• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Animals / What Animal Has Three Eyes?

What Animal Has Three Eyes?

May 17, 2020 by Karen Hill

The tuatara, a lizard-like reptile that lives only in New Zealand, has those three “eyes.” It belongs to a group of reptiles that once included many other creatures, but today, the tuatara is the only surviving member of that group.

To understand where the tuatara’s “third” eye came from, scientists studied a small growth attached to the front of the reptile’s brain, a gland my called the pineal body.

In some lizards, the part of the brain that is related to this pineal body is shaped much like an eye. It has a lens-shaped outer wall, a transparent covering, and a retina with pigment.

Scientists think that this “pineal eye” does not help most lizards see, but in the tuatara, the pineal eye is fully developed, giving the creature a “third eye” through which to see!

Related Facts

  • How do glasses correct nearsightedness or farsightedness by converging and diverging light?
  • Why Does Squinting Your Eyes Improve Vision and Make Objects Appear Sharper If You’re Nearsighted?
  • Where did the Great Wall of China come from and How did slaves build the Great Wall of China?
  • Why Do People Have Different Colored Eyes?
  • How Do Your Eyes Grow, When Do Your Eyes Stop Growing, and Why Do Eyes Change Their Shape?
  • How do pet reptiles spread diseases and How are infections prevented?

Filed Under: Animals

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why Did Dinosaurs Die Out?
Next Post: What Animal Squirts Blood from Its Eyes? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy