Can leos see red bulbs-true or false ?

[xboxmember1978]

I have heard many times that leo's cant see red light and the bulbs make for reptiles by ZooMed are great but I have a question. I have several bulbs made from different companys including ZooMed but I have noticed that all red bulbs still make the leo's eyes dilate so doesn't that mean that they must be able to see that color?

 

[Bodon]

Dilate means the pupil gets bigger, so if that is what happens than thats fine because its the eye trying to let in more light because its dark, meaning they cant see it.

 

[xboxmember1978]

No. What I mean is when it is dark and away from the red light the eyes are very big and black and when they move closer to the red light you can clearly see the eyes starting to slit closed and turning more silver so that means they are seeing the red light

 

[maddyfish]

Does anybody know the answer to this question?

 

[xboxmember1978]

I was just asking the question cause I have always noticed that their eyes change as they get closer to the red light so it really doesn't make any sense to me to say that they can't see it cause if they couldn't I would think their eyes would not change when they get closer to the light

 

[Nigel4less]

If you are using these as your primary heat source, I would definitely reconsider. Leos prefer Belly heat, and it is also better for digesting,etc.

 

[DAWNoftheLEO]

I know they say can see laser pointers, from the Raytek of course...

 

[xboxmember1978]

If you are using these as your primary heat source, I would definitely reconsider. Leos prefer Belly heat, and it is also better for digesting,etc.

I use a Exo-Terra Heat Pads for mine. I use red bulbs for night viewing though. I'm kinda leaning towards the fact that they can see red

 

[Ccrashca069]

I use the red lights and the Moon lights. From everything I have read, leopard geckos can not see red. I use those lights for night time viewing and extra heat during the winter.

 

[xboxmember1978]

That is what I dont understand. If they cant see it,then why does their eyes detect the light as it moves closer to them? I have noticed it with all my leos and all my different red bulbs


If they can't see the red spectrum then shouldn't there eyes not change?

 

[Bodon]

They can not see the color red but light is light and their eyes may be able to notice that to some degree.

 

[godzillizard]

they cannot see PURE red light (i.e. infrared) I use in line dimmers to dull the light (cheap 25w red party bulb) until it no longer constricts the geckos pupils. I don't use these lights for heat--just so that I can observe their nocturnal behaviors.

I belive that alot of nocturnal creatures, evolved eyes that pick up on the Blue/white end of the spectrum--because the moon reflects blue/white end light. Maybe that is why the red waves are harder for their eyes to percieve/process?!? just another hypothesis...

I soooo envy the lizard brain...

 

[Cheaton]

I concur on this. I feel like they can definitely see red colored light (I.E. light that looks red that is not ultraviolet). I noticed the pupils of my leo getting smaller when the red LED on my camera came on before the picture is taken. There's no physiological reason that if the brain cannot detect or see the red light that the pupil should react (not that I can find anyway). I'd say this is a bit of a myth, or misunderstanding that's turned into a myth that red light is invisible to leos.

It is also possible that a bulb the looks pure red to us isn't pure red to them. In otherwords, there are blue, yellow, white, etc lightwaves emitted that our poor eyes dont detect (in an LED or regular red colorred incandescant bulb. This could be the reason behind the pupil reaction. Either way, it seems a regular incandescent or LED that is red colored is definitely emitting light waves visible to the gecko.

 

[DAWNoftheLEO]

They still chase laser pointers...

 

[Cheaton]

Seems to me this myth is busted (sorry, had to, was watching mythbusters for like 3 hours last night). Looks like what the case truely is, is infra red. Not red. People can't see infrared light either, of course. Or maybe it's ultraviolet they can't see. But red colored lightwaves they can obviously see.

 

[xboxmember1978]

I have a few red bulbs all made by different companys and some of the bulbs are the cheap party kind that are painted red and I also have the kind made just for reptiles that are more expensive but are made from pure red glass and not painted.

I must say that I think the more expensive bulbs like ZooMed are all gimmicks cause they all seem to make the leo's eyes react the same no matter if it is a cheaper bulb or more expensive kind.

I do the same as the other poster, I have my lamps on a dimmer and all I do it turn it down so far that I can barely see the leo's and it doesn't seem to mess up their night cycle.

 

[shadowx362]

I do think they could see the red light because if their eye pupil gets considerably smaller oviously it has to much light and its trying to take less. Also leopard geckos cant see with no light at all and I mean not even a bit because my geckos(8) canot see,eat,or anything else because I have them covered with a tarp? well what ever it is they still need light to see but not too much like as much as a moon light. so even thoe they are norcturnal they need a little light so still see.

 

[xboxmember1978]

Why do you have your's covered with a tarp?

 

[shadowx362]

because unfortunately I have to keep them in the garage (dad's,ex step moms rules" so I have to use a tarp to keep the heat of the rack system constant and to have higher temps . They are well in every way except I have to take off the tarp of the rack system like 1-2 hours each day and then I open the garage to let in some light in the warmest part of the day. I sometimes do it at night when I stay up late and I turn a lamp on by the cage. They are fine and seem not bothered by it.