Best Reptiles and Amphibians with Superb Vision

Panther chameleon – panoramic binocular vision

Panther chameleons live in Madagascar's jungles. A panther chameleon can camouflage like its family members. Chameleons have unique vision features: Chameleon eyes are conical turrets. The chameleon's eye can rotate to see front, side, and back. Chameleon eyes move separately. The chameleon's eye has a muscular lid that protrudes from its turret. Chameleons' unusual brain nerve arrangement allows them to convert from monocular to binocular vision. Chameleons can see UV.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Tokay gecko – best night vision

Tokay gecko is a big species. This little, cylindrical lizard has powerful limbs. Spotted skin. Geckos have big, vertically-oriented eyes. Geckos' pupils grow and contract depending on light. This gives geckos good night vision. Geckos have sensitive photoreceptors for night vision (more than 350 large cones ). A short length of focus – the gap between the eye lens and where light beams converge.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Green Iguana – has a parietal “third” eye

Iguanas have a spiky headcrest. Iguanas have golden eyes with thick eyelids. These slow lizards can obtain food in daytime. Their vision suits them: Iguanas have few rod-like photoreceptors and poor night vision. Multiple cone photoreceptors and double cone cells help iguanas see colour and contrast well. As plant-eaters, iguanas see colours more vividly than humans. Iguanas have a parietal eye. Its basic construction detects light and dark. Iguanas' parietal eyes contain UV-sensitive parapinopsin.

Image Source: nationalgeographic.com

Cascabel rattlesnake – best thermal vision

Pit organs are positioned between the rattlesnake's eyes and nostrils. Each pit organ membrane comprises many temperature receptors. This pit organ is pinhole-shaped. The visual camera's "pinhole" covers many thermal locations. The optic tectum integrates thermal and visual information. The integrated image is more detailed and accurate than mammalian eyesight.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Common toad – precise motion and color vision at night

Toads have rod-like photoreceptors. Blue- and green-sensitive rods exist. These pigments can detect signals in low light. These photoreceptors help toads find mates and food at night.

Image Source: Wikipedia