Have you ever wondered how animals without eyelids keep their eyes moist and protected? Many creatures have evolved unique adaptations to care for their eyes without the help of eyelids.
This post will explore some of the most fascinating animals without eyelids and how they cope without this handy body part. You’ll be amazed by the creative solutions these eyeless animals have developed, from snakes to starfish.
Snakes
As you probably know, snakes don’t have eyelids. So, how do these slithering reptiles keep their eyes working properly? Snakes have a clear scale called a spectacle that protects their eyes. This transparent scale rests over the eye like a contact lens. When a snake sheds its skin, the spectacle is shed, too.
Underneath the spectacle, snakes have an immobile transparent lens which focuses light. They also have a second eyelid called a nictitating membrane. This thin membrane comes from the inner corner of the eye and sweeps across like a windshield wiper to moisten and clean the eye’s surface.
Snakes keep their eyes lubricated with a liquid secreted from the spectacle gland. This gland produces mucus and oils that spread over the eye, preventing it from drying out. The nictitating membrane helps spread this liquid evenly.
Some snakes, like pit vipers, also have specialized heat-sensing pits near their eyes that help them hunt warm-blooded prey. The lack of eyelids doesn’t interfere with this sixth sense. So, while snakes may miss out on the benefits of blinking, they’ve evolved excellent alternatives to keep their vision sharp.
Starfish
Starfish are another animal group that gets by fine without eyelids. Like echinoderms, starfish have tough external skin and a simple nervous system. They don’t have much need for complex vision. But they have eyespots at the end of each arm that sense light and dark.
So how do starfish keep these delicate eyespots working exposed on the surface of their bodies? Starfish eyespots don’t have corneas or lenses like more complex eyes. They generally consist of a pigment spot and sensory neurons. This simpler structure means there are fewer parts to protect.
Starfish also secrete mucus that helps keep the eyespots moist. Some species, like the blue starfish, regenerate their eyespots each time they regenerate an arm. Pretty nifty! While starfish eyespots may not provide crystal clear vision, these adaptations allow them to detect light and movement well enough to find food and avoid predators.
Crabs
Crabs are crustaceans like lobsters that live in water, so you might assume their eyes are well protected. But crabs don’t have eyelids either! Their eyes are actually made up of tons of tiny lenses rather than one large lens. This is called compound vision. It gives them a mosaic view of the world.
Compound eyes are less vulnerable to damage and drying out than our camera-style eyes. The many facets provide lots of surface area for absorbing oxygen and nutrients from the water. Having thousands of tiny lenses instead of one large one also provides a wider field of vision.
To keep their eyes clean, crabs have antennae modified into antennules that constantly groom the eyes, brushing away debris. Some crabs even have sacs of water connected to their carapaces that they can use to bathe their eyes! So, while crabs miss out on the blinking experience, their compound eyes are complex adaptations that serve their environments well.
Lobsters
Lobsters are another crustacean that evolved ways to keep their eyes working properly without eyelids. Like crabs, lobsters have compound eyes. Each eye consists of thousands of little tubes called ommatidia. At the top of each tube is a protective transparent membrane acting as a built-in contact lens.
Having many tiny lenses instead of just one large one provides lobsters with great vision underwater, where eyes are vulnerable to damage and abrasion. The ommatidia are also connected to tiny muscles that allow them to aim in different directions independently, giving lobsters excellent peripheral vision.
On top of the ommatidia, lobsters have a single smooth membrane that protects the entire eye. They spread antibacterial mucus over this membrane to prevent infection. While a single sheet doesn’t provide as much protection as a blinking eyelid, it shields the compound eyes well enough for lobsters to thrive underwater with impressive vision.
Butterflies
Butterflies may seem delicate, but they cope fine without eyelids, thanks to other evolutionary adaptations. A butterfly’s eye consists of thousands of tiny lenses called ommatidia. Each lens points slightly differently, giving butterflies a mosaic view of the world.
The domed arrangement of the ommatidia protects the eye as a whole. The smooth surface resists touch and abrasion. Butterflies spread oil across their eyes using bristles on their legs to keep the surface smooth and protected. The oil comes from a gland at the base of each forewing.
Butterflies don’t produce as much liquid to clean their eyes as animals in water. But their exposed eyes function smoothly during flight between the multifaceted structure and water-resistant oil. While they may miss out on the comfort of blinking, butterflies demonstrate how adaptations can make eyelids unnecessary.
Bees
Like butterflies, bees have compound eyes that provide durable vision without eyelid protection. Their eyes are made up of thousands of tiny tubes called ocelli. Each tube captures a tiny snippet of the visual field. Together, they create a mosaic image with nearly 360-degree vision.
The domed shape of the eye offers sturdiness compared to our protruding camera eyes. The smooth exterior resists water loss and physical abrasion. To keep their eyes clean, bees have tiny hairs that brush away dust and pollen. They also secrete oil from glands near their eyes that coats the surface.
Bees may not benefit from eyelids for spreading fluid and protecting them from particles. But their evolutionary adaptations allow them to see well enough to fly quickly, find flowers, and communicate with hive members. So, while bees probably don’t understand what they’re missing, their specialized eyes serve their needs elegantly without much fuss.