close their pupils (eyelids) in order to block the sun rays. It keeps their vision from damaging.
Leopard Gecko-Day and Night Vision
How well can Leopard Gecko see in the Daytime? Geckos have brilliant day vision, if not better than at par to humans. One of the best examples to justify it is the ‘Gecko Stare.’
These little lizard pets are inquisitive that everything that moves around captures their sight.
Leopard Gecko owners will agree to the fact that their pet stares at them all throughout the day.
Can Leopard Gecko see in Night?
Leopard Geckos are crepuscular animals which means they stay more active during the twilight period (primarily).
Their eyes are sensitive to light which blesses them with impeccable night vision.
Can Leopard Gecko see in Dark? If compared to humans, Geckos can see far better when it is dark.
However, they are not great at getting a quick view of any object around them to like us, humans.
Can Leopard Geckos see colors?
Leopard Gecko’s eye has three cones that help them pick a color, even in low light conditions.
All the colors they can see include Blue, Green, and UV. Apart from that, like other pets, your Leopard Gecko cannot see all the identified colors.
Can leopard geckos see the color red?
Leopard Geckos are naturally blessed with a highly complex color vision ability.
While they cannot see red color, with the red light turned on during the Night, Geckos can confuse it with a day.
If you have a red lamp turned on during the nighttime, Leopard Gecko will stay hidden, assuming it is still Day.
Scenarios like this can even cause them stress and confuse their sleep cycle.
Can other reptiles know the color red? While talking about other reptiles, a few of them can see red;
however, they cannot distinguish it from green color. Most of the reptiles see red color certainly as color-blind humans do.
Can Leopard Gecko see blue and green light?
Yes, Leopard Geckos can see a blue and green light and can even detect its true colors.
Even everything they lay their eyes upon seems green and blue to them.
Both of these colors also make a perfect lighting setting for a pet Gecko’s habitat.
Leopard Gecko vision vs. Human vision
Leopard Gecko’s Vision is quite different and distinct from Human Vision.
While humans go color blind in the absence of light, Geckos discriminate specific colors.
According to scientific research, at the color vision threshold, a Gecko eye is 350 times higher than a human cone vision.
When we talk about human eyes, it has cells called Rod cells.
While these cells help maintain a vision in dim light, we cannot see in the Dark because of its single light-sensitive pigment.
Can Leopard Geckos See Color? (Night Vision vs Red Light)
However, on the other hand, Gecko sight is more dependent upon their three cones.
These cones let them maintain excellent color vision in the Dark.
This is the reason Geckos hunt when it is all dark.
Why does my leopard gecko stare at me?
Leopard Gecko stares at you out of curiosity. These reptile pets will stare at anything moving around.
Their sensitivity to movement lets Gecko stay safe from predators while alerting for prey.
How Good is Leopard Gecko’s eyesight?
Do Geckos have impaired vision? Well, Geckos have excellent eyesight that lets them see during any time of the Day.
Their vision is not at all bad; however, it is pretty standard for Geckos to suffer from eye ailments.
Several conditions can play with Gecko’s eyesight; such as
- environmental factors,
- poor husbandry,
- congenital issues,
- trauma,
Can Leopard Geckos go Blind?
Similarly, like humans, Geckos too can suffer from several eye ailments.
Primarily because Gecko’s eyes are big and on the top of their head, things quickly get stuck in them.
This situation can lead to infections, abscesses, or other ocular issues.
What to Do If Your Leopard Gecko Has Eye Issues?
Here are some possible Eye defects in Leopard Geckos and how to treat them in the early stages.
Eye Defects In Leopard Geckos
Blindness
Blindness in Leopard Gecko is still impossible to correct. While researchers are still working on the concern, currently, if your pet Gecko goes blind; you cannot actually bring the sight back.
However, nurturing blind geckos isn’t as difficult as it seems.
Apart from excellent eyesight, geckos have incredibly sharp hearing and sensing abilities.
Thus, they can go completely fine without sight and can still live comfortably like a healthy Gecko.
Abscess or Infection
Abscesses or Infections can develop puss in your Gecko’s eye.
It can happen due to various reasons, including insect bites, accidental puncture, fight between reptiles, or scratching.
Though regardless of the reason, take your Gecko to the Vet to treat it further.
Foreign objects
Like us humans, Gecko eyes, too, should not possess any foreign bodies/ particles.
These can be anything from dust, dirt, food particles, fiber, or retained skin.
When stuck on eye sockets, such particles can lead to eye trauma and ulcers, and damage in cornea.
With that, even a tiny tear can cause extreme pain to your Gecko.
As a concerned owner, make it routine to clear their eyes with a soft cotton cloth or bud.
Be gentle and cautious or if it is too difficult to remove, then met a Vet soon.
Pinkeye
Pinkeye is Conjunctivitis in Gecko. It can occur from dirty water or any dirty environment harboring bacteria.
Unclean terrarium or unhygienic conditions in the reptile ecosystem can also lead to Pinkeye.
To cure it, firstly met a Vet and secondly maintained a clean and healthy environment for them.
Eye Proptosis
Proptosis, though, is uncommon the wort eye issue your Gecko can develop.
It is when the eyeball comes out of the eye socket when squeezed hard accidentally.
In proptosis, it is only the exotics vet who can handle the situation.
How to Prevent Eye Issues in Geckos
- Provide your Gecko with a clean, hygienic, and safe environment.
- Make sure their habitat does not have any sharp object that can potentially hurt them.
- Ensure temperature, humidity, and light precisely.
- Clean your Gecko’s poop and left-over food as quickly as possible.
- Feed them with a varied gecko-appropriate diet.
- Ensure your pet is receiving enough vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
- While handling them, be particular about your hand not touching your Gecko’s eyelid.
- Also, avoid housing your pet Gecko with any other reptile pet that can lead to a territorial fight.
Partying note
Leopard Geckos are happy pets who love being around humans.
While their eyesight is not significant enough to recognize your image, they will still identify you as their owners.
Further, if your pet Gecko’s health is essential for you, make sure you are always attentive about their eyes.
From providing them a safe environment to treating their concerns (through Vet), always keep an upper hand for being the caring owner.
Hi, I’m Mike, and I’m the creator of amphibianlife.com. If there was one word to describe it? It would be: passionate about Amphibians! Whether you want to know more about amphibians or have a presentation to give at school, you’ve come to the right place.
