Tuatara have what is believed to be a third eye called parietal eye, does anybody know what this third eye is used for? or what scientists believe it is used for? I need the info for an extra credit assignment...
2007-11-21 19:41:55 · 3 answers · asked by hui 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
It's on the top of the head, and it only senses light and dark. It doesn't open or close, and isn't very obvious to look at.
Actually I haven't seen a tuatara, but I used to keep Chinese water dragons, and they have a third eye also. It helps their bodies to adjust to seasonal variations in light. I found that my water dragons ate twice as much in summer as in winter, and were more active, even though their cage temperature was the same. They responded to the extra hours of light from the windows in summer.
I assume it's the same with the tuatara, which is also a reptile.
2007-11-22 19:09:15 · answer #1 · answered by The First Dragon 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Tuatara's third eye is located on the top of its head, and is not as sensitive as its other eyes. Scientists believe it can only sense light and dark.
2007-11-22 03:48:51 · answer #2 · answered by Bookstalker 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is called the pineal gland. The pineal gland is also present in the human brain, but is not a light sensory organ. In Tuataras, the gland is near the surface, and so is sensitive to light.
2007-11-22 08:18:14 · answer #3 · answered by AndrewG 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋