One of the most attractive parts of leopard geckos is their eyes. The lizards boast big, round and attractive eyes. However, one interesting thing about the eyes is that they spark much curiosity. One thing you might want to know is whether a leopard gecko can see color.

Surprisingly enough, leopard geckos have profound eyes that allow them to see the world in colors and details. And this is not the only fascinating thing about leopard gecko’s vision; their eyes are well adapted to see in low-light settings. This means they can see colors during the day and when it’s dark. 

How Great Are Leopard Gecko Eyes?

Although leopard geckos’ eyes are on either side of the head, they boast peripheral vision, which enables them to see 360 degrees. Leopard Geckos have exceptional vision, allowing them to spot prey and predators in a matter of seconds.

Even though Leopard Gecko’s eyes are light-sensitive, they have excellent night vision. Their night vision is quite sharp when compared to our own. Because leos are crepuscular (most active in the morning and evening), they must have sharper eyesight to hunt their prey and survive in their natural desert habitats.

While leopard geckos have better night vision than humans, this doesn’t mean they have an overall better vision than humans. As mentioned earlier, their eyes are highly sensitive to light and may not visualize objects clearly when there’s excessive light.

What Makes Gecko Eyes So Unique?

You might be wondering why gecko eyes are so special. You may have overheard people remark how great they are in dim conditions, but why?

Leopard geckos have an eye structure that is fundamentally different from the human eye. A leopard gecko eye only has three cones, which pick up colors in dim light. While humans become colorblind in dim light, geckos can distinguish between different hues when there’s light and in the dark.

According to studies, a gecko’s cone vision is 350 times more sensitive in the dark than a human’s, especially in color vision threshold.

However, the most pressing question is, can these creatures differentiate between different colors.

Can Leopard Geckos See Color?

The simple answer is yes; leopard geckos can see colors. And although color vision is an excellent feature, you’ll be surprised to learn that these beautiful reptiles have eyesight that is well-adapted to low-light conditions and can even detect and see colors in the dark.

Leopard gecko eyes are trichromatic, which means that they boast three distinct types of cones, which allow them to differentiate between colors of short, medium, and long wavelengths.

This means they’ll be able to see a few colors during the day and at night. However, compared to humans, these lizards have limited color vision during the day.

What Colors Can Geckos See?

At most, leopard geckos can see three colors; violet, green and blue. Essentially, these lizards have a visual system that works best at wavelengths between 380 nm and 570 nm. As the wavelength gets longer, they absorb less light.

Even in the dark, leopard geckos are good at seeing shades of violet, blue, and green since their wavelengths range between 380 nm and 570 nm.

Naturally, most vertebrates boast two types of cells that help vision: cones and rods. When there’s a lot of light, cones pick out colors. While rods are the more sensitive eye cells, only see in black and white, making them more effective at night. 

These lizards have optics and large cones, which are responsible for providing color vision even in dim light. Geckos also reduce the size of their vertical pupils to reduce the openings during the day to avoid being directly exposed to sunlight.

Therefore, if you wanted to know whether these creatures have color vision, they can see blue, green, and violet hues.

Wrapping It Up

If you wondered whether leopard geckos could see color, the article indicates that they do. In addition, they possess superior eyes that are adapted to dim lighting and thus useful for nighttime hunting.

The eyes of nocturnal geckos are sensitive enough to light to detect color, even in the dark. They have three different photopigments sensitive to different wavelengths of ultraviolet, blue, and green colors.

Although they have fewer color-detecting cones in their eyes than humans, they have exceptional night vision and can recognize green, violet, and blue colors.

Therefore, if you use blue or green light in your leopard gecko’s terrarium, you can be sure they’ll see these colors and enjoy having them in their tanks.