News Animals

Color at Night: Geckos can distinguish hues by dim moonlight

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

Of all the vertebrates, a gecko has just become the first to ace behavioral tests for seeing color in very low illumination.

TWILIGHT ZONE. In dim light, the helmet gecko can tell blue from gray, even when people can’t. Inset: Pupil nearly closed in bright light (left) and wide open in dim light (right).