Eye conditions in lizards

Lizards have extremely good eyes that see color and also ultra violet light, and their eyelids are quite different to ours.

If you look at your own eye you will see that you have a big upper eyelid which comes down to cover your eye when you blink, and a much smaller lower eyelid. In lizards the upper eyelid is smaller and the lower eyelid is bigger and stronger. Lizards also have a third eyelid which sweeps across the surface of the eye to clean it when they blink.

The colored circle in your eye is called the iris; this determines whether the eyes are green, blue or brown eyes. The pupil is in the centre of the iris; the pupil will be black and round and can become bigger or smaller depending on the amount of light in the environment. Lizards have round or slit-like pupils depending on whether they are a species that is awake during the day or night, and often the iris is the same color as the pattern of their skin. The iris appear as slits when they are awake at night (nocturnal), and day time lizards tend to have a round pupil. Unlike us, your lizard can move his iris if he wants to!

Lizards have tiny bones in the white part of their eyes called scleral ossicles; these help to give the eyeball extra strength.

Lizards have an unusual feature on the top of their head; it looks like a slightly larger scale between the eyes and is called the parietal eye.

The parietal eye is made up of an eye lens that is attached to an area of the brain called the pituitary gland; this ‘eye’ cannot see but does detect changes in light which helps the lizard to know the best time to breed.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the eyelids, and is often caused by a bacterial infection.

Low temperatures in your lizard’s house will reduce his ability to fight infection; a balanced diet will also help fight infection.

If your lizard has conjunctivitis you should take him to the veterinarian who will be able to treat him with antibiotics.

Hypovitaminosis A is caused by a diet lacking in vitamin A which can lead to swelling of the eyelids. Make sure you feed a balanced diet with enough vitamin A to prevent eye problems in your lizard.

Any trauma to your lizard’s eye could cause serious damage. This could happen in any number of ways, for example bedding caught in the eye or a scratch caused by a sharp object. An ulcer may form on the cornea, which is the transparent outer layer of the eye. Ulcers are very painful and in severe cases the eye could burst.

To prevent eye trauma, you should check your lizard’s house and furniture carefully for any sharp objects. Remember to take extra care when handling your lizard outside of his house. Cage mates can also inflict serious damage if they fight.

Take care when selecting a UV light for your lizard’s house; inferior lights can emit harmful rays which could burn his eyes.

If you suspect your lizard has suffered trauma to his eye take him to the veterinarian immediately. Eye damage is an emergency and if not treated in time your lizard may lose his eye.